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I just finished laying sheet vinyl in a kitchen. It worked out very well and fits up to the toe-kicks with a maximum of 1/8″ space all around. I wonder if a caulk (similar to Polyseamseal) would be a good substitute for 1/4 round base shoe molding? I’ve tried Polyseamseal to seal around a countertop backsplash; I found that it shrinks and discolors. Is there a better product? Thanks.
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Chris:
The purpose of quarter round or shoe mold or base (3 different products) in this application is to allow for expansion and contraction in the flooring material.
I have not tried what you propose, but as far as I know, in the long run, all caulk gets dirty in time if not painted or other wise covered.
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Chris,
There is a much better product than polyseamseal! It's called shoemold! Install it, don't skip it!
John
*at 15 cents(my old type writer had the cents sign over the 6 key) per lf for the material I beleive base shoe is cheaper than a good silicone caulk. I also bet ya I can run the shoe mold quicker than you could caulk.......If your caulking is like mine it wont be straight either......vinyl base glued to the wall is used in commercial applications here to save time and a little money....maybe you want to try that
*Chris,No.Ed. Williams
*Buy primed shoe, paint it, put it down. Then if you need to seal the top to the kick/base, caulk. If you finish paint it b/4 you put it down, you'll only have a little touch up. Best of luck.
*Or, if your cabinets and/or trim are stained: sand the shoe, pre-stain, add a coat of poly, sand lightly, and give a second coat of poly. Then cut, cope, bull nose and tack it in place. Touch up end grains of bull noses with a Q-tip and some poly. You won't believe how quickly you can stain and poly great lengths of shoe with some rubber gloves and a few soft rags. Please don't put down caulk or unfinished shoe... if you do, we will track you down and consume all the recreational beverages in your refrigerator!You've done a nice job so far, so put on the finishing touches... Steve
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I just finished laying sheet vinyl in a kitchen. It worked out very well and fits up to the toe-kicks with a maximum of 1/8" space all around. I wonder if a caulk (similar to Polyseamseal) would be a good substitute for 1/4 round base shoe molding? I've tried Polyseamseal to seal around a countertop backsplash; I found that it shrinks and discolors. Is there a better product? Thanks.