Moulding options for badly warped wall?

marc205

I'm new here, but have used the forum on numerous occasions for quick answers. Here's one I haven't seen addressed directly...

I just installed laminate flooring in the detached studio apartment on our property. As far as we've been able to determine, this structure was constructed about 10 years ago by the previous owners; it's a neat little building (about 300 sf., with its own bathroom and water heater) but they clearly didn't put a whole lot of thought or time into it. Probably the most obvious problem is that the two long walls have some serious warping and instability between the studs – on one wall, there are three inward curves of about 1/2", and with very little pressure, I can push the baseboard in another 1/2" or more.

When I started installed the flooring, I spent a couple of hours making sure the first row (which was along the worst wall) was as well lined up as possible. It came out pretty well, but as I started looking at installing moulding today, I realized that the quarter round we have (3/4") is not going to be an easily viable option – because of all the unevenness, the gap between the flooring and the baseboard ranges from less than 1/8" to almost a full inch. My initial plan was to just try to put the quarter round in as straight a line as possible and then spackle/caulk/putty behind the resulting gaps in the moulding. However, I tried a couple of small pieces to see what would happen; at the places where the gap is widest, the force of nailing it in either forces the quarter round into the gap or diagonally toward the wall (i.e. not flush with the floor).

Any suggestions? I'm hesitant to switch to another other type of moulding, although I know that might be my only option. I should also add that there is approximately a 1/4" gap between the bottom of the baseboard and the floor – that is, any moulding I use will have to be about as tall as the quarter round anyway.

Thanks a lot for any thoughts!

Marc

poppameth

Several companies like Roppe make solid vinyl moludings that look just like normal wooden mouldings (when painted) but are flexible enough to bend into place for problem areas like this.

oldfrt

Hey Marc,
Maybe you can fur out the baseboard a little at the points where the 1/4 round isn't covering the flooring.
Just pull out the base with a prybar,(put a piece of something solid behind it,so it doesn't punch a hole in the wall)put wood shims behind it,cutting them flush with the top of the base.Then either caulk the space between the base and the wall,or add a piece of base cap to it,if it has a square top.

marc205

Thanks for the good ideas. I might look into the Roppe moulding...

If anyone else has any thoughts, I'd welcome them! This project is turning into a much bigger challenge than I ever would have imagined – the video that came with the flooring made it all look so simple... ;-)

Ash74

Try FlexTrim from the Home Depot.

Its a special order product they carry in the Millwork Dept. I've had to sell it on flooring installs several times and its worked very well.