For small gaps like this when I install, especially with MDF I push it down to the floor, it’s flexible. Even with wood sometimes you can lay a 1x or 2x from the floor to the top of base at 90 degrees, put your knee on it to push it down and nail it. With a vinyl or floating floor a little gap is good for floor movement. The thing is also no one wants to pay you to spend 15 minutes on 4’ of base, unless it’s a multi piece design.
I've been a carpenter for 43 years and this is quite possibly the most insane video I've ever seen, for too many reasons to list, but I'll mention a few. First, instead of jacking the base up with shims and playing stupid games with a compass, you could just mark it while it's on the wall by sliding an object over the floor with your pencil on top of it, marking the base along the way. So if your gap is the thickness of a quarter, then take a quarter and slide it across as you mark the base. THEN, remove the base and scribe it. But, having said that, then you've created a "chase your tail" situation where intersecting baseboards may be too tall or short as you move on. Base isn't meant to be scribed. It never was. This is why they make base shoe. It is especially designed to solve this problem. And if you can't live with shoe for some reason, then caulk is your next alternative. And I'll leave you with one other pro tip too: Anyone using a laser to cut anything for finish work has no clue what they're doing. There isn't a laser on this planet that delivers a thin enough line to accurately make a precision cut.
Agree. I was thinking the same thing. It's fine if you're not butting up against another board. But if you are, you created a new problem. Also, a jigsaw is not the way to go either. Better with a circular saw. For mine, I'll likely be using caulk to fix gaps. It is what it is. My house is too old to not have this issue, so I'm expecting I'll run into it at several spots. I just hate the look of quarter round trim.
As a licensed (21+ year) Remodeling Contractor, we (Contractor and Homeowner together as a team) always have a choice between ascetics (that is paramount! - at least in my opinion) and level/plumb/square/etc. Multiple times in my career have I found instances where a SINGLE room has a level difference of 3/4" or more. One time was a bit over 1 1/4" in a kitchen alone. Level is much different than Flat. Once you start cutting 1/2" or more off of baseboard, trim, etc. it starts looking dramatically different (the more detail on the trim makes it even worse) and it looks like someone made a mistake. It has a major tendency to compound the change in appearance as it goes around a room if the level is off in the slab/flooring. If you only go for LEVEL, you can (and probably will) make the overall project look like it was done it was done by amateurs. That is where I communicate with the Owner to see what their wishes are for the final end result. It should be the Owners decision on how far to take this process (level vs. flat) and what they are willing to live with...it is their home.
Trying to troll me? CSLB (California State licensing Board) as a General Contractor since 2000 and now also a licensed Residential Contractor in Florida through FDPR (Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation). I said “remodeling” because that is my specialty and because there is almost no new construction in California because of lack of land available to build on. One of the many reasons why I move to Florida.
Was looking for a comment about him making it level. I thought why even try to make it level. If your floor isn't level, why should the baseboard be, at the cost of removing actual height.
I run into this problem every day as a professional painter. Many of your critics say caulking the gap is the best solution. If so, who's job is it to caulk the gap? Is it the framer's, finish carpenter's, floor installers? The aforementioned trades are long gone more often than not leaving the homeowner and painter shaking their heads as they look at the gaps. Caulking the gap is not a good idea because floors move, houses shift, and the temperature of the house will change with the seasons. After time, the caulking will delaminate, change color, and dust will stick like a magnet. This video is very educating for homeowners, all trades, project managers, inspectors, architects and the like. Thanks for posting it.
We could all solve this problem if we professionals stand together and insist that shoe be installed, and that's exactly what its for. Flooring manufacturer standards say no less than ¼ inch gap, larger for hard wood, and larger for larger rooms, that ⅜ thick base would never cover, so they force us, the ones they hold accountable, to cheat and hold our breath that the call back don't come. Pass the buck, screw the guy behind you, after all, we are all uneducated criminals!
@@rudytrujillo2238 ¼ round/baseshoe would be the correct way, but for whatever reason, clients are told the truth as to why it is so important and its purpose. Not to mention, it's an added piece of trim, more profile. If they would stop cutting corners and tell clients the truth and insist on it being done right, things will never change. Customers don't know a damn thing, expect what they "think" they know. As a professional, I've never had a client say, let's do my flooring wrong, so I can save on some shoe that I as a customer think looks bad. Show them what caulk looks like in short order. Problem solved!
@@VoteBLUE2024toSAVEDEMOCRACY I agree that would be the correct way but if the gaps isn’t that big like in this video caulk wouldn’t look bad at all if done right. All I said was easiest and fastest
I respect your attention to detail. And your commitment, curiosity, courage to set out on the journey to get to a better fit. In the end, we will all have to decide which approach to use based on our time restrictions, tools at hand, nagging from significant other or paying client.
I appreciate your demonstration on your method of contouring your baseboard, my only question I have is how would that transfer throughout the entirety of the installation of the base boards. Would it be that my pitch on one end is slanted or higher than my adjacent end of the boards?
You're perfectionist and that greatly appreciated as a consumer. It would be very time-consuming to this, but if the person is willing to pay for that extra time, this seems like the way to go!
If the gap is so noticeable that you have to scribe such that the adjoining baseboards suffer significant height difference the you can cut all your adjoining baseboards to the lowe height. Easy to do with wide flat stock and not too noticeable, especially if you don’t have to re-radius the bottom edge with true square edge flat stock. However if the gap in question is truly that bad it should have been seen before you place your flooring. I’ll typically use Ardex Finish and blend the subfloor a bit more parallel. I do often have to shim under the floating floors I lay down as it’s easy to miss on a big install. I use the gap to get a tool in and lift the plank and bend a piece of plastic to shim under. As the offence is near the wall it typically doesn’t affect the joint between planks as long as it’s not too much of a shim thickness - which will void the floor warranty too. Filling with caulking can be done very neatly but suffers eventually from poor ascetics with floating floor movement. So basically I’ve done all methods and they all hav the disadvantages save for fastidious prepping beforehand. On long runs with 3 1/4” base it’s easy to flex down on the gap and shoot a few brads. New homes with engineered floor joists are typically easy peasy flat and level. Older home, homes with long joists and no blocking, not so much. One house I went through $1000 in filler and multiple sheets of bulk luan ply filler in the joint valleys. Customers aren’t willing to pay for that kind of prep if it’s client based work. For the diy crowd, it’s just your time mostly. The newer, stiff SPC LVP, I find, is much more fussy to lay flat with even baseboard gaps of subfloors that have settled.
