Filling an excessive gap between baseboard and wall
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- Опубліковано 20 гру 2019
- How to fill gaps between the baseboards and the walls.
Step 1. Fill with (20/45/90) minute setting plaster otherwise known as "fast set" or "hot mud".
Step 2. Wait until it sets (but not dry) and carve it flat with a 1" knife.
Step 3. Apply a thin layer of paintable caulking for crack resistance.
Step 4. Re-cut a new paint line. - Навчання та стиль
1. Yes, technically speaking you could just load a bunch of caulk into the gap and call it filled and done.
BUT, it will be visually noticeable that there was a gap there and now it's just filled with caulk. The larger the gap the more noticeable it will be. This is aesthetically unappealing.
This is your choice.
2. My approach is to restructure the baseboard by filling the gap with plaster, then carving or sanding the added plaster flush with the top of the baseboard.
This creates the illusion that the baseboard always reaches the wall, despite the curved wall, even upon close inspection.
There is no appearance of a "filled gap". It's just flat and sharp straight flush to the wall.
3. One of the features of Setting plaster is very high crack resistance, zero shrinkage, and high adhesion, while maintaining sandability, or even the ability to "carve" it flat after it chemically sets to reduce dust.
4. I added glue, just for good measure, wasn't completely necessary.
5. The very thin layer of caulking I added over-top acts as a sealant, and being permanently flexible, will prevent any cracks (however un-likely) from migrating to the surface and becoming visible.
6. "Messy" is what some commenters have said. -only on my hands, and it washes off. Really I didn't think it was a big deal.
7. I used my bare hands for the caulk, if you don't have access to a wash pail or sink, I recommend using a wet cotton cloth over your finger.
8. Yes it was a bit of a complicated procedure, but even in a crooked old house theres usually only a few linear feet that need this extra treatment. Everywhere else can be just caulked.
Again, the final appearance is your own choice, this approach is perhaps more suitable for perfectionists, not the "just do it good enough no one complains" crowd.
9. The bit about the mixing whisk was just a joke. It was purchased for plaster.
Thanks for watching.
SUBSCRIBE for videos where I explain things a little better than this video which regrettably I could've explained better.
That is not a fix that is called jack legging and the only way that's not going be noticeable is by cutting off the lights and I hope you ant the one that painted the wall originally that run is longer than my leg and im 6'4
atleast u did take the receptacle cover off before u painted ill give u an a for that
@@adam-xx3qq being a bit dramatic about it all. The alternative is to restructure the entire wall straight.
Viewers have different budgets and quality expectations when choosing an approach to fix something. For example, more people are interested in the videos on how to touch up a chipped bumper vs how to replace the entire bumper because of said chip.
Not 1 bit especially since you said you gotta touch the wall up I thought you were on the right track when you pulled the mud out but all you did was make stronger caulk that dries quicker your still going from a 1/4 inch lip too atleast a 1/2 inch lip then back too a 1/4 and you say it's not noticeable all you had too do was take the mud and make a little two inch wide ramp from the top of the base out too close the gap up and then caulk it you had plenty of mud mixed up too do it and you don't even have take the base off the wall too do it and the walls even textured that makes it even easier too hide and it takes about the same amount of time too do you need take more pride in your work and quit showing people how too jackleg stuff cause I get tired of fixing it which takes atleast twice as long too do
Now if you want me show you how too do it let me know I've gotta fix half inch gap behind a toilet that some jackleg filled with silicone and painted and he called himself a professional
O and by the way im not a professional im just a maintenance man that takes pride in his work
I'm also trying to figure out the best way to fill these typea of gaps (I have many!) The only reason I would want to go the caulk route is because of our textured walls. I've read up a lot on both methods but how do you get the orange peel texture in such a small area after you plaster the wall?
Why do so many ppl have to criticize everything. Dude showing how he fixes a baseboard gap his way and ppl start complainging about sh*t not even related to it. If you don't like it, make your own video.
Floating out the wall is the ideal way to repair this situation so it is worth commenting on. This repair is a compromise and really needs a nuanced discussion, which is something comment sections aren't really good at.
