Quarter Round

Ian

I have to refinish an apartment for a friend who's a painter. He told me not to take the quarter round off. I ALWAYS take the quarter round off before sanding. He said he's never seen it done and that it's a waste of time. I think he's a lazy painter. Opinions? Does everyone take off the trim or did I miss something?

Marco

I've taken base or quarter round off once-in 20+ years, except when they are replacing it.. You can easily sand up to it, it just isn't quite as clean. What happens if a stick breaks? Are you paying to replace it, match the paint, etc? Opens up a big can of worms.

PipeGuy

I've had my floors refinished twice. Both times the company quoted with and without removing and replacing the 1/4 round.

Tonkadad

A case by case basis. It would need to be pretty bad for me to take off base moulding.

Teetorbilt

If the base is modern or banged up it's pretty easy to sell an update base.

IMHO it's faster to replace the 1/4 round than doing all of the detail sanding/scraping.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

747

Teetor makes an EXCELLENT POINT. You kind of figure being an apartment building its going to be beat up.

Ian

With a nail gun and caulking, it's way faster and prettier than detail sanding and scraping... If I do break a stick (hardly ever) dab heals it. Funny. I thought everyone took off the quarter round.

adams,b

so when there is a real remodel and its all removed, years down the line, thats why there are deep ruts,along where the shoe-mo used to be, because you guys tilt the edger to try to get closer and really dig into the wood. So in the future when it has to be sanded again it takes forever to sand the wood all nice and flush. That being said, please remove the shoe-mo and you might see what im talking about if it has been sanded a few times before without the shoe being removed; By the way you can safely remove this if you have a good "mo-bar". Thats what we like to call it. And if its old and breaks up into fifty million pieces......So!! Its old and needs to be replaced anyway and prolly has 20 coats of paint on it, including the first ten coats of paint containing lead. So you can take it off or leave it on. The decision will effect the future look of it.

Marco

I don't have to tilt the edger to get up to it. If it doesn't quite reach, I have a very, very good scraper and know how to use it. Far quicker than removing and reinstalling shoe. Of all the shops(some very high-end) I've worked for over the years, nobody ever removed and reinstalled base, unless to replace with new. Its entirely up to the homeowner. Who covers the cracked paint? Whos filling the nail holes and painting them?

adams,b

we dont take the base board off just the shoe moulding. Painters fix it up after we re-install the used or new.

hulk

we always remove the shoe and most of the time we put stain grade mold back if the homeowner wants painted mold we put a preprimered mold and a painter can paint it later it just makes a cleaner looking job and you don't have to worry about your edger scaring the mold

JustaFramer

mold sounds like a lawsuit

adams,b

Base shoe, is that better?

kneel_eh!

'It just isn't quite as clean' !!! I guess if your just going to do a 'splash&dash' and blame it on some one else.....

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adams,b

An ol' splash and dash, Huh.

Teetorbilt

"just isn't quite as clean" is what caught my eye. It's also what catches my eye on this type of job. IMHO it looks horrific.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

K2

I wouldn't expect a floor guy to remove to shoe mold but on our jobs the the carps pulled it up and threw it in the trash. Then we would make our own matching the floor wood, running it through a shaper for a little profile, and then match the floor finish. Hardwood, molded shoe, matching the floor is the only way to go IMHO. > White oak makes great shoe mold for about half the price of red and you would never know.

Marco

Oh bull******************** Teetor, you wouldn't know the difference. You still recommend marine varnish for floor finish for crissakes. The only way you would know is get on your hands and knees and look under the shoe. By clean, i mean easier for the edger man. I think what we have are some people who don't know the basics. The shoe we have in this region is generally old, brittle with 20 coats of paint. The landlord just wants the floor refinished, he's not interested in remodeling, especially when shoe install goes for $4/ft here. If the edger is properly maintained with a flat pad, you don't need to tilt it.