Your attention to detail is refreshing. Most contractors today just slap in some filler and go. No one really wants to do things the right way. As long as it looks good for a few weeks....
I totally agree. In UK we call the baseboard the skirting board. Anyway, you are supposed to leave about a 3mm gap between the skirting board and finished flooring to allow the floor to expand and contract with room temperature. I then use a flexible caulk to close the 3mm gap.
What about as a renter in an apartment? We are currently at war with some roaches and they hide in those cracks. Would using caulk be an acceptable solution in this situation? Landlord isn’t gonna take the time to fix them anyway
Bayshoe or quarter round. Never change the height of your base boards. Old natural wood base often showed the settling of a house because it was not flexible. So we would add a second piece, quarter round or bayshoe. Modern mdf will bend, so just push it down! Also, paint your moldings before you install them! Much easier to touch up your finish nail holes than to cut in the entire board after installing.
25 years in construction and I’ve never heard of using a jigsaw to fix base. Calking and a wet rag always did the trick, but if you have a drastic gap 1/4 round would fix it easy.
You gonna quarter round your whole house because one small wall has a dip? lol That is ridiculous. Personally think quarter round looks shoddy, especially people who don't remove baseboards before they install flooring.
What happens when you then have a corner whether be an inside or an outside cut corner that meets up to that low end you cut on the left side? The trim running down the adjacent wall that meets that at the corner it’s gonna now be a quarter inch taller and now you’re gonna have an issue there.
I was going to say the same thing! This won’t work if you have any corners. Just push the baseboard down, unless you are using oak or something it’s flexible enough.
This method works in many carpentry scenarios. I HIGHLY suggest against it for baseboard that connects to more baseboard. Especially wrapping corners. A scenario I have used this in a bunch is stair treads and risers. No connecting pieces and conforming to bows and bends.
I had exactly this problem when placing new skirtings in my old rickety house. However I chose not to go this way because it works fine when doing it on just one wall but the adjoining wall(s) should have to start off lower by the amount taken off the ends in this case, so that the corners lighn up. Then you end up chasing your tail all around the room (and my room has 28 corner joints in it). I elected to use shoe molding to cover the gaps.
This video is a brief tutorial to show the proper method of installing baseboard, it is standard in high-end finish carpentry. No one needs to chase any tails, you simply need to go about any task in a professional manner, and in this case it starts with finding the low point in floor adjacent to the walls being covered with baseboard, compare that with the highest point, the difference is the amount that will be scribed onto the bottom of the basebord when all pieces are level from the high point. Your standard for your rickety house is not what anyone else would be interested in knowing.
@@larrydaniels8976 Here's the thing. I'm not a professional and I assume that this clip is aimed at DIY people as I would hope that professionals don't need to be watching this.
Much better and great attention to detail. As a new home owner, I'm starting to notice every little imperfection in the home I live in now. lol. Not good for my OCD. Again, great video / tutorials you're providing for a DIYER.
First of I would like to say congratulations on the new home! 🙏🏽. Thank you for the love and support and stay tuned for more helpful videos 2-3 times a week! 👍🏽😊
Great advice, just used this scribing method on a 10’ wall with an upwards bow up to 3/4” tall in the middle. With an upwards bow you just put the shims on the far ends but it worked out basically the same, perfect fit. No luck with using a level though, the corners aren’t level :)
All depends. This technique is best if the bow is on the middle area of baseboard and tapers to the edges. This technique is an “options” not suitable for everyone and just for these situations. If you do take off some off the edges then you will have to relieve other adjoining pieces. 👍🏽😊
Nice clean job and it looks good. i've done the same thing except i stacked carpenters pencils since i didn't have a scribe. If the gap is under 1/8" i'll caulk it. The trick to me is working with a taller baseboard so the height of the baseboard is less noticeable when making cuts. I've seen floors so out of wack that they had no choice but to use vinyl flooring so it can contour the bend, lol
If the home continues to expand and contract throughout the year does a slight gap need to be left? I have gaps around my home and not sure what to do.
Great video thank you - I'm trying to figure out this reversed, how to do this for when the floor is raised in the middle and drops on the sides. Any tips for that?
awesome!!! I have to do this for a few rooms in our very old home. The previous owners put up trim molding with huge gaps, I was at a loss how to fix this.
Exactly! I don't claim to be a pro at trim, but i have been doing it long enough to know that this option is ridiculas. Push it down! I can do it with pine trim as well, but MDF is much easier. Never had an issue. I have done all type base and crown and one thing i do know if you trim one side (like video suggest) you will have other issues connecting adjoing base with different height levels.
Easier to just install shoe molding. That’s what it’s for. Then you don’t have to worry about mating up with adjoining base mold and having to trim every piece in the room. If you don’t like shoe molding, then purchase the wider base mold for the problem area walls and use this method.
I bought vinyl baseboard for bathroom and have no desire for shoe molding. I have a gap between LVP floor and bottom of molding in couple places after Pro install of flooring and baseboard. No way would it work to shorten baseboard or insert shim. Bathroom has multiple corners everywhere. Simple caulk best solution.
I agree. This is fine for a couple of spots but if your entire house or apartment doesn’t have leveled floors I can’t imagine doing this for every baseboard. You could just going to take very long time. Cover with trim or caulking is much easier.
In a situation like this, after a test fit, I mark the low point of the floor board (while baseboard is not installed yet). With the floor board a quarter inch gap from the wall, I raise the low point of the floor by inserting plastic strips wedge to raise the floor low point. Its however a lot easier when the floor board is running parallel to the wall as I can pry the floor board higher to insert longer cut out plastic strips to reach the second board. This solution is also in response to PogChamp query. Thanks for the video its nice to learn more option.
