Your finished boards look great. How tall your baseboards are depends on the height of your ceiling, actually. 0000038029 00000 n In the meantime, you may browse the digital edition. Select fastener lengths that will penetrate the framing by at least 1-1/2 in. Below 60 degrees, leave a 1/8-in. You can buy baseboards from the lumber department at The Home Depot. 0000019530 00000 n A Dozen Ways to Strengthen Your Remodeling Brand, The Empire Group Plans Large Build-to-Rent Community in North Phoenix, The Most Affordable Places to Retire in America in 2022, Yardi Matrix Reports Institutional Investment in Single-Family Rentals Is Rising, NAHB: Proposed Schumer-Manchin Legislation Could Affect Builders, New Conservation Community Lagoon Valley Materializes in the Bay Area, 7 Ways to Prepare Your Team to Sell in an Uncertain Market. Last year I did a basement makeover, laying vinyl plank flooring over linoleum tiles. 0000001299 00000 n Just be sure that when applying the diatomaceous earth, be sure to wear a dust mask and apply it with a duster. Some products expand more than others, so follow the instructions with the specific product you're working with to be sure you leave enough room. JLC Online: Best practices for professional builders and remodelers, The Secret to a Perfect Baseboard Fit? Home Depot provided them to me to use for this project of installing baseboards in my basement. Its not required, but if youre plagued with unsightly gaps or unevenness, then consider adding quarter round. Cortex brand fasteners work great for unpainted trim (available at lumberyards or amazon.com). Edges that have been cut or routed could turn yellow over time. (Privacy Policy) *, Im Serena Appiah (rhymes with IKEA). Before I dig into how to install baseboards, lets talk about what are baseboards! bathroom, basement, kitchen, family room, etc.) If you're using 10-in. (The British use the term skirting board, by the way). 0000083995 00000 n Success! When you sand it down, it will sand smooth and flat over the brad nail hole. (If youre planning to add quarter round, plan to paint that, as well.). That 1/4 expansion gap is necessary, but it doesnt mean we have to look at it. Will consider when we renovate our condo. If you look specifically at their floor molding (also knowns as baseboards), youll see that there are several options. In fact, if you glued the baseboards, you could damage the drywall when removing them if you ever need to remove them again to install new flooring. Well, not if theyre made with MDF (medium density fibreboard). Thanks for taking the time to create your posts! Predrill mitered corners with a pocket hole jig, apply glue, then join the corners with screws. A: Gary Katz, a frequent contributor to JLC and moderator of the JLC Online finish-carpentry forum, responds: Ive installed PVC trim on a number of interior projects using the same basic techniques I use with wood and have never had a problem. If you caulk the seam between the wall and floor, you will solve this problem. Yes, I do recommend painting the back of baseboards, too, which helps to seal them. Articles will be published online soon. You could even paint them a contrasting color. Until recently, you could only use lighter paint colors, because darker colors absorbed more of the sun's heat and increased expansion of the PVC, causing the trim to warp and the paint to peel. Ive had the best results with Versatex cellular PVC (versatex.com). Not that you have to have all of those insects to use it! All these little cracks and gaps we have to leave when hanging drywall and installing flooring are hidden behind the baseboards, pulling the room together to look more finished.. Be sure to SAVE this guide on Pinterest if you found it helpful! You dont want to prevent this natural shifting or have the quarter round shifting because its nailed to the floor. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), Do Not Sell My Personal Information CA Residents. There are no rules here. If you wanted to paint the baseboard, you may need to add some painters tape to the floor (and wall) to prevent making a mess while painting the baseboards (unless you have a steady hand!). The studs will typically be 16 apart, so once you find one stud, the next will be 16 away. A miter box is a pretty cheap alternative to a miter saw when cutting molding and trim (like how I use it to make my own DIY picture frames.). It may seen overwhelming because this is alot of information to digest, but installing your own DIY baseboards is actually pretty simple. Its basically ground up sea fossils that cut the exoskeleton of insects when they crawl through it, including ants, bed bugs, carpet beetles, roaches, etc. gap for every 18 ft. of length. Use these 5 printables, checklists, and ebooks to get started! A brilliant and comprehensive guide on doing this bit of DIY yourself. 0000097206 00000 n Buy the food grade variety. Please try again. 0000005441 00000 n It has sharp, clean corners and nice edges, mills beautifully with a router bit, and has a finish that accepts paint very well; its not mirror-glossy like some other brands, which practically require etching to bond well with paint. Milwaukee M18 FUEL 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Gen II 18-Gauge Brad Nailer, Installing a Staircase Handrail at My Basement Stairs, Power Tools 101: What to Buy and How to Use Them, Which Leaf Blower is the Best? The brad nails closer to the bottom will attach to the wall framing behind the drywall. Although white is typical, feel free to paint them whatever color you want. Fill larger holes or damaged areas with auto body filler, and again, sand it after it cures. I also like that PVC baseboards are termite-resistant. 