Floating out the wall works too, but is comparatively way more work. I did this as a quick freebie when contracted to simply caulk and re-paint a rental property. Client was very happy and appreciative.
I tare up some paper towels and stuff them in the crack just enough to stop the caulk from falling thru ,then caulk it,
then get a little bit of water like a fourth of a coffee cup, dip you're forefinger in the water and go over the caulk.
That simple, I've been doing that for years.
I agree with Carlos about the way he said to tape it off . I always do that first.
Thank you for the great video. I have the same issue with big gaps on my baseboards. Your tips are very helpful.
Ignore the mean comments.
Extremely informative and helpful. I'm so glad I ran into your vid, now there is less anxiety and more motivation to finish my project. Huuuuuge thanks!
Thank you so much for this video! It is exactly what I needed and now I can feel confident about filling a gap between my wall and baseboard.
A damp sponge would've worked better after applying the mud then scraping and left a nice smooth edge of mud in the gap while cleaning the rest of it off the surrounding area and prevent repainting the wall.
Thx for the video. I was looking on how to fix my baseboard with the same problem without the overload of caulking…👌🏾💯
this was an excellent excellent excellent brilliant idea..i never even thought of using quick set! was going to resurface the whole wall with the 1inch defect i have..omg thanks a million
Thank you so much for this video. From the comments and other videos, there are multiple ways, but this feels the best for what I am looking for.
Thanks. Agree, there's many correct ways of doing it, filling with sandable setting compound then caulk over top has always made a nice looking finish for me.
I've done this myself too and it held up really well! The only change I'd suggest is to load your scraper with the compound and shove it straight into the crack with your arm parallel to the floor--there's no reason to get so much of it on the wall and then have to clean up later when you really only need it like 80-90% of it to fill up the gap.
Thanks for the tip, i agree my application method could use some refinements.
This was FANTASTIC! Just what I needed. Thank-you sir! Subscribed.
Looks great, nice job
Thank you for the informative video. All the construction critics need to come set up a channel so we can roast their work to shreds.
Thanks. Fixed the issue, thought it looked great, but this is my most disliked video on the channel 🤷
Thanks for the video. It was very helpful!
I knew this project was over my head the moment I saw the mixing beaters. Haha.
Very helpful, Thank you👍
The hell with the caulk.. who cut that corner? Good god.
Thank you for your information. I have a bathroom that was made by a drunk I guess, the walls and the baseboards have a "distant"relationship. I will be using all the paste. 😆
Tip for men who like their wives happy.... you can find endless beaters that have lost their mixers at the thrift stores
Put it in a ziploc, cut the tip... fill gap and have less waste and mess....
Great idea!!!!
I'm going to do this in my apartment I think because it is horribly unsightly and bothersome; but not enough of a problem that my property manager would fix it. The walls are textured stucco and the baseboards dont even sit flush like at ALL. this sheetrock stuff is going to help me alot
.... what do I do about the 20 years of dust thats collected behind the baseboard :(
Good job !!! 👍
Thanks
I'm sure you know this but maybe for others... they do make a small paddle mixer to use with a pan, Dewalt DXTT-2-293
I saw the amount of compound you were mixing and I thought yeah this is the right video 😅 I need until you just applied a finger amount of the compound, and then what was the rest for?
Thanks.... Had this problem...
Great Idea!
I recommend fixing that corner first. Yikes! Not even mitered. I presume this is an old house, maybe plastered, so the walls will not be straight. This might be the easiest way to fill the gap. Starting over, I'd use a flat stock 1 x 6 and then a cap board on top of that. The cap board can is more flexible and can follow the wall. However, that affects the reveal between the two. I'm still trying to figure that out in my 100 year old house restoration.
I can't get over the corner joint. How do you not miter the corner. It ruined the video for me.
That baseboard was probably put on 50 years ago. I'm just painting and caulking and showing a little trick to fill the larger gaps here and there.
@interiorvids... don't let these Bastards get you down. Those who want to learn are learning.
@@Interior_Works that baseboard is not 50 years old. They did not make speed-based back then. The base trim and the base cap were separate pieces. Plus you can see the Brad nail holes by the corner. That said, your gap filler was a good idea.