Thank you so much for sharing your technique and advice! I’m so glad you understood my thinking on this that this is just another option, including your technique, other than caulk and quarter round or shoe 🙏🏽😊👍🏽
the item list is missing the brad nailer link. I'm looking to buy one and there are so many options. can you post the brad nailer link you used at the end
Hi! It depends on where warp location is and if you could just do spot repair or not, if the whole baseboard run is warped then you might need to replace the whole run. 👍🏽😊
The real trick is when you have to cut a 45 to continue the baseboard on an adjacent wall. Like for a square room, the error for one wall will continue to all 4 walls. Sometimes caulking or a round-over trim piece works better.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. My problem is that if removing carpet the gap is going to be really big. The contractor told me that even quarter round might not cover up the gap if I remove the carpet and install vinyl flooring. Any ideas on how to fix something like that??? Or just buy bigger baseboard??
Hi! Thank you for the love and support! I think your best bet is to use shoe moulding also known as “base shoe”, which are taller than quarter rounds. 👍🏽🙏🏽😊
Hi , my carpet was removed and installed with vinyl flooring and gaps are not shown too wide it is likely 2mm but our concern is too cold air is coming from the baseboards gap , our winters are too horrible …our heaters are continuously running with temperature setting 74 but still no use ..heat is not retaining , can you please help me with the solution what to do ? Is caulking is the only solution or anything better ?
I assume you're not using shoe or quarter round molding, however it is key if you're not spending time to level out dipped or high spots. I wouldn't advise this for baseboard.
That’s fine if the both ends die against casings. Would you take that 1/4” off around a miter or scribe joint and down an adjacent wall? When would you stop? I’d bow most of the gap out and live with the rest. Someone suggested sanitary shoe molding under a rabbeted base. That would give you a fudge factor that seals the floor to wall junction loosing the gap up in the rabbet and no scribing. Always tear the nails out the back!
I always tape up the floor when painting skirtings (baseboards). I put the tape 1mm back away from the skirting and gap fill it. Then after painting and peeling the tape, it creates a nice straight line from skirting to the floor.
I have a solid wood baseboards 6" x 3/4" running in length anywhere from 12 to 20 feet. Removing them to fix those small gaps is no option. So my question is, how do you deal with those gaps in a situation like mine? I fixed it with caulking which is not ideal. Do you have a better idea/solution?
I am a first-time homebuyer and trying to DIY some stuff around my house to save money. I want to fix the gaps between my floor and baseboards - but the comments seem mixed. Is this a good and long term solution being shown? Any feedback or guidance is much appreciated
Very exquisite work but the problem with substracting material is that you will have to work on all sides of the room to match the one that had to be fixed. I am too lazy and would prefer a fix along the lines of ADDING material.
So if I’m going to install base in a room 21 feet, I’ll need the leveler from one end to the other? May add some time to the job. Couldn’t I just lay it down unleveler, and use shoe molding?
I usually add some heavy duty glue on the back and apply pressure and nail it. Problem fix. If you cut one board you have to cut all to have the same height especially in a square room otherwise it will look obvious. Great video thou thanks for sharing.
Just mark the floor at the 90 degree mark using a set square, tape along that line and fill the gap with CT1 make sure to use a 90 degree silicone shaping tool. CT1 is paintable..And Bam!, Robert's your fathers brother.
If I try to cover that 1/4” gap by shaving the ends of the trim, what happens when you connect the next piece?? It’s going to be a 1/4” higher so I have to trim that one too. Not to mention if there is a low spot on that run, then you get to redo the first piece of trim you shaved. This is a terrible idea!
My problem is the floor has a bad slope and the stained wood door casings are not plumb or level. I'm not sure how to even start this project so the baseboards come out looking halfway decent. Your example is for an outside corner. How do you scribe the angles when you have a piece of baseboard that needs to fit between two door casings that are not plumb or level?
Good method. Although I prefer to use shoe molding. I just like how shoe molding adds more beauty to the baseboard in addition to hiding those gaps. Plus shoe molding installation takes less time than sanding the baseboard.
Does this not mean if you have other skirtings on the adjacent walls that don’t have slopes, then where they meet at corners the height will be a different size?
Dude.... Not gonna bullshit here but this single video could save billions of us DIY's. I honestly feel a lil stupid because I level everything. But for whatever reason I never felt about taking out the time in my work to level trim
After the gap has been sorted,the baseboard on the adjacent walls will be higher,does it mean that the adjacent walls baseboard have to be cut down to match
Yea, now what happens when you connect to other baseboard on adjoining wall that is 3/8" higher. Will not line up or match. Scribing that you showed may not work - although a good thing to know for many projects!
If it's over a floating floor you need a slight gap. If not you'll pin the floor which will cause expansion issues and you'll have peaking end joins in the flooring.
@@cynthiaayers7696 when a floating gets pinned down by something preventing it from expanding and contracting which it will do. An issue will occur where the head joins will bulge / peak and look unsightly. For skirting boards (base boards for Americans ) you should be able to slide a piece of paper underneath them without it getting stuck
@@michaelhucks2313 Also worth mentioning the large gaps being there are likely due to a subfloor that was likely not flat enough for a floating floor to begin with. Nearly every flooring manufacture calls for the subfloor to be flat within 3/16 of an inch in a 10 foot span. If this is done properly you will avoid an uneven gap under base
@@independentinstallations8419 Correct they generally have a tolerance of 3 ml over 2 metres. IMO all concrete floors should have a screed before any planks go down as they are almost ideal to the manufacturers specifications
@Leroy Jenkins wrong , SPC planks and laminate plank installation guides don't even permit the use of silicones , culk or L channels being liquid nailed for this reason. You'd void the manufacturers warranties
The secret to avoiding having to go back and cut the rest of the baseboards to match the new lower height of a baseboard you had to scribe ond remove material from an end of the baseboard is to purchase a matching baseboard that is taller than the original. Then you can simply scribe it and adjust your cut to accommodate for the height of the original baseboard.
Great job. Is there a reason why you didn't choose to just install a quarter round which is flexible and save yourself a lot of work? Thanks for the video, I learned something new and useful today!
For time and money in my company we install shoe molding or quarter around, except if the client does not want or around the house there is only baseboard.
Your likely to run into problems with the next piece lining up when turning a corner. I would push down on the baseboard really hard before nailing it in and you would be suprised how of a gap you can close. If its a 1/8 inch just caulk it in, scribling moulding is alot of work for sure, just run quarter round.
