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I am installing clear coated baseboard to painted walls. Is there any way to pull base up tight to the wall at spots where there is a slight bow in the wall but no stud behind it to fire into? The only way I know to hide this is caulking. Is there a better solution? Nick.
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Wainscot, or raised panels. The "correct way" is to scribe your base, and pare down the back to conform to the wall... then I woke up. Hope this customer has some bucks.
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Happy scribing, Tex.
*You could use construction adhesive and wedge the base up tight from the wall opposite the one your working on. Leave it that way a couple of days and it should be fine, assuming your talking about small gaps. I usually caulk the top of the base but that doesnt work so well if the base and wall are both already finished. Chuck
*One of the advantages of 2 piece base is that the base cap is smaller and more flexible than bottom base board, and there by more readily conforms the wall's irregularities.
*Use a 2 or 3 piece base system.Say 1x stock of proper height.Base shoe at floor junction.Use 1/2 in. or so quarter round /cove/ or some thing with an ogee profile , all of which will be more pliable/ flexible than a one piece milled base.The "top" piece can then be pushed tight against the wall ,glued to the 1x, and brad nailed to the wall or 1x till the glue sets.Alot of older trim was made using several standard pieces in combinations to fit easier in unlevel/ unsquare houses.Big stock to keep the mop from ruining the wall and small stock to cover the gaps.
*How tall is your base? - jb
*Related question: Recently was installing custom countertops on vanities. Some gaps up to 1/8 inch due to wall irregularity. Scribe, caulk, or ignore? Customer wanted to ignore but I'm still not really comfortable with that.
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Installing crown cove moulding( Camterbury premould 3 5/8
profile) in master bedroom and placement conflicts with
ceiling HVAC registers in two spots. hate to beak flow; have
let in with reveal both sides of register in past; any
suggestions for sharp finish? Th
*Tex, take a 16d finish nail and nail near the top of the base at an angle down toward and into the bottom plate. When you set the nail it will pull the top up tight against the wall. As for the vanity. You can caulk up to a 1/4 in using caulk backer or foam weather stripping. If it bugs you though(as it would me) I'd scribe it and haul out the belt sander.Although if it's a pain to get in and out and the customer doesn't seem to mind...an 1/8in isn't all that bad...(CAULK) you can (CAULK) probably come up with (CAULK) something (CAULK) like some trim (CAULK) or a shelf or... Good luck to both. BE
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Fred, no back splash?That's the best way to cover the gap. However, the next time you make a top or have it made,have 1/4 " scribe blocks installed and leave 1/4" inch of plam hangin' off on any side that butts a wall.Then when you go to scribe the top you only need to sand a bit of the lammy ,which is much easier with better results than wonkin' through 1 1/2" of build up with a jigsaw. Reinhard
*Move the (&^$%! registers. (Wishful thinking?)Reinhard, great thought on the laminate.
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Ed, if I were to say "return" would you know what I'm referring to? It's how you stop a crown (or base or chair rail) at a straight-line termination. Ummm....let's see if I can describe this in words.... If you think of cutting an outside corner; pieces one and two both have "long point" cuts on them; and then cut off the length of piece #2 that would be turning the corner so it is flush on the back side of piece #1.... with me? When you lay this on a wall you get a shaped end on your work.
Now, think in terms of doing a partial return.... only the part that would be interfering with the register gets a return, with the upper part continuing on through....
Granted, it will take a few minutes but the look would be simply stunning, don't you know.... enjoy it with a soft cabernet, room temperature.
-Ben
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My theory: RED MEAT IS NOT BAD FOR YOU!!
(Fuzzy, Greenish-Blue meat is bad for you.)
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How do you cover the gap under the "upper part continuing on"? Ripped flat stock?
In college, there was a persistent rumor that the kitchens used meat stamped "Grade D - Edible".
*Whenever I use returns I try to use consectutive cuts from the same board so the grain "wraps" around that corner too. Same reason I like to take door casings out of 18' stock. - jb
*A block plane works great for shaping that overhang too. - jb
*Thanks for the reinforcement. I think I,m going to have another discussion about the top. The problem is that the vanity has stained oak edging and after scribing would probably look just as bad as if it was left alone and caulked. Usually I'd just scribe and belt-sand but this time I think I'll use caulk.Reinhard, sorry I wasn't more clear, the top does have a backsplash. But it isn't really deep enough to tolerate much scribing without the differences being visible; found that out in the kitchen. Next time will ask the guy to make it different per your suggestion.