Or the major paint drips under the outlet!!😂😂😂
@@ginsterh Yes, whoever painted years ago didn't do a great job.
It is just easier to clean the edges with a damp spunge. Provides perfect finishes.
Very helpful- Excellent video!
How do I remove someone else's bad baseboard gap fix? Also what kind of contractor are you? I need to find someone who does this kind of work for my mom in my area, but I don't know who to call. Thanks.
You're not supposed to caulk the moulding to the floor on a floating floor, correct? Just to the baseboard
You should use a pva such as wood glue. More specifically, tite bond 3. And mix it in with the water first. It will distribute more evenly instead of in clumps!
I admit I'm a DIY guy,
But it seams to me the small amount of glue (wood or otherwise) doesn't do a hole lot. Why the need for the wood glue? I would suggest silicone/something stretchy if anything. I HAVE NOT TESTED THIS THEORY.
And agree, what ever you add, mix it in the water first.
@@jeffnarum1373 it's more about the pva. It's technically a binder and will make it stick better. Plus it dissolves in water and mixes easier. All drywall mud has some amount of pva for that exact reason. Pretty sure the glue he uses has some pva in it
@@Bigrush310 well explained. I did have to look up pva.
Pva dries like plastic and dry wall dries like chalk. So does it give it a plastic chalk-like texture?
masking tape around caulking and compound will make a cleaner look and less clean up
You'll find that your quick set will mix up better if you put the water in the pan before the quick set
Lol. U got the tape in ur hands. Whats stopped u to use it on wall and baseboard??
Good video, and I get what you are trying to achieve here. I personally would have skimmed the wall up to erase the gap completely.
I try to catch these things before installing the baseboard and skim with a setting compound to take the curve out of the wall near the floor. But, if I miss any and I find large gaps after installation, I use the same technique as demonstrated in this video: use a setting compound to fill the gap (I use a putty knife to push it into the top of the gap), and when it is dry, cover it with a thin coating of caulk (usually as part of the process of caulking the entire baseboard. I also use a much smaller bead and use a wet finger to smooth things out). For much smaller gaps that are *almost* caulkable, I sometimes use Plus-3 for insurance followed by caulk.
What about a wall that is Three inches off at the corner, would you skim that over and over until your baseboard fit?
@@jameslund221 I would actually. I would instsll a new metal corner bead and skim it plumb.
@@jameslund221 If it's 3 inches off, I'd tear down the wall and start over. I have had corners where you could fit a pencil when checking with a 12-inch knife. When they are that extreme, I scree a 2-foot patch all the way to the top with Durabond and then smooth it out with all purpose or mid-weight. Anything less I straighten a the bottom and blend it into the wall.
Omg the beater in the drill!!!! Amazing
I would just use no more gaps DESCRIPTION
Polyfilla Professional X50 External Gap Sealant has been formulated with a unique polymer system for superior flexibility on exterior applications. Ideal for sealing areas and filing gaps that require painting as it remains flexible once cured to resist cracking, crumbling or falling out. Provides excellent adhesion to most building materials, including timber and synthetic weatherboards, masonry, glass, fibre cement, ceramics, most metals, timber and plasterboard. UV, water and mould resistant.
FEATURES
Paint over time 30mins
Flexibility, up to +/- 25% joint movement
Skin time, 60mins
Coverage, approx 11 linear meters/6mm bead
What if there is a gap between floor and wall ( where your tape is). I can see concrete in the space , and debris
Hard to say without seeing, but several options would be: 1) Removal and repositioning of the baseboard if it's too high. 2) If the floor is uneven I would recommend self leveling underlayment, it's a concrete-like slurry. 3) would be using a 90 minute setting plaster such as I'm using in the video and filling the gap flush to the floor, then use a sponge sanding block and sand it smooth, then paint the whole baseboard, if you go that route first vacuum out any dust and wash as best you can to remove dust, so plaster can bond well. Be sure to use a powder setting compound as it's more like concrete and resistant to moisture. Premixed drywall compound is interior for this purpose and will just crack.
Wife still wondering where that went 🤣🤣
Tools needed. Thumb, Index finger and baby finger.