I would not recommend using foam. It’s not meant for this type of application, plus you would have one heck of a mess are your hands. That’s stuff is super sticky. I mean super sticky. Don’t do it.
Yes, but, when you go around the corner one and might be off the floor and they’re not going to line up with the board going around the corner. Is that correct?
Those clamps that come with the sander are to convert it into a bench sander.Notice the small holes in the top of the sander-turn it upside down,insert clamps into holes and then clamp to a flat surface,hey presto!
Protip: remove trim nails from the back using pliers, pulling the head through the wood. This helps to prevent tearout around the nail hole that can occur when pulling the nails out from the face of the trim.
When I pull baseboard moldings or door trim/casing off, I usually use my angle grinder with a thin metal cutoff wheel to cut nails off the back instead of hitting them back out to avoid covering up all the old nail holes and new ones when reinstalling trim.
I have done this technique when I built my house 15 years ago. However, I never understood the point of leveling.. Let's say you have a wall that is 20' long and for whatever reason one end is 1/2" lower then the other. If you make your baseboard level, you will be able to tell that the baseboard is 5" on one end and 5 1/2" on the other. If you just lay the board to follow the floor, nobody will be able to tell that one corner of the room is lower than the other. Even more visible on crown moldings.
So glad I read the comments about using this method. For sure avoid if baseboard has adjoining pieces which is probably going to be most of the time. Otherwise its going to look like 💩💩💩 with your baseboards in mismatch height. Thank you comment section.
Your advice will likely leave every baseboard at an obviously different height when intersecting a corner. In addition, any previous caulk at the baseboard top will remain an unsightly reminder of the bad idea once its height is reduced. With texture on the wall, it will be impossible to cleanly rectify. The only real fix is a secondary trim (qtr round typically) mounted to the floor. Easier too.
I like your idea of the quarter round trim way more than this way. My first thought of this video is if you change your flooring again your baseboards are a weird shape. Not to mention the difficulty.
In finish trim work you do'n't hammer or push the brad nail back thru the direction that it was installed from but pull it completely thru, otherwise you will blow out the top of the hole
Now you get to sand all the rest of the baseboard to match the one you trim to fit perfectly to the floor, though it looks awesome. as a finish carpenter to get paid once i complete the project learn how to do the job quickly and look professional no call backs. I use my foot step downwards on the board after tacking each end with one nail, start at the one corner and continue to the other end, it works
You need gaps for everything to expand and contract, your subfloor will always move. Not sure if i would ever use a scribing method to fix this gap. I use cork expansion strips and fill the gap. Then use colour match silicone as a top layer. I steam clean all my floors
1:09 or just do what a lot of ppl do: Break out the Shoe or Quarter Round😉🤦🏼 Wish was kidding, but it’s what ppl do, b/c scribing everything takes time, and unless have a trim carpenter doing this work, a GC remodeling your house WILL NOT BE SCRIBING ANYTHING, or COPING, as an FYI. If they do, will be extensively extra costs, and YOU MUST NEGOTIATE AND TALK ABOUT THIS AT THE START, b/c a change order; won’t cut it for most GCs. Thx for vid and good job. Appreciate and see ya on next✌🏻
Aepek, all hard surfaces installed in Ohio are to be sold with quarter round, for this reason we see here!! What he's doing would be very expensive per foot, and alot of these new material this can't even be done.
For small gaps like this when I install, especially with MDF I push it down to the floor, it’s flexible. Even with wood sometimes you can lay a 1x or 2x from the floor to the top of base at 90 degrees, put your knee on it to push it down and nail it. With a vinyl or floating floor a little gap is good for floor movement. The thing is also no one wants to pay you to spend 15 minutes on 4’ of base, unless it’s a multi piece design.
Exactly.
Bingo
That's what I was wondering. Just push down on the baseboard and nail it.
I definitely wouldn't have this guy work for me. Seems like a beginner .
yep
I've been a carpenter for 43 years and this is quite possibly the most insane video I've ever seen, for too many reasons to list, but I'll mention a few. First, instead of jacking the base up with shims and playing stupid games with a compass, you could just mark it while it's on the wall by sliding an object over the floor with your pencil on top of it, marking the base along the way. So if your gap is the thickness of a quarter, then take a quarter and slide it across as you mark the base. THEN, remove the base and scribe it. But, having said that, then you've created a "chase your tail" situation where intersecting baseboards may be too tall or short as you move on. Base isn't meant to be scribed. It never was. This is why they make base shoe. It is especially designed to solve this problem. And if you can't live with shoe for some reason, then caulk is your next alternative. And I'll leave you with one other pro tip too: Anyone using a laser to cut anything for finish work has no clue what they're doing. There isn't a laser on this planet that delivers a thin enough line to accurately make a precision cut.
Just giving options for the everyday DIYer 👍🏽😊
I was looking for a way to solve the same problem but having seen this, I wouldn’t take this approach either
Agree. I was thinking the same thing. It's fine if you're not butting up against another board. But if you are, you created a new problem.
Also, a jigsaw is not the way to go either. Better with a circular saw.
For mine, I'll likely be using caulk to fix gaps. It is what it is. My house is too old to not have this issue, so I'm expecting I'll run into it at several spots.
I just hate the look of quarter round trim.
Totally agree I was wondering what is he doing ??? Why he putting shims under it...
As a licensed (21+ year) Remodeling Contractor, we (Contractor and Homeowner together as a team) always have a choice between ascetics (that is paramount! - at least in my opinion) and level/plumb/square/etc. Multiple times in my career have I found instances where a SINGLE room has a level difference of 3/4" or more. One time was a bit over 1 1/4" in a kitchen alone. Level is much different than Flat. Once you start cutting 1/2" or more off of baseboard, trim, etc. it starts looking dramatically different (the more detail on the trim makes it even worse) and it looks like someone made a mistake. It has a major tendency to compound the change in appearance as it goes around a room if the level is off in the slab/flooring. If you only go for LEVEL, you can (and probably will) make the overall project look like it was done it was done by amateurs. That is where I communicate with the Owner to see what their wishes are for the final end result. It should be the Owners decision on how far to take this process (level vs. flat) and what they are willing to live with...it is their home.
