Whos idea was it

[Gpmo]

To invent baseboard trim.... Its terrible Installing it has been a weekend long nightmare and i'm not even close to done. My corners never line up right . At least i don't have to the door ways and i suppose doing the trim means we are close to the end and we can move in soon.


If anyone knows of any tips, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[pashnit]

At least you're not doing crown molding. I did my entire house and getting the angles right was a pain.

Fill the gaps with putty, then paint over it when you're done, it'll all blend in.

 

[twotonevert]

Miter Box...don't free hand angle cuts.

 

[Fastfrog007]

Miter Box...don't free hand angle cuts.

Without The New Yankee workshop, I wouldnt even know what that was

 

[Stilslo]

Baseboard trim shouldn't be this difficult. If your saw is set to cut at 45 degrees and your inside/outside corners are not lining up than your saw is off or the floor is unlevel. If its your floor, snap a line at the highest point of the floor and run all the base to the top of that line. Don't worry about gaps at the low areas, that's what shoe molding is for. Use a little construction adhesive behind the base and you won't have to shoot as much nails in it to fill later. Use vinyl spackle or readypatch to fill the nail holes and they won't sink in when it drys. That's all the tips I can think of right now.

 

[Gpmo]

Baseboard trim shouldn't be this difficult. If your saw is set to cut at 45 degrees and your inside/outside corners are not lining up than your saw is off or the floor is unlevel. If its your floor, snap a line at the highest point of the floor and run all the base to the top of that line. Don't worry about gaps at the low areas, that's what shoe molding is for. Use a little construction adhesive behind the base and you won't have to shoot as much nails in it to fill later. Use vinyl spackle or readypatch to fill the nail holes and they won't sink in when it drys. That's all the tips I can think of right now.

The tops of the trim are meeting up but it seems like the bottom is tucking inwards at the base of the drywall, which is causing a separation at the base of the trim. We are using a compound mitre saw for our cuts.

To be kindof fair to myself... or to make myself feel better. The only instruction on it ive had is looking at it around the house to see how to get it done...

 

[raydog]

I do most kinds of building.....and I hate baseboards and moulding! It'll feel good when you're done.

 

[Gpmo]

I do most kinds of building.....and I hate baseboards and moulding! It'll feel good when you're done.

So you wouldn't trade room and board in Colorado to do our trim then.... Think of all the amazing bicycling you could do .

 

[Stilslo]

The tops of the trim are meeting up but it seems like the bottom is tucking inwards at the base of the drywall, which is causing a separation at the base of the trim. We are using a compound mitre saw for our cuts.

To be kindof fair to myself... or to make myself feel better. The only instruction on it ive had is looking at it around the house to see how to get it done...

Sounds like your corners are out of square. Google coping wood base, it's hard to splain without pictures. Coping the base will take more time, but it will come out perfect and it's pretty easy after you do a few corners. Good luck

 

[TallTom]

A few tips.

1. Moldings are rarely square as you receive it. The ends are almost never at zero. Square off your ends before measuring off it.
2. Walls are rarely square. Baseboards are square. You will rarely get 2 45 degree angle cuts to match the wall corner It's easier to use filler (caulk), rather than trying to follow the contour of the wall.
3. Try and nail into footer board first.
4. When 2 pieces need to meet, don't butt joint them. Instead back cut a 45 degree. This will allow for some adjustment that is less likely to show the imperfections.
5. An ideal "joint" will have a littleslight bit of "spring" pressure that you will be able to hold down with your nailing. That will insure the tightest joint you can get.

 

[dadofthree]

It's an art form, sometimes you have to use shims if the walls aren't true or close to true.

 

[Gpmo]

Thanks for the tips guys. I will try my best to employ them tonight. Only another 90 or so feet to install. .

And 5 doors, 2 toilets, 2 bathroom vanities, and paint two bathrooms. Then I can move in. Yay.

 

[Gpmo]

So i used some of the tips you guys gave me and this is the outcome. It's not perfect but it's the best I've done yet.

Thanks a lot folks.

 

[lavinrac]

To fix that little issue I have found that if I start both pieces away from the corner but leave the corner free to move I could use the pressure in the base boards to hold it where I want and allow me to line up the corner better, before you start to nail them down. From the looks of that picture you prolly fully attached the base on the left then added the base on the right. Thus leaving you with the overlap effect.

 

[Strife]

Is the carpet tack strip under the baseboard too? If so, you might run into some issues with replacing the carpet at a future time. Throw some caulk over the cracks and paint. After that the issue in your mind of them boards not perfectly matching up will fade away fast.