I usually stuff paper into big gaps leaving before filling so I'm not just pushing endless filler into the gap.
Did you install this base? This can be a fix in certain situations but it appears the base was installed incorrectly. The corner connection does not look good. If you see after you used your finger there is a thin layer that get smeared across the paint/texture on wall. Yo avoid that use a wet microfiber cloth or sponge after you do that to get rid of that. Because it will be noticeable after you cut in the paint.
Thanks, the wet cloth is good advice, the base was installed by someone else and I agree does not look good, especially the connection. But it was straight and the wall was bowed.
I have a much bigger gap between a tile baseboard that I wanna install and there’s a situation with the drywall of about a 1 foot length, that I need to fix, it has a half inch gap there. I cannot fix it this way, there must be a way I can make the wall look flush without having to cut out the drywall and install another piece please.
To straighten a wall, a professional would use a small trowel and cover the area with an excess of drywall mud, then use a wide (24"+) skimming blade to wipe it off, which would just leave mud in the dipped area, straightening the wall. A couple coats and then sand. This could be cheaply DIY improvised with using a putty knife to place the mud and a wide metal yardstick ruler as a straight edge to wipe away the mud.
Hehe, great tips! I love what you did with that extra? beater, hehehe.
Thanks, it was actually bought just for work, I'm not looking to get a divorce, lol.
🤣 Could make a three foot tall sculpture with the amount of plaster left over
🤣 Only had enough for a two foot sculpture.
But really, there was a few other spots I had to do off-camera, so I mixed enough for that.
Thank you for this ,ignore the comments
The trick with the caulking is to wet your finger and put more pressure against the wall and/or baseboard to remove the excess. The water will allow your finger to slide and you can remove the excess easily.
What's the purpose of the glue-all added to the plaster?
Just to improve adhesion, plaster alone would likely suffice on it's own
Don't have a puddy knife or a caulking gun?
Then buy them! Geez It’s $5 🤦♀️
Why did you add glue to it?
Makes it stronger
Why not just caulk two layers with second after the first has fully dried??
My regret about this video is not explaining _why_ I was doing what I was doing.
To explain: Caulk doesn't dry, it "cures" which is an oxidative process that can last up to 10 days, during which time it shrinks and sinks and potentially separates if too much was used at once.
Caulk manufacturers recommend stuffing specially made foam backing rods of varrying diameters into large gaps before caulking to prevent this.
This all works, however it results in a rounded fill, which can be quite noticeable, especially over large gaps.
I like a straight edge and flat ledge, I like caulking to just be a sealant, not a filler. So instead I use a zero-shrinkage, crack resistant, chemically setting plaster, that after it sets, can be carved or sanded to a crisp 90° corner, then caulking applied only as a thin flexible sealant to prevent cracks, however unlikely, from migrating to the surface.
Especially in situations where new trims are placed onto old warped walls, plaster-carving/sanding the large gaps can make the trims appear beautifully contoured to the walls, this is especially beneficial in spots where gaps are very wide, I've seen 1".
What about gaps that are more like three inches at the widest?
Can I use 5 min mud?
Yes, 5, 20, 45, or 90 will work
I have gap at the bottom of the base board
Caulk, finger and wet sponge
What about expanding foam? Then cut that down, sand and the caulk over the top?
That's probably a cleaner way of fixing it. I'm going to give foam a try if I come across something like this again. Plaster did result in a very smooth finish but was obviously sort of a messy process.
Would be important though to find the can foam that doesn't expand as it cures so the baseboard doesn't get expanded out further
What does putting the glue in mud do?
Just for added strength. Increases the adhesion properties of the plaster. Not exactly necessary for the example in the video.
@@Interior_Works hmm ok thanks for tip
Hope you told that poor woman where her mixer whisk went 😅 or bought her a new one!!!