0000043973 00000 n Start by drafting out a sketch of the space where youre installing the baseboard: Now that weve done a little math has an example ofhow much baseboard you need, lets do an example of how much it costs. Therefore, cut the baseboard pieces and join them together with the connectors. Personally, I think thats overkill and just makes the task that much longer. It really just depends on your unique style. I just looked up this Xcluder and it reminds me of the steal wool I have used to shove into holes and stuff, to keep mice out. Just be careful not to apply much. Going to the next section of the room. Also, notice the small gap between the baseboard and the wall? One reason I dont worry much about the PVC expanding or contracting is that interior trim runs are usually much shorter than exterior trim runs, where the potential for movement is much greater. This is a quick project that will definitely change the look of your room. In my basement with 8 feet ceilings, which is the standard ceiling height, a 3 and 1/4 wide baseboard trim would work well. Very thorough! If its a small piece, use wood glue to secure it (to avoid breaking the piece with brad nails). When heated to about 320 degrees F, the stuff turns into a wet noodle. 0000044242 00000 n Click here to SAVE this guide on Pinterest! We recommend you to choose the first option on drywall and the second one for masonry walls. So lets jump into this post right now! After installation, cover the gap with paintable acrylic or polyurethane caulk. This article is about how to install baseboard trims with glue. (Ask me how I knowIts true that experience is the best teacher!). As you can easily see in my tutorial, you dont need nails to install baseboard trims and you can do it as well with heavy duty adhesive. Great idea on the Table of Contents to help return readers navigate quickly through the sections. PVC trim expands when it's hot and contracts when it's cold. Theres no right or wrong answer here. from the edges. If youre installing it yourself, youll save on installation costs. I consent to Thrift Diving Blog collecting and storing the data I submit in this form. ), the board started to warp. The easiest way to clean baseboards would be to include then when doing your routine vacuuming, but once a month or more, use a microfiber towel to dust them clean. A Preacher Block, Adding Hand-Hewn Beams to a Finished Ceiling, The Last Word (We Hope) on Vapor Barriers, A Builder's Guide to Breathable Indoor Air, Building a Deck With a Welded Steel Frame, Housing Market Slows as Fed Takes Aggressive Approach to Combat Inflation, When Hidden Defects Complicate a Simple Deck Replacement. One more thought Have you ever noticed how carpeting will darken next to the baseboard? Some people even use painters tape just above the baseboards so that when they spread it and remove the tape, it creates a clean line. (Pssst! 0000005925 00000 n We get pests problems in our condo and this I think is a brilliant idea. Be sure that the caulk says that its flexible, crack-proof, and paintable. $16 per board for 13 boards means wed be spending roughly $208 on baseboards. Youll want to apply more than you need, making a small mound. Fill small holes with an exterior filler and lightly sand it smooth after it dries. I wont lie that I have sometimes left the holes unfilled. . And don't forget to apply cement to both pieces before securing them to the wall. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. <<9E2EFE7D570EC049950C686B4A0F2119>]/Prev 237104>> When joined together on an inside corner, those 45-degree angles come together to create a 90-degree angle. Its best to paint the new baseboards before installing them. Prebuild your PVC trim as shown and then install it as a unit rather than one piece at a time as you would with wood. With drywall, you also have to leave 1/2 off the ground when installing it. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Its safe for humans and pets and is non-toxic and natural. Can baseboards get wet? Your email address will not be published. The dotted diagram shows how the two pieces will be cut to join together at the outside corner. Thank you for reading our article on how to install baseboard with glueand we recommend you to check out the rest of our projects. I particularly like the idea of Diatomaceous Earth. Theyre dustier than dusty, and theyre easy to miss. Also, PVC trim shrinks and expands because of changes in temperature; if its installed when the temperature is anywhere near 70F, its unlikely to move much later on. 0000002192 00000 n Baseboards made with MDF, while more affordable, cant withstand water. Before actually installing the baseboard to the wall, I like to sprinkle a natural insecticide behind the baseboards called diatomaceous earth. After you set the baseboard trims to the walls leave them alone to dry out for several hours. One windy day we had the garage door open and I actually saw sawdust blowing underneath the base plate of the stud wall! No, you dont have to glue baseboards to drywall. Build a form out of plywood, and you can make consistent parts all day long. In other words, its a strip of material that covers up the imperfections from where the drywall and floor meet. %PDF-1.5 % Smear a little cement on both surfaces and then clamp or screw the joint together. I did hear about the boric acid. hb``P```qa```Z01F$Q(f`Pbdx{``g1:'D7l`|%SFxi. 0000164391 00000 n What Tools Are Needed to Install Baseboard? Were