Baseboard Trim

[Cole]

Well I had an uh oh the other day on one of my job sites.

I was running baseboard "moulding or "molding" and I hit a 3/4" copper pipe for a bathroom. Before any of you say, well why didnt you check to see that you were not going to hit it before you shot. It was an honest mistake, I thought the wall was an exterior wall but it was not, there was a little bathroom behind it. After soaking the carpet and newly install hardwood floors, I got it turned off after about 30 min.

Even pros make mistakes every once in a while.

Ok one more thing, is it "Molding" or "Moulding"?
I think you will see the world is divided on this topic.

[David]

I thought when installing baseboard you nail to the sill plate. Any pipes going thru the sill would have the metal protectors over them.

[Cole]

In most houses yes they would have had metal plates protecting them, but not in this house.

You should have seen some of the corners they cut when framing it.

[David]

Is that the framers' responsibility or plumbers'? I take it you aren't the GC of this home? Do you run your own framing crew or sub it? If sub'd out, I'd look to them to recoup any costs - damaged h/w floors, carpet/padding, replumbing.

[Cole]

I am not the GC of this home, I did the work for a friend to save him a little bit of money.

It is the plumbers fault and I told him to go after him for the money.

[Rich]

Most of the really good millworkers I've been around say Moulding for some reason... not sure why it would be one way or another.

[Cole]

I say Moulding too, but if you search on the internet you will see Moulding and Molding.

[David]

The internet is always right, therefore, it can be either. ;)

[Dragon]

Moulding is English English, Molding is American English.

humor/humour, behavior/behaviour, etc...

They love the U on the other side of the pond, and in Canada.

I've hit pipes before. I have a standard response when it happens. I tell the builder that if they are too lazy to mark out the plumbing on the floor before the sheetrock goes on the wall, then I can hardly be held responsible.

[Cole]

I've hit pipes before. I have a standard response when it happens. I tell the builder that if they are too lazy to mark out the plumbing on the floor before the sheetrock goes on the wall, then I can hardly be held responsible.

I knew I wasnt alone.

I agree with you about marking the plumbing.

[woodall83]

I always nail baseboards to the studs... thought that was standard procedure.

[David]

Does anyone glue baseboards first, then nail?

[Cole]

I always nail baseboards to the studs... thought that was standard procedure.
Have you ever hit a pipe?
I usually nail to the plate and stud.

Does anyone glue baseboards first, then nail?

I have seen it done, but think it is overkill.

[woodall83]

I've never hit a pipe in a stud... not sure why there would be a pipe at baseboard level in a stud.

I agree, I think glue is overkill, especially if you think you would ever want to take the trim off again, to replace flooring, paint, etc.

[Dragon]

Most of the baseboard I install is around 6" wide. I use a three nail pattern down the stud, starting at the top to keep it from rocking away from the wall. No, I don't use brads either. A 2" trim nail is the only way I roll.

If at all possible, I require that a house be marked out before they get sheetrocked. Someone goes in and marks the center of every stud on every wall with a blue lumber crayon, on the floor. All pipes, outlets, switches, anything and everything IN the wall gets marked with a red lumber crayon, on the floor. For specialty things, use a can of orange spray paint. Like for ironing boards in the wall, etc...

Anyone even halfway trying can mark out a 5,000 sq. ft. two story home in about an hour. It isn't hard and saves loads of time later on. As we all know, time is money.

Outlet got covered up by sheetrock? No problem. Look at the floor. Pipes in the wall? no problem, look at the floor. Registers? again, no problem. Its all there. Life is good.