Carpentry is a unique artisan skill that places a lot of emphasis on presenting a finished product that’s neat, aesthetically appealing, and most importantly, sturdy. Our tips below will help you ensure that you maintain your handyman services Jacksonville FL in mint condition for longer while being ready for any of the common finish carpentry problems that might arise.
Tightening Up Open Miters
An open miter that refuses to close can be easily fixed by cutting a back bevel on the miters. For better accuracy, place a pencil under the molding while cutting the miter on both sides and then test it to see if there’s any need for additional adjustments.
Fitting Trim to Uneven Walls
If you want to fit a casing that’s wider than the area between the door and the wall, you’ll do well to draw a line on the casing, while ensuring that the tool remains in a perpendicular position in relation to the wall. Then, finish the job by tracing the molding with a saw for a smooth finish.
Closing Baseboard Gaps
If you see an ugly gap between the baseboard and the wall, you can close it up by inserting an inconspicuous 8d finish nail. However, you’ll have to be strategic because the nail needs to be placed at an angle instead of at a straight line, and you’ll have to keep the head of the nail a little beneath the surface in order for it to stay put.
Making Blocks for Tough Transitions
To fix uneven moldings in your baseboard, insert transitional blocks using blocks of wood that are slightly thicker than the wood used to make the baseboards, and then bevel the top for a nice finish.
Getting Rid of Big Baseboard Humps
Another common finish handyman Jacksonville FL issue with baseboards is the presence of annoying humps. These humps can be caused by a protruding stud that’s hiding behind the baseboard, so you’ll have to remove and reattach the stud to ensure that it’s placed right.
Cleaning Out Corners
Over time, room corners tend to take on a creased and dingy appearance due to the peeling off or wrinkling of paint and mud. You can fix this by scratching away excess mud from the corners with a sharp edge pry bar, and then reinsert the baseboard for a tidier finish.
Cutting Transitions
It’s important to do transitions well so that the baseboards look seamless as a result, and you can do this by using the fine blade feature on your oscillating multi-tool. It’s also a good idea to keep a multi-tool around, as it has a myriad of uses in finish handyman Jacksonville.
Keeping Baseboard from Tipping
Use spacer blocks to eliminate tilting on your baseboards, which often leads to unsightly gaps.
Joining Moldings with Biscuits
Do your joints remain open even when you think you’ve nailed them down? You can fix this by slicing out what is known as a biscuit slot from the molding and then connecting that to a miter using good quality glue.