What is the best way to finish baseboards?

I just got almost done putting down wooden baseboards in a room that has multiple interior and exterior corners, as well as one exterior corner that is made of two 45 degree turns. My joints are all pretty good---but not perfect. The baseboard is painted white with semi-gloss latex, and I will do touch up when I'm done. What have you found to be the best way to fill joints where the pieces don't match up perfectly? I've always used either caulk or a patching compound like Fix-It-All, but neither is totally ideal. Caulk can sag a bit and show the joint, patching compound can break free from one side and produce an opening. There must be a better way to do this.

Stan

ASSUMING you have a SWMBO, by the time she is done decorating/arranging furniture, likely there won't be much baseboard/joints visible.


YAMMV.

Bob;

Normally that would be the case, but this is a sort of central utility room between the kitchen and the front entryway. (You go a different direction from the entryway to get to the main part of the house and back into the kitchen, so this room isn't seen a lot.) The stakes aren't high for this part of the house, so I thought it would be a good chance to get some practice with a better method of finishing joints in trim before painting if anybody has one to recommend.

Stan

I have used a DAP product called ALEX PLUS it is a very good caulking compound in a tube
(got mine at home depot) when applied if you take your time, makes it virtually seamless and looks
like everything is one piece. out here(BC) it is a painters choice
happy painting.

Kris, I've got about half a case of Alex Plus left; I use it a lot. If you're happy with the results, maybe I'll go ahead and use that. Sometimes you can get better results out of a product you've already been using just by finding out that someone else gets good results from it. In other words, I'll try harder. Thanks.

Stan

Years ago my father used window glazing compound to cover nail heads and cracks, might be tough to find, don't know if they even sell it any more.

(quoted from post at 20:05:51 04/09/15) I just got almost done putting down wooden baseboards in a room that has multiple interior and exterior corners, as well as one exterior corner that is made of two 45 degree turns. My joints are all pretty good---but not perfect. The baseboard is painted white with semi-gloss latex, and I will do touch up when I'm done. What have you found to be the best way to fill joints where the pieces don't match up perfectly? I've always used either caulk or a patching compound like Fix-It-All, but neither is totally ideal. Caulk can sag a bit and show the joint, patching compound can break free from one side and produce an opening. There must be a better way to do this.

Stan

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The fellow that installed all new windows in our house used some kind of wood filler to fill nail holes and the very small gaps. I'm pretty sure he got it at the local building center. It comes in varying colors to match the wood, and takes stain and paint readily.

LOL!

We bought a (fairy new at the time) house about 15 years ago, and it was unbelievable how much paint the previous owners had slobbered on the nice stained oak baseboards.

There's a couple I haven't stripped and restored yet, but you'd never know it because of the furniture and nicknacks SWMBO has arranged in front of it!

Last time I checked HW store, the Alex plus had 2 types, one was with silicone base to make it more elastic. Try to find one with silicone in it.

Thanks.

First of all, you do know that you don't miter the trim on an inside corner, yes?
Watch the video below on how to cope an inside corner.
Secondly, You don't often find an outside corner that is exactly 90 degrees.
So you want to adjust your saw angle accordingly. It might require 46 degrees or 44 1/2 degrees, etc. You can also carve back some of the wood with a rasp so that your miter fits exactly.
Coping and adjusting isn't too important on trim that is painted because you can use caulk to fill the gap. But on a piece of trim that is stained and varnished coping and adjusting is crucial.
On painted trim, I apply a little bit of ordinary latex caulk to the joint BEFORE I assemble it. So the whole cavity is filled and squishes out. Then wipe off the excess.
You can also learn how to cope your miters on door and window casings too so that your joints are perfect every time.
This stuff isn't so important to tractor folks like us. But I work in a lot of expensive homes where people would whine vociferously about a miter that was even 1/4 degree off and required some wood filler. They are willing to pay for perfection so I try to give it to them.
Learn to do it and you'll do it in your own home too. People will like your work.

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Caulk and putty are just not a substitute for good carpenter work, Take your time and find the correct angles when you have an odd angle, cut your pieces long and keep whittling it down until it fits, be patient, I don't personally like the caulk with silicone, It doesn't quite paint up like regular caulk, learn how to use your miter saw, keep a good carbide blade with a lot of teeth on your saw, the blade that came standard with your new is usually junk,purchase a good one, around$80 for a 10" and$100 for a 12",if it is a beveling saw make sure that the verticle is exactly 90 degrees, lots of good videos on youtube on mitersaw use and using a coping saw,sometime joints need to be coped, glue your ends where baseboard meets baseboard or crown meets crown, sand your joints if needed, This work can be done right,it takes time and patience, when I do stain grade projects caulking is not an option, so the trim work must be perfect. Johnny the 3rd generation Cabinetmaker/Trim Carpenter/Farmer.

Back in the 50's I was told it was called a dead miter. I was shown to cut the profile with a sharp knife. much the same thing but the coping saw would probly be easier. Miter saws used a back saw in a guide then. Trying to use a 45° angle to put base board in an old farm house would leave gaps large enough to hide things in. To late in life for me but I liked the video.

The easiest way to fill the cracks is with a vinyl spackle. It works like drywall mud and sands easy. What would work better would be bondo. It works well but is much harder to sand. After the larger gaps are filled I usually go back and caulk the smaller cracks and wipe off the excess with a wet rag. Then the repairs should be primed before painting.

If you are going to paint your trim the guys around here use body filler. Usually the red, well kind of pink spot filler. Drys fast and hard, sands easily and takes paint really well.

(quoted from post at 20:53:25 04/09/15) Bob;

Normally that would be the case, but this is a sort of central utility room between the kitchen and the front entryway. (You go a different direction from the entryway to get to the main part of the house and back into the kitchen, so this room isn't seen a lot.) The stakes aren't high for this part of the house, so I thought it would be a good chance to get some practice with a better method of finishing joints in trim before painting if anybody has one to recommend.

Stan

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ts much easier to get an other piece of trim and cut it at the proper angle than to try hiding your mistakes.

On the other hand if that room ain't used to much who cares if the base boards ain't perfect.

My BIL uses the vinyl spackling, mixed with a little bit of the same paint used to paint the trim.

I have done the coping method the video shows. I agree, good carpentry is to be used if at all possible.

Gene