*Fred - Another method I've used when nothing else would do was to float the wall straight with Durabond and joint compound. Actually, I've done this more times than I would care to admit.
*Nick:Too late for this job but I'm going to put that in the brain box for next time.
*I use a two piece baseboard, and the cap which is lighter and more bendable covers the gaps.
*Sounds like one of the best solutions to me actually -- address the problem rather than the bandage.
*Tex, I have no idea if this is new construction or remod, if new , next time place base blocks between stud bays so at any point on the wall you can drill A 1/4" hole, run A screw through your base and suck that bad boy just tight.Thats what I do, after the screw is in fill 1/4" hole with a tapper plug. This works on 3/4" thick material.
*Hello Everyone, I have seen this trim problem in a different aspect, and I see it quite frequently. The drywall (whether new construction or old) is installed horizontally on the walls (in most cases). The bottom edge of the drywall is tapered. The installers/finishers did not do anything with this area, since it will be covered up by trim anyway. When the trim is installed, and nailed at the sole plate (down low) it literally kicks the bottom edge in (towards the drywall indentation), and kicks the top edge of the trim out (toward the open room). Sometimes it is a slight amount, sometimes it is a large (1/4" or more) amount. Some installers will actually install a small piece of wood in the gap between the drywall bottom and the floor, but they are shimming to meet the thinner beveled edge. If you do shim here, be sure to use a piece of wood the same thickness as the drywall, not the beveled edge. If baseboards are to be painted, and the wall painted, then caulk works very well on the top seam. If the wall is to be wallpapered, and the baseboard painted, then this method will still show. If the baseboard is stain grade, caulking sticks out like a sore thumb. I, like several others here, use a built up trim whenever the gaps are large, and the baseboards are stained.Just my 1/2 cents worth. (Inflation , you know)James DuHamel
*A question related to James's post:Something that I have never understood about drywall (not being a drywall hanger): Why is that in a typical house, 20% - 60% of the drywall is not pulled tight to the wall? What I mean is that the windows and doors are all carefully set with a 9/16" reveal out from the studs. Electrical boxes are set with a 1/2" reveal out fron the studs. Once the drywall is hung, it is *not* flush with some of the interior faces of the windows, doors & electrical boxes. Several times I have seen it where the problem seems worse towards the top of windows/doors. Why is this???TIA
*Matt, I've seen this problem when the trimmers were'nt kept flush with the king studs. I've also seen drywallers who didnt use any fasteners from 18'' or 20'' off the floor, claiming the base would hold it in. Chuck
*I install about 5 mantles a day and always find walls that are really wavy. Since caulk is not an option and since the mantles I install have very little material that can be scribed, I outline the top and the bottom of the breast and remove that section of drywall that will be covered by the mantle.With the drywall removed, I can slip shims behind the drywall and studs to push the drywall closer to the top. Between the amount gained with scribing and shimming the d-wall, I can usually get a mantle nice and tight, even on the roughest wall.
*a simple solution could be to angle a long trim nail down into the wall plate i have found this to be effective in the past
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drywall hangers are generally using too much glue and not enough nails they also depend on base instead of nailing drywall at the bottom
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What about wall anchors and trim screws for the really bad
spots. Fit your piece, drill a pilot hole to mark drywall,
set the anchor,run the screw. I've actually done it with
crown mould on wiggly walls. Kinda slow,but it works..
Another thing I just thought of. What about removing the
drywall and installing plywood so you have something to nail
to, if it's in the budget that is.
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Learned a lot from you all. Here's one that's vexed me. I'm installing base (painted--thank god) in an old house on wavy floors.
If I scribe and plane, the waves are dramatic enough that the base sometimes falls low and meets at different heights in the corner. I know I can cover the gap with quarter-round but that's not how the old-timers did it and I'm trying for a real clean, angular look.
Any ideas?
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I am installing clear coated baseboard to painted walls. Is there any way to pull base up tight to the wall at spots where there is a slight bow in the wall but no stud behind it to fire into? The only way I know to hide this is caulking. Is there a better solution? Nick.