Where exactly did you get this remodeling “license”?
Trying to troll me? CSLB (California State licensing Board) as a General Contractor since 2000 and now also a licensed Residential Contractor in Florida through FDPR (Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation). I said “remodeling” because that is my specialty and because there is almost no new construction in California because of lack of land available to build on. One of the many reasons why I move to Florida.
Moved to Florida. Stupid autocorrect!
Was looking for a comment about him making it level. I thought why even try to make it level. If your floor isn't level, why should the baseboard be, at the cost of removing actual height.
How did you butcher the word ‘aesthetics’ so ridiculously
I run into this problem every day as a professional painter. Many of your critics say caulking the gap is the best solution. If so, who's job is it to caulk the gap? Is it the framer's, finish carpenter's, floor installers? The aforementioned trades are long gone more often than not leaving the homeowner and painter shaking their heads as they look at the gaps. Caulking the gap is not a good idea because floors move, houses shift, and the temperature of the house will change with the seasons. After time, the caulking will delaminate, change color, and dust will stick like a magnet. This video is very educating for homeowners, all trades, project managers, inspectors, architects and the like. Thanks for posting it.
We could all solve this problem if we professionals stand together and insist that shoe be installed, and that's exactly what its for. Flooring manufacturer standards say no less than ¼ inch gap, larger for hard wood, and larger for larger rooms, that ⅜ thick base would never cover, so they force us, the ones they hold accountable, to cheat and hold our breath that the call back don't come. Pass the buck, screw the guy behind you, after all, we are all uneducated criminals!
Caulk would be easiest and fastest !
@@rudytrujillo2238 ¼ round/baseshoe would be the correct way, but for whatever reason, clients are told the truth as to why it is so important and its purpose. Not to mention, it's an added piece of trim, more profile. If they would stop cutting corners and tell clients the truth and insist on it being done right, things will never change. Customers don't know a damn thing, expect what they "think" they know. As a professional, I've never had a client say, let's do my flooring wrong, so I can save on some shoe that I as a customer think looks bad. Show them what caulk looks like in short order. Problem solved!
Clients, are not told the truth.
@@VoteBLUE2024toSAVEDEMOCRACY I agree that would be the correct way but if the gaps isn’t that big like in this video caulk wouldn’t look bad at all if done right. All I said was easiest and fastest
I respect your attention to detail. And your commitment, curiosity, courage to set out on the journey to get to a better fit. In the end, we will all have to decide which approach to use based on our time restrictions, tools at hand, nagging from significant other or paying client.
I appreciate your demonstration on your method of contouring your baseboard, my only question I have is how would that transfer throughout the entirety of the installation of the base boards. Would it be that my pitch on one end is slanted or higher than my adjacent end of the boards?
That looks great but how do you match splices and corners when you don't relieve the other pieces?
You're perfectionist and that greatly appreciated as a consumer. It would be very time-consuming to this, but if the person is willing to pay for that extra time, this seems like the way to go!
If the gap is so noticeable that you have to scribe such that the adjoining baseboards suffer significant height difference the you can cut all your adjoining baseboards to the lowe height. Easy to do with wide flat stock and not too noticeable, especially if you don’t have to re-radius the bottom edge with true square edge flat stock. However if the gap in question is truly that bad it should have been seen before you place your flooring. I’ll typically use Ardex Finish and blend the subfloor a bit more parallel. I do often have to shim under the floating floors I lay down as it’s easy to miss on a big install. I use the gap to get a tool in and lift the plank and bend a piece of plastic to shim under. As the offence is near the wall it typically doesn’t affect the joint between planks as long as it’s not too much of a shim thickness - which will void the floor warranty too. Filling with caulking can be done very neatly but suffers eventually from poor ascetics with floating floor movement. So basically I’ve done all methods and they all hav the disadvantages save for fastidious prepping beforehand. On long runs with 3 1/4” base it’s easy to flex down on the gap and shoot a few brads. New homes with engineered floor joists are typically easy peasy flat and level. Older home, homes with long joists and no blocking, not so much. One house I went through $1000 in filler and multiple sheets of bulk luan ply filler in the joint valleys. Customers aren’t willing to pay for that kind of prep if it’s client based work. For the diy crowd, it’s just your time mostly. The newer, stiff SPC LVP, I find, is much more fussy to lay flat with even baseboard gaps of subfloors that have settled.
Your attention to detail is refreshing. Most contractors today just slap in some filler and go. No one really wants to do things the right way. As long as it looks good for a few weeks....
Q: Why don't you simply use caulking to fill the gap? Because the baseboard molding needs to be at the same height as the adjoining boards.
I totally agree. In UK we call the baseboard the skirting board.
Anyway, you are supposed to leave about a 3mm gap between the skirting board and finished flooring to allow the floor to expand and contract with room temperature.
I then use a flexible caulk to close the 3mm gap.
@@chrisperrins8082 *baseboard
What about as a renter in an apartment? We are currently at war with some roaches and they hide in those cracks. Would using caulk be an acceptable solution in this situation? Landlord isn’t gonna take the time to fix them anyway
@@gjhslibraryrocks try advion roach bait killer. Works very well.
@@gjhslibraryrocks call pest control - bill to landlord
Lovely job but surely when laminate floor swells it want have room to if skirting board is tight to it will buckle floor ??
Bayshoe or quarter round. Never change the height of your base boards. Old natural wood base often showed the settling of a house because it was not flexible. So we would add a second piece, quarter round or bayshoe. Modern mdf will bend, so just push it down! Also, paint your moldings before you install them! Much easier to touch up your finish nail holes than to cut in the entire board after installing.
25 years in construction and I’ve never heard of using a jigsaw to fix base. Calking and a wet rag always did the trick, but if you have a drastic gap 1/4 round would fix it easy.
You gonna quarter round your whole house because one small wall has a dip? lol That is ridiculous. Personally think quarter round looks shoddy, especially people who don't remove
baseboards before they install flooring.
What happens when you then have a corner whether be an inside or an outside cut corner that meets up to that low end you cut on the left side? The trim running down the adjacent wall that meets that at the corner it’s gonna now be a quarter inch taller and now you’re gonna have an issue there.
