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Nailing Baseboard Trim
How to Install Baseboard Trim so that it is
Fastened Snuggly up against Walls
By Mark J. Donovan
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Question: Mark, thanks for
making the video on “Installing Baseboard Trim”. I have a question though.
When nailing baseboard trim to the wall why is it necessary for me to
find a vertical beam every single time? I thought the carpenters installed a
wood beam horizontally on the floor, along with the vertical beams to make a
wall structure to hang drywall on it. If they installed the horizontal wood
beam I would think that I should be able to just nail the baseboard trim
into this beam, as long as I placed the nails really low to the floor so it
catches the beam, right? (OC)
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Answer: OC, framed stud
walls are constructed out of a set of horizontal and vertical members.
Typically 2x4s or 2x6s are used to construct the stud walls. The horizontal
members consist of a bottom plate, which is what you are referring to, and a
top plate along with a cap plate that may tie adjacent sections of stud
walls together. Sitting between the top and bottom plates are vertical wall
studs that are typically placed on 16 or 24 inch centers.
The problem with just nailing the
bottom edge of the baseboard trim to the bottom plate is that the bottom
plate is only 1.5" thick and sits on the subfloor.
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Nailing baseboard trim along
just the bottom edge of it is inadequate for properly fastening baseboard
trim. If you only nail the bottom edge of the baseboard trim, the top edge
of the baseboard trim will wind up having a large seam or gap with the
wall. This is further exacerbated if you are nailing baseboard trim that
is sitting on a newly installed wood floor or ceramic tiled floor. The
plate nailing surface area is partially buried by the thickness of the
wood or ceramic tiled floor. As a result you may end up not hitting the
bottom plate when attempting to nail the baseboard trim to the wall.
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Consequently this is why you need to find out where the vertical studs are
so that you can nail the baseboard trim along the upper edge every 16 or 24
inches, depending upon the vertical stud spacing.
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More Information on Installing Baseboard
Trim and Crown Molding
How to Finance your Crown Molding
Installation Project -
can help provide funds for your new home improvement project if financing is
required.
Required Tools for Installing Baseboard Trim from Amazon.com
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