in the same area-ish. 38 0 obj <>stream But dont let those options limit you. This method also works for crooked wall and I will show you how. The home center near you might stock only 8-ft. boards in a few of the most popular widths, so you'll likely have to special-order longer lengths and the specialty profiles and moldings. Before attaching them, locate studs in the wall using a stud finder. But use a stud finder to confirm this (some homes may have studs located 24 apart). While they too are highly durable and low maintenance, their installation techniques are different. Q: On a bathroom remodel, my client has requested flat 1x6 PVC trim fitted with a profiled PVC cap piece to match the look of the period baseboards in the rest of the house. Along the bottom of the baseboard, add a brad nail, as well. Winter = warm place to stay. A baseboard is a molding covering the joint of a wall and the adjoining floor. -Merriam-Webster dictionary. In our new condo they put plain MDF baseboards. Question for you! We just have to make sure its there. I applied the adhesive to the wall and then pressed the baseboard gently every inch at a time. If youre using a paint brush, use a synthetic paint brush and glide it over the baseboards in long, smooth strokes. Do you think its best to caulk the area between the floor and baseboard as well? When planning your baseboards for inside corners, theyll be positioned with 45-degree angled cuts. As soon as our JC opens up again Im signing up for the carpentry class. There are more than 100 color choices, light and dark. I dont bother using any adhesive on cope joints, whether Im working with wood or PVC trim theres nothing to glue to and no reason for it. I dont know which works better, but anything has got to be better than using nothing! There are tons of options of moldings, including ceiling crown molding, door and windows, floor, general purpose, and wall and trim. There are dozens of profiles to choose from: bead board, skirt board, tongue and groove, quarter round, brick molding, coves, crowns, just to name a few. %%EOF Home House & Components Parts of House Trim. And because it runs on battery, no gas cartridge is required. If you bought primed baseboards, youll likely only need one coat of semi-gloss (or stain) paint. Great question. Thank you for reminding me. Then the piece join, it will be capped off nicely at the end of the wall. 4 0 obj <> endobj PVC is a form of plastic that's used in a hundred different ways, including for plumbing pipes. It will look something like this: with one end butted up against the door casing. Start with painting the back first. 0000044600 00000 n 0000016734 00000 n When cutting outside corners, cut your baseboard moldings with 45-degree angles to meet at the outside corner. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); HowToSpecialist How to Build, Step by Step DIY Plans, Measuring tape, carpentry pencil, l-square. 0000039279 00000 n Set your miter saw (or miter box) to 90-degrees. . Read More >> I had found this metal fabric that doesnt rust or become brittle called Xcluder. Gary Katz is a frequent contributor to JLC and a presenter atJLC Live. See all my Premium Plans HERE. But its more than just about imperfections. What Size Baseboards and How High Should I Install? The reason it to prevent water damaging the drywall in the event of a leak. Starting to look beautiful already. Im not going to assume everyone already knows. Here is a example of a typical piece of primed pine baseboard. Treat your painted wood the same as pvc! Just apply pressure to the baseboard trims against the wall till there are no gaps left. What Style of Baseboard Should I Install? I love the fact you plan ahead on things. Flooring goes under baseboards, so dont take the lazy route and attempt to leave them on when installing a new floor. Once the wood filler is dry, sand it smooth with 150 or 180 grit sandpaper. I recommend you to take a look over my other baseboard trim installation tutorial, so you see other methods, as well. Ive been considering doing this around my own house (some rooms I have added caulk already). If youve got PVC baseboards, a damp microfiber towel works well and wont damage the baseboards. Thrift Diving inspires women to decorate, improve, and maintain their home themselvesusing paint, power tools, and thrift stores! If youre not using the old baseboards, use a hammer to flatten the brad nails so you dont step on them. Thanks for a well written DIY!!! Cut the first piece of trim to fall just past the center of a stud so the second, overlapping trim piece can be fastened to the center of the stud. Sure, I now know were else I have to focus, but there are no mouse trails where theyve chewed their way into that room. I have actually caulked not just the top of the baseboard (to cover cracks), but I have caulked where the quarter round (also known as shoe molding) meets the floor. It will cut the crap out of your fingers, and mice cant chew through it. I cut strips and put it in the gaps under the baseboard, and secured it in place by nailing up my shoe molding. However, for PVC baseboard I like to apply the adhesive directly onto the wall, because the baseboard molding is flexible and you can get it all over the floor when installing it. If youve got a lot of baseboards, pull out a paint sprayer to get through the job a little faster. Where ends of trim meet, join them just like wood: Create scarf joints, that is, overlapping 45-degree joints. Once you figure out a system for heating the PVC, you'll find that trimming arched windows is a piece of cakeand kind of fun.