I was just about to day that, that method only works if you don't have another baseboard meeting up to it
I was going to say the same thing! This won’t work if you have any corners. Just push the baseboard down, unless you are using oak or something it’s flexible enough.
It was a lot of effort that’s pretty much pointless because it’ll work in like 2% of cases
This method works in many carpentry scenarios. I HIGHLY suggest against it for baseboard that connects to more baseboard. Especially wrapping corners. A scenario I have used this in a bunch is stair treads and risers. No connecting pieces and conforming to bows and bends.
could you apply caulking to the bottom to fill in the gap as well?
I had exactly this problem when placing new skirtings in my old rickety house.
However I chose not to go this way because it works fine when doing it on just one wall but the adjoining wall(s) should have to start off lower by the amount taken off the ends in this case, so that the corners lighn up. Then you end up chasing your tail all around the room (and my room has 28 corner joints in it).
I elected to use shoe molding to cover the gaps.
Thank you exactly! 1 piece wall to wall is easy! Personally I don't think he's a professional.
@@randallhart7264 I don't think you should be commenting on topics that are beyond your level of comprehension, you're welcome!
This video is a brief tutorial to show the proper method of installing baseboard, it is standard in high-end finish carpentry. No one needs to chase any tails, you simply need to go about any task in a professional manner, and in this case it starts with finding the low point in floor adjacent to the walls being covered with baseboard, compare that with the highest point, the difference is the amount that will be scribed onto the bottom of the basebord when all pieces are level from the high point. Your standard for your rickety house is not what anyone else would be interested in knowing.
@@larrydaniels8976
Here's the thing. I'm not a professional and I assume that this clip is aimed at DIY people as I would hope that professionals don't need to be watching this.
@@larrydaniels8976 I never have commented on subjects I know nothing about! But I damn sure know about this subject! Now you have a wonderful day
Much better and great attention to detail. As a new home owner, I'm starting to notice every little imperfection in the home I live in now. lol. Not good for my OCD. Again, great video / tutorials you're providing for a DIYER.
First of I would like to say congratulations on the new home! 🙏🏽. Thank you for the love and support and stay tuned for more helpful videos 2-3 times a week! 👍🏽😊
Great advice, just used this scribing method on a 10’ wall with an upwards bow up to 3/4” tall in the middle. With an upwards bow you just put the shims on the far ends but it worked out basically the same, perfect fit.
No luck with using a level though, the corners aren’t level :)
When pulling out the nails i would use a channel lock pliers and pull out from the back less chance of destroying the face of the molding
Thank you for the advice! 🙏🏽😊
So you're going to shorten then next board , and the one after that ?
All depends. This technique is best if the bow is on the middle area of baseboard and tapers to the edges. This technique is an “options” not suitable for everyone and just for these situations. If you do take off some off the edges then you will have to relieve other adjoining pieces. 👍🏽😊
Nice clean job and it looks good. i've done the same thing except i stacked carpenters pencils since i didn't have a scribe. If the gap is under 1/8" i'll caulk it. The trick to me is working with a taller baseboard so the height of the baseboard is less noticeable when making cuts. I've seen floors so out of wack that they had no choice but to use vinyl flooring so it can contour the bend, lol
Will it line up to the opposing walls with other baseboard after the repair
If the home continues to expand and contract throughout the year does a slight gap need to be left? I have gaps around my home and not sure what to do.
Great video thank you - I'm trying to figure out this reversed, how to do this for when the floor is raised in the middle and drops on the sides. Any tips for that?
awesome!!! I have to do this for a few rooms in our very old home. The previous owners put up trim molding with huge gaps, I was at a loss how to fix this.
To make it level do you shim the baseboard higher than the deepest gap?
Exactly! I don't claim to be a pro at trim, but i have been doing it long enough to know that this option is ridiculas. Push it down! I can do it with pine trim as well, but MDF is much easier. Never had an issue. I have done all type base and crown and one thing i do know if you trim one side (like video suggest) you will have other issues connecting adjoing base with different height levels.
Easier to just install shoe molding. That’s what it’s for. Then you don’t have to worry about mating up with adjoining base mold and having to trim every piece in the room. If you don’t like shoe molding, then purchase the wider base mold for the problem area walls and use this method.
First time learning of shoe molding other than qtr round. I hate that stuff. Many more options I'm liking now.
I bought vinyl baseboard for bathroom and have no desire for shoe molding. I have a gap between LVP floor and bottom of molding in couple places after Pro install of flooring and baseboard. No way would it work to shorten baseboard or insert shim. Bathroom has multiple corners everywhere. Simple caulk best solution.
they crappy way to do it
I agree. This is fine for a couple of spots but if your entire house or apartment doesn’t have leveled floors I can’t imagine doing this for every baseboard. You could just going to take very long time. Cover with trim or caulking is much easier.
@@acz88 Caulking there would look worse than a gap there.
In a situation like this, after a test fit, I mark the low point of the floor board (while baseboard is not installed yet). With the floor board a quarter inch gap from the wall, I raise the low point of the floor by inserting plastic strips wedge to raise the floor low point. Its however a lot easier when the floor board is running parallel to the wall as I can pry the floor board higher to insert longer cut out plastic strips to reach the second board. This solution is also in response to PogChamp query. Thanks for the video its nice to learn more option.
Thank you so much for sharing your technique and advice! I’m so glad you understood my thinking on this that this is just another option, including your technique, other than caulk and quarter round or shoe 🙏🏽😊👍🏽
@@FixThisHouse qtr round always gives a much richer finish, i just say'n
Any suggestions on how to fix small clumps of hard glue on carpet seams?
IMO, the best fix for this is installing either shoe molding or 1/4 round. Also in IMO, shoe or 1/4 round look much better that just base alone.
‘Also in IMO’ 😂
Can I just fill in the crack with stretched caulking and call it a day ?
the item list is missing the brad nailer link. I'm looking to buy one and there are so many options. can you post the brad nailer link you used at the end
What if you put some silicon or latex like for bathtub?
Sir, you have the patience of Job. Amazing work!!
Thank you so much! 🙏🏽😊
What would you do if the base molding was warp ?
