Attached is a picture of a 2-part base made up of a 1×6 and a cap. I went with 2 pieces because I couldn’t find the profile in the height I wanted in the material I wanted.
In any case, my question is whether to caulk the seam between the base and the cap. As you can see in the picture, not caulking it will leave a deep groove that will be hard to thoroughly paint. I’m not concerned with the groove as I am being able to get the paint in. I can caulk the seam just enough so that I can get complete coverage when painting. This will also make it look more like a single unit. I am reminded though of the wisdom I learned on this board that ‘caulk is not a piece of trim’.
I should mention that I have about 1,000 feet of base. I’m not concerned about time or effort, just about doing it right.
What do others do in this situation?
Edited 8/25/2006 9:26 am ET by Mojo
Replies
I think caulk is likely to shrink and crack over time. I'd leave as is.
I'd leave it..
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Although I usually don't like it, this may be a good place to pre-paint the base and cap before it's installed. Caulking that groove will also fill it and probably make it look a little weird.
Something I always have to remember is that nobody is ever going to get as close to this stuff as I do so absolute perfection isn't really necessary. You see it from a few inches away and - unless they get down on their hands and knees - everyone else will see it while standing up. Perspective makes a big difference.
I just finished three rooms of crown molding and spent quite a bit of time tweaking a couple of the coped joints. My decision to call them good was made from the floor - not on a ladder with my nose 12" from the joint - lol
Thanks for the feedback. Pre-painting is definitely an option that I'll consider. And I agree about the perspective and the level of detail needed, it's just that (like most people on this board), knowing that it's there will make me almost as crazy as if someone else notices. Thanks again.
It always bugs me too, but you gotta keep it real. When you're doing this for pay, absolute perfection just ain't realistic.
That crown I mentioned was just "ok" in my book but the customer thought it was wonderful. (The ladder was already in the pickup and I didn't offer to bring it back in - lol)
>>"My decision to call them good was made from the floor - not on a ladder with my nose 12" from the joint
Good call. A friend who does building facade restorations from ground floor to the distant top cornice once gave me a valuable piece of wisdom: "high work is not eye work." Spend the most time where it really, really counts. ;-)
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I like that!
We do a lot of drop ceiling work. A lot of odd angles, round columns, etc. Cutting tiles for those areas is a PITA. The only time anyone ever looks up in an office complex is when a light starts to flicker or goes out. Our battle cry in those areas is "nobody looks up."
Dave
I've never caulked this type of joint. In fact, it will likely end up looking worse if you try to get caulk (cleanly) into that narrow gap. You've just got to bite the bullet and run the paint brush along the groove - it will be faster anyhow.
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I agree that you should not caulk; for this type of baseboard cap, you want a nice clean reveal, and it would be better if you could paint before installation, then do your final coat once it's up.
Is this baseboard cap off-the-shelf, or did you make it?
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Thanks for the advice. The consensus is not to caulk.
The cap is stock and I believe the supplier is Interstate Lumber, but I've seen similar in other places. I'm in SW CT.
The advantage of the two piece base is that the base cap is flexible enough to follow minor variations in the wall and close up gaps that a one piece base and cap wouldn't allow. Stand back and look, this has been done since the last century, at least. Paint will fill a lot of small gaps, and you're supposed to see some detail, light and shadow, that caulk would make fuzzy. The top edge where the cap meets the wall might be where you need a little caulk. Have fun.
i think that looks good with that shadowline there....you can trim my place anyday....but keep your caulk to yourself