ᐅ Is it feasible for a layperson to install baseboards themselves?
Created on: 26 Aug 2020 21:36
K
kati1337
Hello,
we have hired a painter for the entire house, including wallpapering and painting. I have now asked what he would charge for the baseboards but haven’t received a price yet.
Is it something a layperson could realistically do themselves? A miter box and a Japanese saw can be bought for about €70 (around $75). On Amazon, there are complete kits with baseboards and corner blocks available for just under €200 (about $215), although I haven’t calculated if the length would be enough. However, a friend mentioned that installing baseboards is much more difficult than it seems at first glance. Especially cutting for the corners would be a really tough job.
Do you have any experience with this? I’m not extremely perfectionistic, but it should look neat. Would you recommend letting a professional handle it, or is it something one can try doing oneself?
we have hired a painter for the entire house, including wallpapering and painting. I have now asked what he would charge for the baseboards but haven’t received a price yet.
Is it something a layperson could realistically do themselves? A miter box and a Japanese saw can be bought for about €70 (around $75). On Amazon, there are complete kits with baseboards and corner blocks available for just under €200 (about $215), although I haven’t calculated if the length would be enough. However, a friend mentioned that installing baseboards is much more difficult than it seems at first glance. Especially cutting for the corners would be a really tough job.
Do you have any experience with this? I’m not extremely perfectionistic, but it should look neat. Would you recommend letting a professional handle it, or is it something one can try doing oneself?
N
nordanney27 Aug 2020 07:08kati1337 schrieb:
or would it be better to glue with liquid adhesive?The cheapest acrylic from the hardware store is sufficient.Bookstar schrieb:
The screed will settle, and then you can easily make adjustments.That’s why baseboards are usually installed about 1 year after completion.S
Stefan00127 Aug 2020 07:40What is the process for renovating with glued moldings? Does that mean I have to tear off the moldings during renovation and buy new ones? Or can you remove them cleanly (meaning the molding from the wall and the glue from the molding)?
F
fach1werk27 Aug 2020 07:48It’s not difficult. I installed our baseboards myself as well.
However, they were painted wood. The right angle was rarely exact. For me, the fastest method was to measure the angle with an adjustable square and transfer it. I cut the pieces using a miter saw, not by hand. Really tricky corners, though, were easier to handle by hand. You need a long support surface to prevent the miter cuts from slipping. Previously, I installed MDF baseboards with separate corner connectors for a family member, but I didn’t like the workmanship or appearance, and overall it wasn’t any faster. If you create a groove in the wooden baseboards, it’s easy to fill it with acrylic, not silicone, and then repaint—it won’t be noticeable. Where the wall receded slightly, I also had to fill gaps wider than I liked with acrylic as backing; visually, it’s negligible. I used a fast construction adhesive for attaching them, which was my first time using adhesive. They are only glued on one side, not both, so they can accommodate movement. Once, there was a further adjustment, and I had to remove a few baseboards. With regular paint, the paint adhered to the baseboard, but the lime paint reacted with the substrate, which pulled off a bit of plaster. It wasn’t a real problem, though.
Best regards
Gabriele
However, they were painted wood. The right angle was rarely exact. For me, the fastest method was to measure the angle with an adjustable square and transfer it. I cut the pieces using a miter saw, not by hand. Really tricky corners, though, were easier to handle by hand. You need a long support surface to prevent the miter cuts from slipping. Previously, I installed MDF baseboards with separate corner connectors for a family member, but I didn’t like the workmanship or appearance, and overall it wasn’t any faster. If you create a groove in the wooden baseboards, it’s easy to fill it with acrylic, not silicone, and then repaint—it won’t be noticeable. Where the wall receded slightly, I also had to fill gaps wider than I liked with acrylic as backing; visually, it’s negligible. I used a fast construction adhesive for attaching them, which was my first time using adhesive. They are only glued on one side, not both, so they can accommodate movement. Once, there was a further adjustment, and I had to remove a few baseboards. With regular paint, the paint adhered to the baseboard, but the lime paint reacted with the substrate, which pulled off a bit of plaster. It wasn’t a real problem, though.
Best regards
Gabriele
Bookstar schrieb:
There’s nothing easier. But please don’t use glue! Use clips and screw them to the wall. The screed will settle, and then you can easily make adjustments. I’m not saying that glueing doesn’t work, but I had bad experiences with clips. In the long run, they simply don’t hold the baseboards firmly or close enough to the wall. Maybe my system was faulty. But I tried this in my mother’s newly built apartment and was disappointed.
For the next apartment, I just screwed the new baseboards onto old ones. It didn’t look great, though. Next time, I plan to try glueing, as described by @nordanney and @fach1werk.
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