Hi! It depends on where warp location is and if you could just do spot repair or not, if the whole baseboard run is warped then you might need to replace the whole run. 👍🏽😊
The real trick is when you have to cut a 45 to continue the baseboard on an adjacent wall. Like for a square room, the error for one wall will continue to all 4 walls. Sometimes caulking or a round-over trim piece works better.
Great video. Thanks for sharing. My problem is that if removing carpet the gap is going to be really big. The contractor told me that even quarter round might not cover up the gap if I remove the carpet and install vinyl flooring. Any ideas on how to fix something like that??? Or just buy bigger baseboard??
Hi! Thank you for the love and support! I think your best bet is to use shoe moulding also known as “base shoe”, which are taller than quarter rounds. 👍🏽🙏🏽😊
Hi , my carpet was removed and installed with vinyl flooring and gaps are not shown too wide it is likely 2mm but our concern is too cold air is coming from the baseboards gap , our winters are too horrible …our heaters are continuously running with temperature setting 74 but still no use ..heat is not retaining , can you please help me with the solution what to do ? Is caulking is the only solution or anything better ?
I assume you're not using shoe or quarter round molding, however it is key if you're not spending time to level out dipped or high spots. I wouldn't advise this for baseboard.
That’s fine if the both ends die against casings. Would you take that 1/4” off around a miter or scribe joint and down an adjacent wall? When would you stop? I’d bow most of the gap out and live with the rest. Someone suggested sanitary shoe molding under a rabbeted base. That would give you a fudge factor that seals the floor to wall junction loosing the gap up in the rabbet and no scribing. Always tear the nails out the back!
I always tape up the floor when painting skirtings (baseboards). I put the tape 1mm back away from the skirting and gap fill it. Then after painting and peeling the tape, it creates a nice straight line from skirting to the floor.
Thank you for sharing your technique 👍🏽🙏🏽😊
How do you fix a gap between trim and the flooring? Quarter round
What happens if you are connecting another piece molding say on another wall or corner? It will be off.
I have a solid wood baseboards 6" x 3/4" running in length anywhere from 12 to 20 feet. Removing them to fix those small gaps is no option. So my question is, how do you deal with those gaps in a situation like mine? I fixed it with caulking which is not ideal. Do you have a better idea/solution?
I am a first-time homebuyer and trying to DIY some stuff around my house to save money. I want to fix the gaps between my floor and baseboards - but the comments seem mixed. Is this a good and long term solution being shown? Any feedback or guidance is much appreciated
How do you butt up the miter joint then? now every piece of baseboard is going to be different height.
Very exquisite work but the problem with substracting material is that you will have to work on all sides of the room to match the one that had to be fixed. I am too lazy and would prefer a fix along the lines of ADDING material.
I was wondering if this is possible...
So if I’m going to install base in a room 21 feet, I’ll need the leveler from one end to the other? May add some time to the job. Couldn’t I just lay it down unleveler, and use shoe molding?
If your from the UK then your understand the expression!! Painters job!!!
So the baseboards from the others will be higher? So you have cut many bottom just because of that?
Fantastic channel. Thanks brother.
Thank you so much! 🙏🏽😊
You do some nice careful work! I enjoy your videos.
Thank you so much for your love and support! Means a lot! 🙏🏽😊
I usually add some heavy duty glue on the back and apply pressure and nail it. Problem fix. If you cut one board you have to cut all to have the same height especially in a square room otherwise it will look obvious. Great video thou thanks for sharing.
i actually learned something. Nice. Thanks.
Thank you 🙏🏽!
I just had this issue with my daughters house she was selling and caulk worked just fine!
Just Calk it or add Quarter Round?
That works too! 👍🏽
also much easier, half round!! looks great as well!
Just mark the floor at the 90 degree mark using a set square, tape along that line and fill the gap with CT1 make sure to use a 90 degree silicone shaping tool. CT1 is paintable..And Bam!, Robert's your fathers brother.
If I try to cover that 1/4” gap by shaving the ends of the trim, what happens when you connect the next piece?? It’s going to be a 1/4” higher so I have to trim that one too. Not to mention if there is a low spot on that run, then you get to redo the first piece of trim you shaved. This is a terrible idea!
My problem is the floor has a bad slope and the stained wood door casings are not plumb or level. I'm not sure how to even start this project so the baseboards come out looking halfway decent. Your example is for an outside corner. How do you scribe the angles when you have a piece of baseboard that needs to fit between two door casings that are not plumb or level?
Please send me a picture of your issue and maybe I can make a video 🙏🏽. Here is my email: fixthishouse1@yahoo.com
Good method. Although I prefer to use shoe molding. I just like how shoe molding adds more beauty to the baseboard in addition to hiding those gaps. Plus shoe molding installation takes less time than sanding the baseboard.
what's good about it if he goes 10 feet down the length the will be no more trim on one side .
Does this not mean if you have other skirtings on the adjacent walls that don’t have slopes, then where they meet at corners the height will be a different size?
Dude.... Not gonna bullshit here but this single video could save billions of us DIY's. I honestly feel a lil stupid because I level everything. But for whatever reason I never felt about taking out the time in my work to level trim
can we use silicon without baseboard ？
After the gap has been sorted,the baseboard on the adjacent walls will be higher,does it mean that the adjacent walls baseboard have to be cut down to match
Wow, that's a lot of work, what about just caulking the gap?
That works too, there are many ways to do this, just an option 👍🏽😊
My question is since you cut that peice won’t the other base board that connects to it be higher??
Yea, now what happens when you connect to other baseboard on adjoining wall that is 3/8" higher. Will not line up or match. Scribing that you showed may not work - although a good thing to know for many projects!
If it's over a floating floor you need a slight gap. If not you'll pin the floor which will cause expansion issues and you'll have peaking end joins in the flooring.
I've heard of Peking Duck and Peking Tom's, but never Peking joints.
