Need some baseboard advice

[Brian Kent]

I am making some new baseboard for my bathroom. What has shown up is some really poor plaster work 50 years ago.

One piece covers just 27" and the wall dips in about 1/2". I am tempted to re-install the old baseboard because it was cheaper and could bend better than my new oak.

I am out of energy to invent. What do the pros (or experienced amateurs) do?

I have scraped down old paint and plaster on the high spots. I am down to the metal guides on the end. I have sanded and planed the baseboard until it's shot and I need to start over.

[Al Killian]

If you cut a releif in the back of the modeling, it will allow it to bend farther. One more thing that might help is to thin it from 3/4" to 5/8". Being thinner helps it flex more.

[Matt Meiser]

Brian, I ran into something similar at our old house, but the wall came out. I used my belt sander to carve out the piece to a scribe line. What I'm thining you could try is using a straight piece of trim, and add a 1/2x1/2 filler to the top back edge. Then scribe the filler to the wall and cut/plane/scrape/sand to the scribe line. Over such a short distance, it is going to be visible pretty much no matter what you do. do whatever you need to at the bottom to make it work since that won't be visible.

[Brian Kent]

I cut the original piece to an even thickness that preserved the front. Then I cut a strip from the original stock, taped it to the front, and scribed to the wall. Then I belt-sanded the back strip to shape - much better than I did originally - and now they are being glued together.

Thanks for your help, guys. I probably won't post a pic because I want this part to become invisible.

[Matt Meiser]

Thanks for your help, guys. I probably won't post a pic because I want this part to become invisible.

Oh, come on :) I think finding ways to deal with problems and making them look good is at least half the battle. I'll bet in the end you will be the only one to notice. Oh, and it will probably drive you nuts--but what are you going to do.

[Joe Chritz]

Oh, come on :) I think finding ways to deal with problems and making them look good is at least half the battle. I'll bet in the end you will be the only one to notice. Oh, and it will probably drive you nuts--but what are you going to do.

Therapy? I tried without much luck but admitting I have a problem is the first step. :D

Joe

[Ben Grunow]

The only other option is to float the wall with compound or preferrable durabond to lessen the shrinkage. You will still see the moulding as being thicker in the middle with the filler (especially if it is stain grade which it must be if it is oak) but the floating can be seen as a lot of work if you are not so inclined. You only need to float up a foot or so.

Depending on where the piece is I would use the filler trick too.

Ben