Need A Good Base Molding Solution Soon!

HandyHails

I've got myself into a bit of a jam. I'm in the middle of installing a bamboo floor in an old home in the city. I gave the H.O. the option to do quarter round, or to replace the 1x3 base molding for a song. She chose the obvious and went for the new base. All the outlets in the rooms are in the base molding and I will need to replace the boxes w/ some new. Thats not the problem.

When I gave her the price for the base, I checked the walls and everything seemed solid in spite of being plaster and lath. When I yanked the base a lot of the dated plaster under is crumbling. Again not a real problem, just more time than I care to spend on what amounts to a gimme. The problem comes to light when I start digging into the decayed plaster on the exterior walls. All the plaster is is just slapped onto old brick.

My question is what is the best way to attach 5 1/4" base molding through plaster or drywall into the brick without leaving any trace of the fastener?

I'd like an economical solution but will favor the most appropriate as this is an old customer and a friend of the family.

Thanks in advance.

Josh

Gold Tie

Maybe cut the bottom of the plaster out (messy) caulk and countersink tapcons into a 1/2" nailer and then install base?? Idk....

send_it_all

You need to level with the customer and say that what is there is not what you thought it was. Show them the brick and the crumbling plaster. if they are really a friend, they will not expect you to do a few days worth of work for free. If Any of the plaster is solid, you can adhere the base to it with liquid nails or even latex (paintable) caulking, then shoot nails into the plaster until the adhesive dries. If none of it is solid, you have a big project on your hands. I would take the advice given above and cut out the plaster under the base,and replace it with strips of wood thick enough to become flush with the plaster, adhere the wood to the brick with construction adhesive and tapcons, then nail the base to the wood. Unfortunately, the wood option is going to be time consuming and therefore, expensive. If I had to do it, I would be thinking in the neighborhood of $10-$12 per linear foot to cut out the plaster, supply the wood and the base (paint grade), install it all and clean up the mess. Or an hourly rate.

Five Star

dont make a bigger project out of it, i would cut all the base for the room cope the joints,

put some liquid nails on the back of the base heavy if need be just dont use to much close to top of base.
out of a pcs of base rip some 2" strips 1/2" bigger than the room.put the pieces of base on the wall, and use the rips end to end in the middle of the room with alittle belly in the middle to keep tension while the glue dries

then after it dries caulk the top as usual.

warning:
the next guy who ripps the base off 20yrs from now will:censo red: you

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Aframe

Sure it's not just fire blocking between the studs? They guys above got the solution, not the friendliest for your wallet if they expect you to do it for nothing extra.

Either that or a Hilti

irockwithdirt

I'm with ya, but I'd add a step. Cope your shorter pieces to hold the longer in place. On your long runs, look for places you want to pull tight. Shoot an 1/8" masonry bit thru to the wall. In these places drill a 1/2" hole with a masonry bit and drive a wood plug (piece of 2x4) in the hole.

Use these points to attach the base with casement nails.

Chances those old masonry walls ain't straight. Should go real quick and these points with fasteners will help U avoid callbacks from the adhesive giving.

Just my $.02

send_it_all

I thought of this, but if the plaster behind the base is crumbling, no amount of construction adhesive will make the base stay put.


I have installed base using this method (no fasteners). It was at the Kodak Theatre where the Academy Awards and American Idol are filmed to be specific.

SLSTech

You need a clause in your contract for normal installation which yours is not, your options are above

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HandyHails

I like the idea of running a dowel into the brick. I always cope for the inside corners on something like this anyway. (5.25" molding) I could then countersink some drywall screws into the dowels. None of the runs are longer than 16', so that is at least one good thing. It will help to keep tension on it. I figure one dowel every 2' would do the trick. I could take some strips of drywall, clean out the crumbling plaster, insert dowels w/ liquid nail, liquid nail the drywall to the clean brick, and then screw or nail the base to the wall w/ a few small dabs of adhesive to hold to the drywall.

Cut nails would probably split the wood, right? I noticed that is how the original was held in place. There were also quiet a few thick finish nails pounded right into the mortar.

Come to think of it, the base is going to be a good 2.5" taller than the old and overlap onto the good plaster by quite a bit. Maybe I could just use adhesive closer to the top part if the wall is not too bowed?

irockwithdirt

If it were me, I'd just slide a speed square along the wall/ floor, get measurments in select spots, then set a block of 2x set in subfloor glue there.......but then I assume your plaster thickness will vary +/- 1/2".

I'm also assuming there will be high and low spost. If you use adhesive on the base and pull these low spots in I wouldn't worry too much about spans that pull tight / be concerned with nailing every 2' .

What I meant by coping is I normally cope all corners out of the line of sight when you enter the room. In this case I would decide which piece to cope by which run would be helped most by the other holding it (if that makes any sense LOL)

In the plugs, I usually just drill @ a 1/2" hole around 2" deep, spit a chunk of 2x4 off with the claw of your hammer, break off a tapered chunk that will just barely start in the hole, then drive in and break off.

Good Luck!

greg24k

When I was watching the show, I said to myself, WTF is going on with that molding, who did that???

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greg24k

Always good to have a clause in every contract no matter what job you do <Any unforeseen situations uncovered during the course of the job, extra charges will apply over and above the contract price>

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neolitic

With masonry walls I have always
done the drill and drive in wood plugs
(dowels).
Helps to run blue tape on the floor
to mark the locations......
sometimes a guy can't remember....

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CookeCarpentry

Handy- we are from the same area (almost), it seems this must be a common thing around here.

Depending on how straight the walls are, and how thick the plaster is...this is how I handled the last job that this occurred. Where the plaster was very loose, I removed it, and luckily the brick/block was solid...I average out the thickness of the plaster off the brick and ripped firring strips to the correct thickness and used a ramset to install them into the bricks. Since I was replacing 3 1/2" base with 5 1/4", I had good, in tact plaster to glue to. I used a high grade polyurethane construction adhesive to adhere the top part of the base to the plaster, then used finish nails to nail the bottom base into the previously installed firring strips. Anywhere where there was a need for a mechanical faster, and no firring strip, I predrilled a hole and used 2" cut nails to just grab the brick and hold the molding until the glue set.

send_it_all

This is a great idea. I'm certain I have read about this method someplace.

HandyHails

''

I like it. I'm gonna hit it Monday. The bamboo flooring came out great, but just a word to the wise. For me at least, I found it a lot harder to work w/ than standard hard wood. The tongues are really prone to splintering when using staples to attach. Every piece needed to be pounded in to get proper fit. Not just a little bit but I really had to beat on them. Yes the gun was set properly. I think next time I'll try using cleated nails instead of the staples I usually use.

I'll let you guys know how I make out if your interested.

HandyHails

I finished that base molding today. What a pain in the ass!! I ended up patching the areas that were very bad w/ wood or drywall depending on the circumstance. I then used Liquid Nail along the top 2" of the base to guarantee a good seal. Just out of curiosity, I tried to shoot a few nails in w/ my Paslode finish nailer. Although the nails would stop dead if I shot straight in, if I angled the nail left or right by at least 30 degrees or so, the nails went right in and grabbed. Very solid by the time I left out of there today. I used diaganol pliers to cut out any nails that refused to go in and counter sunk. Tomorrow is caulk and final touches.

I just want to say thanks to all of you for your suggestions!

Later,

Josh