BaseBoard

How to Cut Baseboard Molding on the Wall

admin — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:49:34 +0000

Most baseboard molding cuts are made before the molding is installed, but occasionally it is necessary to make a cut to installed molding. While removing the entire section of molding from the wall and then cutting and re-installing the molding is an option, it's not always the most efficient in time or effort. Instead, you can cut the section of baseboard molding from the wall using a rotary tool and a steady hand.

Step-1
Choose a rotary tool. A rotary tool allows you to handle small jobs that you couldn't otherwise complete with larger tools. Dremel is known for their versatile rotary tools. Read More

How to Cut Wood Baseboard Molding

admin — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:47:39 +0000

Installing interior baseboard molding can seem a daunting task when taken as a whole. But in the end, it's only a matter of a few simple cuts and accurate measurements. While it may take a little practice, cutting wood baseboard molding is the easy part. Once you've gotten the hang of it, a project that once felt colossal shrinks dramatically and you may well find yourself looking for more rooms to trim.

Step-1
Determine a logical path around the project. It is often best to start in areas of the room where the baseboard runs are the longest. Once you have determined your path of installation, walk the perimeter. Study the project, performing the installation process in your mind. Note any possible areas of difficulty and plan your way through them. Read More

How to Fix Hardwood Floors Separating From the Baseboards

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:14:10 +0000

Hardwood floors are a natural product and as such tend to expand and contract when exposed to home variables such as temperature, humidity and moisture vapor emission. Because of these tendencies, hardwood floors require an expansion area around the edges of a room where the hardwood meets the baseboard of the wall. If you are facing an unsightly gap where your hardwood floors are separating from the baseboard, there is a standard procedure to fix the problem without sacrificing the integrity of the necessary expansion space. Read More

Carpet Reveals Beautiful Floors

admin — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 05:01:08 +0000

So you pulled up some wall-to-wall carpeting and the floor is beautiful.
Removing wall-to-wall carpeting can reveal beautiful hardwood floors, but it can also reveal a mess on your baseboards.
This baseboard was painted with carpeting in place so it has a raised lip of dried paint that needs to be removed and touched up before it can be repainted.
The easiest way to do it is with a paint scraper or a putty knife. Working in the direction of the grain, which for baseboards is generally side-to-side; scrape away as much paint as you can without damaging the underlying surface. Read More

Incorporating A Formal Look To Home Design

admin — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:08:44 +0000

For those who absolute adore the looks of formal hotels and buildings, you may wish you could translate such extravagant elegance into your own home. Beautiful wood floors, intricately carved walls and ceilings, or deep baseboard moldings may be the features you admire in formal homes. But there are several things that you can change in your home to emulate those designs.

Formal homes usually draw the eyes of visitors due to the furniture used in the rooms or even the art pieces they place in the room. You’ll also notice everything placed in the room is arranged straight and flows perfectly. Choose one area where you’d like it to be the focal point in the room and then place a great piece of art work or even a piece of furniture in this location. Fireplaces are sometimes the best options when considering a focal point in a room’s appearance. Read More

How to get ready for Cash for Caulkers

admin — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:39:50 +0000

Details for the U.S. government's Cash for Caulkers program aren't available yet, but it's not too early to start thinking about how to cash in on the proposed stimulus program.

"Homeowners that educate themselves will be the first ones to take advantage of the program," says Lane Burt, at the Natural Resources Defense Council. He recommends that you get educated about your home now so you'll know what kinds of changes you'd like to make when the money becomes available. This is good point when you remember that Cash for Clunkers ran out of cash in the end. "Understand what you want to do so that you're not the one left in line when the program runs out of money," says Burt. Read More

How To Install Baseboard Molding, Even On Crooked Walls

admin — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 04:36:59 +0000

Every good trim carpenter has a tool apron full of special tricks for cutting and installing baseboards gap free and with tight joints. They need them, and so will you when you trim out that new family room. That’s because walls are rarely the perfectly flat surfaces that first meet the eye. On closer inspection, you’ll find lumpy mounds of taping compound, corners that are out of square and wavy walls—no matter how well your house was built.Read More

Baseboard installation

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:51:30 +0000

Baseboards are used to cover the joints where the walls and the floor meet. This is thus a necessary finishing touch for a perfect room. Baseboard installation calls for the expertise of a master craftsman. Some of the essential requirements in baseboard installation are:
• Nail set or punch
• Finish hammer
• Chisel
• Tape measure
• Sharp pencil or pen
• 25 ft or longer air line
• Compressor
• Miter saw
• Wood glue
• Caulking gun
• Blue painters tape

Here is a detailed overview of baseboard installation:

• The perimeter of the room needs to be measured so as to determine the amount of material to be required. It is better to buy some additional trims so that are some scrap ends to cater to those couple of inevitable mistakes that occur during measurements and cutting.

• Then it is important to prime and sand. If the materials are primed, the sanding must be done prior to baseboard installation. It saves a lot of time and effort. If eth materials happen to be bare wood ones, it is better to stain or paint them with primer, sand them after they have dried up and then go for baseboard installation.

• The pieces must be measured and cut for a perfect fit. The miter joints must be well-cut. For this, a power miter saw works better than a miter box or hand saw. For odd-angle corners, the scrap material can be used on a trial-and-error basis.

• The baseboard now must be nailed with finishing nails. A stud finder can help to locate the appropriate wall studs. In order to sink the nail below the surface, a nail gun should be used. The nail-holes must be then filled with putty, allowed to dry and sanded.

• The baseboard installation gets completed with the application of the finishing coat. It can be a gloss or a semi-gloss paint or varnish and must never cross the finishing material. A masking tape can ascertain the separation.

• It is advisable to install the trims around the doors prior to the baseboard installation.

• Shoe moldings are better attached to the floors to ensure that the gaps do not open up later. If the walls happen to be extremely uneven, the gap between the walls and the baseboard can be done up with caulk and then painted in accordance with the wall color.

• A Brad Nailer is an effective tool for the trim cuts in baseboard installation.

Last but not the least, patience, apart from expertise ensures the success of a perfect baseboard installation.

DIY Kitchen Makeover

admin — Tue, 12 Jan 1610 02:44:40 +0000

This post is for anyone who hates their kitchen cabinets and is thinking about transforming them with paint. I should have named this post: How-To Paint Kitchen Cabinets and How-to Install No-Miter Moulding without fear. When I moved into my house these oak cabinets didn’t quite float my boat, but I knew that we couldn’t afford to get the kitchen re-done, so I lived with them. (Sorry this is the only “before” shot I could find of my kitchen) Fast forward a few years - I just could not look at them anymore. I had successfully painted many pieces of furniture and knew I could paint the cabinets; it would just take a little longer than just re-doing one piece of furniture. These cabinets have wood doors and fronts, but the sides are made of laminate to look like oak and were slightly lighter in color. The sides were also recessed from the front, which left the perfect amount of space to add beadboard to the sides without having to add finishing trim. I wanted them to look as professionally done as possible so I took a trip to Home Depot to investigate how I could add some detail to Reas More