I think u've bigger issues here,whoever installed ur baseboard had'nt a clue what they were doing with that outside join or lack of joining 😲 u went overkill with filling a relitively small joint,pack it with papertowel to just below the top of the baseboard,caulk it and let it settle and cure for the day and recaulk to finish it off,job done 👍🙂
Same guy who left thos drips under the outlet, and notice the corner on baseboard😄😃😀
FINGERS TO PICK THE NOSE, FILL THE BASEBOARD NEED A TOOL
Call king 😂
So... They do have Jerry Rig it, don't fix it right videos on UA-cam😒
What's the non-jerry rig fix for this issue? Mind you, viewers all have different time and cost budgets and want to see various tiers of fixes. For example, for the paint chip on my work van bumper I certainly appreciated the video showing how to 5 minute fix it using a nail-polish size paint match product VS. the video that showed how to remove and respray the entire bumper that took 4+ hours.
Jim has no videos. He is here to offer nothing but unqualified judgement. AKA cynic
Jim don’t you have to be back at Lowe’s harassing female shoppers
this is more like a video of what not to do
Well, what's your solution?
@@Interior_Works how about some foam rodding to fill the gap then caulk? much cleaner and less time consuming than mixing hot mud and making a mess. why didn't you use a wet rag or sponge to wipe the mud off the textured wall above the trim? and wipe the slop off the trim better? just sloppy work. and you mixed a shit ton of mud and used hardly any of it
@@donzon353 too small for foam rod. Caulk sags, Plaster can be scraped or sanded sharper and more square. That's not a textured wall. The walls being sanded and painted. The rest of the mud is for other similar spots off camera. Look, I'm showing a method here, I'm not claiming to be a talented professional baseboard gap filler.. my application could've been a bit more tidy I'll admit.
@@Interior_Works you can get foam in 1/8" thickness that will compress to less than 1/8". And if it's less than 1/8" caulking will suffice. !/8" rod you say? I just bought a length of 1/8" and 1/4" rod for a very similar job i'm doing. Not floor trim but window trim. Same concept to filling gaps either way.
@@donzon353Didn't know that. Will look for smaller foam rod should ever a situation come about again. This method, well it worked. Could've been a bit tidier application, but looked sharp and square at the end, I still think plaster will give a sharper finish, I mean there was another video that got over a million views of a guy stuffing tissue paper into the gap 🤷. I think the process doesn't matter. It's just what looks the best at the end.
Will this work for a gap that is bigger?
Absolutely, actually that's where it works best. The gap in the video wasn't too large and maybe I could've just put caulk over it, but I had wanted to make a video showing the technique. Just fill the gap with plaster, let dry, sand or scrape the top flat, put a thin layer of caulk on top and that will work on any size gap.
@delylah hernandez can I work for you for free? Lol
The only real fix is take the skirting off and straighten out the walls
Caulking is a hack. Given the sloppy paint work on the drywall, it is more likely that either the drywall or the moulding/baseboard were not set properly, or either or both have warped. Fix what's wrong; don't cover it.
Mines so bad a lot easier said than done I’d have to change a shit load of the wall to fix it. Not worth it
I'm not going to re drywall every corner. Lol
What's the point of the glue?
@@larrybudThe video description mentions it is probably not necessary in this case, but it is something added to give the mud a little more holding strength or situations where cracking is a concern. The Vancouver Carpenter has a youtube video discussing the particulars on when and how he uses it that seems pretty good.
He took the time to do all that but not to do the cuts for the corner lol
That's assuming I installed the baseboard. It's old baseboard in an old rental house. I was contracted to repair drywall, caulk as needed, and re-paint. I seen a large gap and took the opportunity to make a video of a technique I was once shown.
BTW you have runny paint, visible nail holes, damages metal corner, poorly installed baseboard to begin with. If you apply a low adhesive tape to the baseboard and along the wall then apply caulking then run your finger along the joint pulling off the tape quickly you will have better results and in a shorter timeframe.
In the next video will you show how to fix all the gaps in your floor boards?
Appalling technique .
How would you do it then?
Really show us your videos.
LOL @ the paint runs on the walls.
Yeah, that was the existing paint, from years before. I get to see all kinds of stuff fixing up old walls.
WTF??
Read the pinned comment
This is a typical sales pitch for the tools shown and the materials used. Then when you do it the way he did it it turns out like sht and you end up calling for someone to do it for you. This is when the wife says for the 12th time
"Honey, you spend all your time on the comp and I can't invite any of my friends over cause god for beg they see what the house looks like and all my other friends find out so could you please start doing something or I will call someone to do it for us so again please do something even the dog doesn't want to come into the house".
