I need to get to work installing baseboard trim around the base of our walls, but I do not own a nail gun or air compressor. With my schedule I can only work for about an hour a day on the house so renting really isnt cost effective. I am wondering if there is any reason I cant use some kind of adhesive (thinking silicone) to attach the trim, rather than nails? Or is it possible to securely fasten trim using a hammer and nails? I just dont want to experiment willy nilly and damage the drywall.
We are using a composite trim. Not sure what its called technically. Its not solid wood, but its much harder than particle board.
For years and years a 12 oz hammer, nail set and 4d and 6d finish nails worked just fine. No tool rent, very little tool investment and no tubes of adhesive getting hard.
JdN
Posts: 7508 | Location: Elkader, IA, USA | Registered: Mar 07, 2004
I am wondering if there is any reason I cant use some kind of adhesive (thinking silicone) to attach the trim, rather than nails?
No!
quote:
Or is it possible to securely fasten trim using a hammer and nails?
I wonder how it was done before nail guns and air compressors!!!
Oh Wait! A hammer and nails must have been used.
Har har... hahaha... touche sir. I was thinking that back when a hammer and nails were the primary tools, they were using wood trim. The stuff we have seems to be quite a bit more solid than wood.
Originally posted by JdN: For years and years a 12 oz hammer, nail set and 4d and 6d finish nails worked just fine. No tool rent, very little tool investment and no tubes of adhesive getting hard.
I would purchase a good stud finder and a roll of blue painters tape.
About 4 or 5 inches above the floor, just above where the top of the moulding will rest, put a strip of tape all the way around the room. Then take your stud finder and mark the center of the studs on the tape. Cut your first moulding piece to length and prop it up against the wall. Have someone help put the piece of moulding in place to get a general idea of how level the floor is and to determine if you need to raise it on one end to make it level. Scarf cut your next piece of moulding that will butt up next to it and dry fit. Then take a pencil and mark lightly above the top of the moulding on the wall to show where the top of the moulding needs to fit to make it level.
Start at either end or middle of piece of moulding, doesn't matter since you have wall marked, and using your drill and an extremely small bit (smaller than the finish nail that you will be using, drill some pilot holes into the moulding. This will make it much easier to get the nail through the moulding and will lessen the chance that you will bend the nail or split the moulding. If it's MDF, don't think it will split easily, but it will bend the heck out of a finish nail.
Then when you get the nail almost all the way in, use a nail set to finish driving the nail into place.
ToolQueen
This message has been edited. Last edited by: Schu'sALegend,
About 4 or 5 inches above the floor, just above where the top of the moulding will rest, put a strip of tape all the way around the room. Then take your stud finder and mark the center of the studs on the tape.
Or.....just tear off a small piece of tape and stick it to the walls where you have located studs.
I find the studs and there lay out with a stud finder (try pounding in a nail where the base is going and do a test nailing to make 100% sure it's there) then just pull out my tape measure, lock it, and set it on the floor with the end of the tape on the stud mark. Then just nail where the red 16" marks are on the tape measure. That way you only have to find two studs not the whole wall and there's no time waisted taping.
joecaption
Posts: 11148 | Location: Halieford VA | Registered: Jan 31, 2004
i would still use a stud finder for all studs, sometimes they arent exactly 16" centers. another way if the baseboard isnt too wide is to nail into the bottom plate. this way you can nail anywhere. the bottom plate should be 2" thick, just measure up 2" from the bottom of the trim and angle the nail slightly down (drill first), finish with a nail set. i only nail where there is a hollow in the wall to try and close any gaps (usually in between studs) i also run a bead of gap filler where there is a gap b4 i nail, then clean up right after. good luck with it.
