How to remove glued-on quarter-round from baseboard?

My client wants to put carpet down over his hardwood floors. (Yeah, I know, he's an idiot.) As a first step, he wants the quarter-round removed from the baseboard.

The quarter-round is glued on, not nailed. Arrrgh!

A good bit of it just popped off, since glue doesn't stick well to paint. Where he hit bare wood with the glue, though, a big chunk of the baseboard is coming off with the quarter-round. I stopped when the second chuck came off, and I have to give him a recommendation.

Any suggestions how to proceed? I know the carpet will hide a good bit of the damage, but I want to give him a good job. I guess I can fill it with putty, but the carpet guys are coming next week, and I don't have forever.

Reply to
Steve
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Is baseboard that expensive to install?

Reply to
efgh

I'd suggest locating the spots where it's glued wood to wood and getting a chisel or a suitably thin pry bar and striking downward on it, so that if it does break a bit, it'll be less likely to tear along the grain.

-Nathan

Reply to
N Hurst

I did that once with nailed-on quarter round. From my assortment of putty knives, I chose one thin & flexible enough, tapped it down behind the molding with a rubber mallet, and slid it along until I came to the next nail. At those points, I used the putty knife to hold the molding away from the surface behind it so I could get a tiny pry tool in there.

What a pain in the ass.....it still did some damage to the bigger molding behind the quarter round, but oh well. Will our customer help with putty, and the paint job on the molding behind the quarter round? If not, you might have to delay the carpet installation.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

I would attack it with a stiff-bladed putty knife every six inches or so and if that proved too damaging might, in the end, replace base board where necessary. Appears that either outcome is going to require a little sanding, primer and paint.

Reply to
Dave in Houston

A flush cut hand saw or Fein Multimaster?

Reply to
B A R R Y

Take off all the quarter round. Assess the removal damage. Fill, prime and paint what's worst. Consider replacing the quarter round with a larger size or even door stop molding to hide any other annoying damage. HTH

Joe

Reply to
Joe

N Hurst wrote on 16 Jan 2008 in group alt.home.repair:

That's what I was doing when the damage occurred. Pieces of the baseboard are coming off in chunks.

In another message EFGH suggested replacing the baseboard, and that will work, but it's a special-order profile, so I might do that after the carpet guys finish screwing up the paint.

I had a thought that I might put new quarter-round back after the carpet is installed, but I don't like that look. Obviously the client doesn't either, or he wouldn't have asked me to remove it.

Reply to
Steve

You should never refer to a client as an "idiot". Not only is it crass, it can easily get back to the client. In which case I wouldn't blame him for firing you and holding you reponsible for paying for the required repairs/cleanup.

As a first step, he wants the quarter-round

Does he want it replaced? With What? What are chances replacing the 1/4-round plus the carpet will sufficiently hide the damage of the removal? The 1/4-round is functional: It keeps vacuum, etc., from bumping the baseboard and takes the beating the baseboard would otherwise suffer. 1/4-round is meant to be easily removable and replaced for just that reason.

Ouch. That means you're committed to the job too, unless he decides to fire you. I would be very careful about how the final contract is worded so that both you and the client are protected. Be certain he'll be satisfied with the outcome.

Replace the 1/4-round to hide the damaged areas.

To remove the rest of it, use a tough putty knife sharpened at the end like a blade, or a chisel, and a mallet to break the glue joint itself rather than just force the joint open, which is what tears the wood out. Other than maybe heat but I've no good ideas here.

Is the glue still soft or is it the kind that gets rock hard? If it's pliable at all, heat might help soften it for removal. Hard to say but it might work. If the glue is brittle enough, perhaps whacking it with a hammer will break it?

Can't think of any type of tool, router, saw etc. that could get up that close to do the job but maybe others will have some good ideas that way. Right now it sounds like your profit margin is going to take a good hit.

HTH

Pop`

Reply to
Twayne

I would suggest taking a look at the Fein Multi-Master and using their right angle saw tooth make a small saw kerf behind the quarter-rouund and cut it off.

good luck, Mike

Reply to
mike

I would suggest taking a look at the Fein Multi-Master and using their right angle saw tooth make a small saw kerf behind the quarter-rouund and cut it off.

good luck, Mike

Reply to
mike

Steve:

I suggest trying a Fein Multi-Master and use the right angle saw blade attachment to remove the quarter-round.

good luck, Mike

Reply to
mike

Steve:

I suggest trying a Fein Multi-Master and use the right angle saw blade attachment to remove the quarter-round.

good luck, Mike

Reply to
mike

OOPS! Wrong post; sorry!

Reply to
Twayne

I just recently removed my existing baseboard/quarter rounds and replaced them with new. Not a hard job at all.

After I was done I had new carpet installed. Much to my surprise, the installer wanted to know if I wanted the quarter round removed. He said some people prefer the carpet to go right up to the baseboard.

The number one purpose is to fill the gap between the floor and the baseboard. But I'm so used to seeing it there, I just think it looks right being there.

Reply to
Dan Espen

We don't know what behind the OP's baseboards. If it's plaster, removing the baseboard may turn into a job that is not pleasant at all. I've been through this.

"Not pleasant" is an understatement.

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

Steve,

Since the damage will be hidden (partially) by the carpeting, would it be enough to use a little spackle to even things out? Or is the damage worse than that?

On a side note, what idiot would glue on 1/4 round?????

I usually tell my clients that demolition (any kind) is by nature a discovery process which can lead to expenses not covered under the original quote/estimate. Very few, once they think about it, complain.

JC

Reply to
Joe

The cousin of the idiot who owned a house before my friend bought it. They stuffed the cold air returns with loose fibreglass insulation for reasons too nauseating to try and guess. The HVAC installed a nice new furnace, cranked it up and said "WTF??"

Reply to
JoeSpareBedroom

Glue softens with heat. A torch gets too hot, but maybe a heat lamp or two aimed at the baseboard... give it a few minutes, then pry. If/when it comes off, move the lamps down to the next few feet of molding.

If you could block airflow with some boards, a hot-air gun could shoot down a long length of trim.

Reply to
whit3rd

chuck came

A 1,500 watt heat gun will usually soften most adhesives to break the joint.

Use a stiff putty knife and "play" the heat carefully on the surface so you don't burn the surrounding wood.

Patience is a virtue on this project.

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

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