How To Install Baseboard Molding, Even On Crooked Walls

Below are a few helpful guidelines that can help you with your baseboard molding installations.

Gluing The Baseboards to the Wall

• Hold the base  molding  against the wall and look for gaps.
  
• Cut a few braces of scrap baseboard and put 45-degree angles on the ends.
  
• Apply adhesive to the top and bottom.
  
• Nail the floor trim and then tack the braces to the trim.
  
• Force the gaps closed with the scrap and tack the blocks.
  
• Leave it overnight to set, and then pry the blocks free.
  
• Fill any little holes when you fill the nailheads.

Caulk Gaps

• Choose a premium acrylic latex caulk that says “paintable” on it.
  
• Force the caulk into the gap and fill to the top of the trim.
  
• Immediately wipe off any excess.
  
• Wait for 24 hours and then paint the caulk to match the wall color.

Shimming the Floor Gaps to Avoid Tilted Baseboards

• Use chunks of scrap plywood, cut the blocks, and tuck them into the gap.
  
• Install the baseboard over them, tight against the floor molding.

Get Perfect Inside Corners

• Cut a perfect cope on the end of a chunk of baseboard.
  
• Use that and another short piece with a square end to check the corner.
  
• Push the pieces tight against the wall to simulate the pressure the nails will exert.
  
• If there is a gap at the bottom, set aside some test pieces and drive 2-inch screws about 1/2 inch above the floor behind the square-ended piece.
  
• Sink the screw until the head is slightly protruding beyond the drywall
  
• Check the joint again.
  
• Adjust the screw in or out and continue adjusting until the joint is perfect.
  
• Install the baseboard.

To learn about the services and products Neil Richardson Home Repair And Improvements has to offer you, and if you live in or around the Ocala, FL region, please feel free to call us at (352) 292-2014 anytime.