Basement Finishing – The Professional Touch
A mentor once explained; “Any schmuck could get into basement finishing, but what separates the pros from your also-rans is the details.”
One professional detail you should know about when completing a basement finishing project may be the approach to gluing and pinning exterior miters.
What does this mean?
Anytime trim material (baseboard, chair rail, crown molding, etc.) circles some other corner (instead of starting an inside corner), the 2 pieces of trim that are to be fit together to perform the corner needs to be miter cut with the appropriate angle.
But don’t be satisfied with simply nailing the 2 components of trim on the wall and hope that you get a decent fit. This is your basement finishing project for shouting loud! The professional will glue both the miter joints together first, then he will pin-nail the joint to produce a durable corner. Only then, are you looking to nail the trim to the wall?
Why each of the fuss about gluing and pinning in the basement finishing job?
Because of how drywall corners must be done, no wall corner is precisely 90 degrees or 45 degrees, or no matter the supposed angle may be. Also, because even 1/32″ in total can ruin the alignment with the joints, you could expect some kind of gap within the joint of your respective trim.
Many installers are o.k. with this particular gap. Just caulk and paint over it people say. However, very soon after caulking and painting, alterations in temperature and humidity (which are common in the basement finishing project) can cause that caulking to shrink, leaving a noticeable gap in your miter joint.
It’s your basement, finishing it using the professional touch is vital to you personally. After gluing and pinning those outside miter joints, the trim will gently …
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