@@cynthiaayers7696 when a floating gets pinned down by something preventing it from expanding and contracting which it will do. An issue will occur where the head joins will bulge / peak and look unsightly. For skirting boards (base boards for Americans ) you should be able to slide a piece of paper underneath them without it getting stuck
@@michaelhucks2313 Also worth mentioning the large gaps being there are likely due to a subfloor that was likely not flat enough for a floating floor to begin with. Nearly every flooring manufacture calls for the subfloor to be flat within 3/16 of an inch in a 10 foot span. If this is done properly you will avoid an uneven gap under base
@@independentinstallations8419 Correct they generally have a tolerance of 3 ml over 2 metres. IMO all concrete floors should have a screed before any planks go down as they are almost ideal to the manufacturers specifications
@Leroy Jenkins wrong , SPC planks and laminate plank installation guides don't even permit the use of silicones , culk or L channels being liquid nailed for this reason. You'd void the manufacturers warranties
The secret to avoiding having to go back and cut the rest of the baseboards to match the new lower height of a baseboard you had to scribe ond remove material from an end of the baseboard is to purchase a matching baseboard that is taller than the original. Then you can simply scribe it and adjust your cut to accommodate for the height of the original baseboard.
Great job. Is there a reason why you didn't choose to just install a quarter round which is flexible and save yourself a lot of work? Thanks for the video, I learned something new and useful today!
For time and money in my company we install shoe molding or quarter around, except if the client does not want or around the house there is only baseboard.
So now what happens when you butt another piece up to it and it's taller? Are you going to cut a quarter inch off each piece?
Your likely to run into problems with the next piece lining up when turning a corner. I would push down on the baseboard really hard before nailing it in and you would be suprised how of a gap you can close. If its a 1/8 inch just caulk it in, scribling moulding is alot of work for sure, just run quarter round.
Thank you for the feedback 👍🏽
What about when a baseboard you scribed meets another baseboard like at an outside corner. The baseboards would be different heights.
Is it possible to use foam to fill the gap rather than taking it off?
I would not recommend using foam. It’s not meant for this type of application, plus you would have one heck of a mess are your hands. That’s stuff is super sticky. I mean super sticky. Don’t do it.
Yes, but, when you go around the corner one and might be off the floor and they’re not going to line up with the board going around the corner. Is that correct?
Those clamps that come with the sander are to convert it into a bench sander.Notice the small holes in the top of the sander-turn it upside down,insert clamps into holes and then clamp to a flat surface,hey presto!
Nicely done
Thank you! 🙏🏽😊
Pro tip , table saw cuts staighter, but I usually skip the gap correction, cause i usually cant find My compass, but you did a nice job!
Thank you so much for your advice! 🙏🏽😊
Genius!
Well done!
Protip: remove trim nails from the back using pliers, pulling the head through the wood. This helps to prevent tearout around the nail hole that can occur when pulling the nails out from the face of the trim.
I use a hammer claw and bend to the side lol
When I pull baseboard moldings or door trim/casing off, I usually use my angle grinder with a thin metal cutoff wheel to cut nails off the back instead of hitting them back out to avoid covering up all the old nail holes and new ones when reinstalling trim.
What about fitting the next board. It will be a difficult height
I have done this technique when I built my house 15 years ago. However, I never understood the point of leveling.. Let's say you have a wall that is 20' long and for whatever reason one end is 1/2" lower then the other. If you make your baseboard level, you will be able to tell that the baseboard is 5" on one end and 5 1/2" on the other. If you just lay the board to follow the floor, nobody will be able to tell that one corner of the room is lower than the other. Even more visible on crown moldings.
Thanks for sharing. I just subscribed👍
Thank you so much! 🙏🏽😊
NICE!!! THANK YOU!!!
You are very welcome my friend! 🙏🏽😊
why wouldn't you use shoe molding at the bottom of the base molding?
So glad I read the comments about using this method. For sure avoid if baseboard has adjoining pieces which is probably going to be most of the time. Otherwise its going to look like 💩💩💩 with your baseboards in mismatch height. Thank you comment section.
Pro tip...Quarter round....works every time...
That works too! Might cost a little more if you plan to do the whole room to match, but yes it that’s also another option for sure 🙏🏽👍🏽😊
And it always looks finished 👍🏻
Always shoe molding… Never quarter round… Quarter round is for overhead… Shoe molding is for on the floor
Qtr round is hideous
@@shyguy2481 only if it's installed incorrectly..
Your advice will likely leave every baseboard at an obviously different height when intersecting a corner. In addition, any previous caulk at the baseboard top will remain an unsightly reminder of the bad idea once its height is reduced. With texture on the wall, it will be impossible to cleanly rectify. The only real fix is a secondary trim (qtr round typically) mounted to the floor. Easier too.
I like your idea of the quarter round trim way more than this way. My first thought of this video is if you change your flooring again your baseboards are a weird shape. Not to mention the difficulty.
In finish trim work you do'n't hammer or push the brad nail back thru the direction that it was installed from but pull it completely thru, otherwise you will blow out the top of the hole
Thanks my friend
You are most welcome! Thank you for watching! 🙏🏽😊
Thank you!
Thank you for watching! 🙏🏽😊
Love belt Sanders got to be careful though it's so easy to take to much off I use a stop.
Leveler ?
Awesome job!
Thank you! 🙏🏽😊
Now you get to sand all the rest of the baseboard to match the one you trim to fit perfectly to the floor, though it looks awesome.
as a finish carpenter to get paid once i complete the project learn how to do the job quickly and look professional no call backs. I use my foot step downwards on the board after tacking each end with one nail, start at the one corner and continue to the other end, it works
You need gaps for everything to expand and contract, your subfloor will always move. Not sure if i would ever use a scribing method to fix this gap. I use cork expansion strips and fill the gap. Then use colour match silicone as a top layer. I steam clean all my floors
1:09 or just do what a lot of ppl do: Break out the Shoe or Quarter Round😉🤦🏼
Wish was kidding, but it’s what ppl do, b/c scribing everything takes time, and unless have a trim carpenter doing this work, a GC remodeling your house WILL NOT BE SCRIBING ANYTHING, or COPING, as an FYI. If they do, will be extensively extra costs, and YOU MUST NEGOTIATE AND TALK ABOUT THIS AT THE START, b/c a change order; won’t cut it for most GCs.
Thx for vid and good job. Appreciate and see ya on next✌🏻
Thank you so much for your feedback and advice 🙏🏽😊👍🏽
Aepek, all hard surfaces installed in Ohio are to be sold with quarter round, for this reason we see here!! What he's doing would be very expensive per foot, and alot of these new material this can't even be done.