I am doing the finish carpentry for basement that has lookout windows. The wall on the window side has a ledge about 10 1/2″ wide that needs a cap. The customer has selected solid maple and wants a solid maple cap on this ledge. My question: The ledge has several inside, and outside miter joints where the walls jog. With 1×12 maple I am concerned about seasonal wood movement and any special attention that I need to pay to these joints. I was considering biscuit jointing them in 2-3 spots. Any suggestions?
John
Replies
JMNNN
The biscuits would be helpful but you could also use tight-joints, don't know if that's the right term for them or just what we called them, they are the fasteners that you see on the underside of laminate counter tops. Just put a strait bit in your router and mortis out corresponding pockets for them, about 1/2" deep usually does it. Glue up and draw the tight joint up, never going to come loose.
Doug
With boards that wide I would try to design it so that all the joints were square butts . With careful joint layout it can look ok. I would still use biscuits or pocket screws to aid with alignment.
my 2 cents Rik
I don't believe any solid wood is a good option for that application, particularly if the ledge you refer to is concrete. I would tell them that solid wood will undoubtedly cup, shrink and swell, and there is little you can do about it. Maple plywood with a solid maple nosing is what would work. Even it should be sealed with a couple coats of good vinyl sealer on both sides before top coating.
Clampman
Are you talking about a ledge that runs the length of the wall ? Some times used to reinforce a weak foundation wall. Does this ledge run in and out around pilasters and into window sills?How far does it jut out?
If it juts out the width of the board or less you could use a straight butt joint and all of your movment would be in the same direction. I think maple end grain looks fine left exposed.
Basement has wall on two sides that is around 40" high. There is a 2x6 wall framed in front of the foundation wall creating a 10" ledge just below the windows. This knee wall runs around 60' total length. There is one bumpout that jogs out about 3 feet for about 12 feet off the wall. I was concerned at these outside corner joints.
John
I'll go with Clampman.
10½" solid maple is going to take on a life of its own. I'd make sure the poly runs over the stub wall and is unbroken.
Level the cap with shingles/ shims, never assume a framed wall is level. Use solid maple or maple casing to cover the 3/4" plywood edge and hide the shims.
Miters would look nice but may complicate things if the wall jogs are different widths. As well you may have to scribe the piece to get a good fit against the wall
Biscuts are a good idea too.
Turtleneck
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