With new construction, sheetrock is usually put up horizontally, which means there will be a beveled edge along the floor where the baseboard molding goes. How do I keep the molding flat with the wall if it's nailed against the bevel on the sheet rock?
We use 5 1/2" baseboard. If you' re using 2 1/4 "casing", I suppose you could ask the drywall guy to run his knife/mud along the bottom edge
Baseboard (and any trim molding for that matter) has a recess on the back. The recess should accomodate the bevel such that the top and bottom of the baseboard hold flat to the sheetrock.
If your baseboard is not painted and will not be caulked, then you got to deal with it a little differently to prevent seeing a crack at the bsseboard top, and that is to fill the recess in with joint compound. Sheetrock should be hung 1/2 inch above the floor so the bottom nail should be 1" above the floor so it goes through the sheetrock and not a dead air space. Also, position the top nail so it does not go through the recess. Done right, you won't see a crack at the top.
That defeats the purpose of the 1/2 inch gap, a break from the floor if it gets wet, keeping the drywall from getting wet, deteriorating and developing mold.
As hard as I try, I cannot recall the bottom sheet having the beveled finish edge at the floor (two full sheets exactly). We used toe-jacks to lift the sheet up for nailing. We always had to cut the bottom sheet for the proper width.
If you do have such a bevel, try some dense cardboard shims. A drywall company has them in 4 foot lengths About 1.5" wide (check HD). Intended for shimming drywall, but will work behind a baseboard.
Or insist he put it in vertically. Unless the basement is a full 8 feet high it is easier vertical anyway.
It can still be half an inch above the floor.
Unless you are using 2 inch baseboard it won't be a problem...IF you are using very narrow trim you should have told the drywall guy in the begining to fill the bottom recess and coat all the trim screws if you also use narrow trim around windows and doors...You could ASK the drywall guy to do it now after the fact but you should offer a little bonus for doing so as he probably didn't plan on crawling around the whole house filling the recess and coating the trim screws..Or do it yourself...Pretty easy.....
If the wall is 8 feet high, seems like two 4 foot sheets would fit about right. ;-) I can see a bit of trimming, but not enough to get rid of the bevel.
I'll look for those, and if they don't do the job well, I'll just run a layer of spackle along the bottom. Thanks for all the replies.
When I lived in Oregon we used to have a real mold problem. The way we cleaned it was to put bleach water on it. Let set for 20 minutes - no scrubbing. Then it will wipe off.
The taper usually takes care of the tapered edge at the bottom. It only takes one coat and it's the fastest and easiest way to deal with it...unless you're the taper. ;)
R
It looks like it has been answered pretty thoroughly, but I'll add a thought or two as well. You don't have to go to the floor with the mud at the bottom, so the 1/2" gap will still be there. Remember, too, that the mud job behind baseboard doesn't have to be as perfect as at joints. It is only a space-taker, and will be covered by the baseboard, so it is not something you necessarily have to have the taper do if you are willing to run the mud yourself. Just make sure you are level at the taper and leave the bottom gap.
The other comment about sixe of baseboard is relevant also. Larger baseboard probably won't pose much of a problem. If you are going to be able to caulk, that much less potential. My last comment is that if you are able, depending on the profile of the baseboard, to shoot a couple brads along the top, it may help close a slight gap.
The taper usually takes care of the tapered edge at the bottom. It only takes one coat and it's the fastest and easiest way to deal with it...unless you're the taper. ;)
RYou would be WRONG...The taper does not fill the bottom recess in a "normal" tape job...Haven't seen to many folk use something as narrow as 2 1/2 inch for baseboard either...LOL...99.9% of the time the baseboard is 5 1/2 inches wide or more...I think the narrowist base I've seen is 1X4 (3 1/2 inch) in
20 odd years which is still wide enough to cover the 2 1/4 inch recess...The contractors around here don't have a problem with the recess not being filled when using "normal" sized trim...Remember , if it is new construction and only the subfloor is installed the finished floor will an inch or more thicker , depending on flooring so that takes care of an inch or so of the recess..It could be that the OP is fussing over things that won't matter..Over thinking things a bit...JMHO...
DONT drag the mud down onto the floor. Keep it ON THE BOARD, 1/2" above floor.
Here, the basements are 9 ft so they make 54" wide rock, just for this application..2=9'
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