Lol
Who did your mitre cut? Yikes! Watch a video on how to do coping.
I agree. It was someone decades ago. I was just there to paint and caulk.
@@Anrodj3 did you really
How not to caulk-in your skirting/base board ...nice try though!
The subject of the video is a method of dealing with wide gaps, not caulking per se.
@@Interior_Works it's caulk. Caulking is the action. Caulking is a verb. Caulk is a noun.
@@michaelmcgee2026 Dictionary: "Caulk or, less frequently, caulking is a material used to seal joints or seams against leakage in various structures and piping." A significant portion of videos on the material refer to it as Caulking, as the YT system will sometimes erroneously flag caulk, if pronounced properly with a silent L, as foul language, and affect the ability to monetize.
So again, no content. Ignore this troll"upthesaints"
Those baseboards and paint runs are atrocious
The proper way to fix that gap is to remove the bad drywall behind it and then replace it.
That is an excessive amount of work for a purely cosmetic item. Not to mention that the drywall is only warped because the wall is, so you'd probably have to fix the whole wall.
It's waaaay easier to just fill a gap and it looks good.
Not everyone is blessed enough with funds to replace entire walls to fix something that is a little crooked 🙄
Actually the best way is to do a total tear down of the home and salt the property. Build from the ground up and make sure the walls chef kiss perfect! 😉
NEVER use your thumb. Use your pointer finger or if you really want to waste time cut out some pieces of cardboard into squares. Secondly just use caulk instead of wasting time making that concoction. This is the reason i can't stand youtube creators that have no clue what they're doing. Your trim isn't cut on a 45 either.
1. In the video, I adjusted to what worked best as I went along to get as much excess off, at the end it wasn't my thumb.
Cardboard won't leave a smooth sealant of caulk.
2. Loading caulk in there would leave a rounded fill. Simply impossible to carve or sand caulk to a crisp 90°, creating a flat extension of the wood to the wall.
-That's the point of this video, showing a different, albeit a bit more complicated way to achieve a different result, a better looking result, so I spent 10 extra minutes of my own time for this spot, this is a video perhaps more intended for perfectionists.
Everywhere else was flush and I just caulked it and wiped with a damp cotton cloth.
3. That trim is from long ago and nothing to do with me. I was just giving a rental a fresh coat of paint and caulk. ..Assumptions.
@@Interior_Works cut a bunch of cardboard into 2 inch squares and try it. You'd be surprised how well it works with caulk. Its also very clean because you can stack them on top of each other (like pancakes) and when youre done just throw them away. I've been in construction for 20 years. We use this method when we have to fill gaps with a lot of caulk especially when adding a screen room to house that has existing siding. The gap is over an inch so we squeeze as much silicone as we need to fill it and use cardboard squares to clean it up. Fill both sides of the gap and it won't shrink. I get the point that you want to show different methods but what diy person is going to run out and buy Elmer's glue to add to mud and then also have to buy caulk? Work smarter not harder is what I always tell my guys
Not very professional
Tell me, what's the professional method?
This is why we have cancel culture... All that conspiracy lying negative BS.... How many helpful videos do you have?? I'll check right now....
None....
Horrible job.
How would you do it then? This took 10 minutes of actual work and looked great.
I agree this video literally made me laugh
@@michaelmcgee2026 low laughter threshold
There will always be someone who is so unhappy. How can anyone be so judgemental with others learning and doing on their own?
The only horrible job I see here is the job your mother did teaching you manners.
Now that’s what I call a cowboy job
this looks ugly why there is so much concavity in wall, looks like a cowboy plasterer work
Ya, crooked old house. This was all done decades ago, I'm just trying to make it look a bit better
Lol I came here to see how to actually fill the gap and straighten the look of the wall but this is disappointing. You have an extra wide caulking joint, you can still see the uneven wall. 🤦🏻♀️
what a mess.. 'HOW NOT TO' Should be the title of this schmo's projects. good grief.
You sound fun. Obviously this isn't something I do every day. But it looked 100% better than before which = success.