Is moisture a problem with plastic skirting boards?

Hello everyone,

we have a new building and want to lay laminate flooring. Under the laminate, of course, there will be impact sound insulation and a moisture barrier.

Now I read somewhere that you should also stick a protective strip for the skirting board at the edge to protect the skirting board from the residual moisture of the screed. So that no mold forms on the skirting board.

Problem: Actually, I wanted to glue a slim plastic skirting board. If I have the protective strip, I can no longer glue it but have to drill to attach a skirting board.

What does experience say? Do you need the protective strip in a new building because of the moisture? Isn't the plastic skirting board resistant to mold anyway? Are there any experiences/advice? I'm really unsure because I found nothing on this in my search.

Thank you very much

Do you need the edge protection tape during new construction because of moisture?

No! If the screed is still too wet, you have completely different problems. What are people supposed to do who glue/lay wood directly onto the screed?

No! If the screed is still too wet, you have a completely different problem. What are people supposed to do who stick/lay wood directly on the screed?

Thank you very much! Maybe one more supplementary question: I have meanwhile read elsewhere that the house needs 1-2 heating periods until it is reasonably dry. There, the tip was given to place cabinets at a distance from the wall, not to hang pictures on the wall, and to install the baseboards only after a year. Is this a general recommendation? Or somewhat exaggerated (not the part about the cabinets, but the part about the baseboards). I just can't assess how great the "mold risk" is in a new building.

I had also asked that, and even the veterans of the forum are not entirely in agreement...

Normally, nothing happens. Baseboards come later. But not because of moisture, rather because the screed can still settle.

Hello questioner.
"nordanney" has captured the main point quite accurately!
Regarding the floor: everything that is supposed to seal, like skirting boards with sealing lips, etc., is not necessarily useful. When a floor covering is installed, the substrate MUST be dry, i.e. ready for covering.
In new buildings, "the enemy" is not only in the floor! It is the general construction moisture, which, given today's (fast) construction times, is not given a chance to escape during the shell construction phase.
Moisture is also present in the masonry mortar, the wall plaster, and the ceiling structure.
All of this increases indoor humidity in the first years of use – and leads, which is rather unknown, to higher heating costs in the winter months. That's just how it is because moist air has a higher energy content than dry air. And this moisture coming from the masonry is also the reason to first place wall cabinets with sufficient distance from the wall. And hanging pictures? Well, you can also overdo it if they are not large formats.
Only: this has absolutely nothing to do with the screed! If it is not sufficiently dry from the start, then you have – as "nordanney" correctly expressed it – entirely different problems.
Regards: KlaRa