I love coming home to this |
We've got a situation on our hands here, and I do not have a great picture for it either. The transition between the old baseboard and new trim is going to cause us some issues:
- Depth: The baseboard is a true 1x (1" depth). Most modern trim is 3/4" depth (true 11/16"); visually there will be 5/16" gap between the new door trim and existing baseboard. To that end, what I like to call the 4th piece of baseboard overlaps the door trim which will make said gap even more deplorable.
- Width: Even without any reveal at all on the door jamb, the dimension from edge-of-jamb to edge-of-baseboard is a variable that hovers are 2 7/8". Door trim typically comes sized as 2 1/4", 3 1/4" or 3 1/2". That means we are in for some customization.
- No reveal: It just looks bad. I'm not going to explain.
- Door hardware adjustment for larger casing depth: Fluted casing is 3/4" depth on both sides of the casing. Why does that matter? The door hinges and strike plate are set up to lay against really low profile clamshell casing. This means I have to get into moving (or replacing) the hinges so that they do not hit high profile casing, and probably replacing the strike plates.
- Plinth width: Fluted casing usually is capped at the bottom with a plinth block. That is fine as it solves problem #1 above as I can make it whatever depth I want. Unfortunately, if the plinth width can only be 3 1/8" as dictated by problem #2 above, I can only use door casing that is smaller than 3 1/8". Likely, I need to use something 2 full 1/4" smaller on both sides of the plinth (to include a decent reveal and create some symmetry with the door casing.
- The connector door between the middle bedroom and master bedroom butts right up to the closet leaving only 2 3/8" to 2 3/4" for trim (yes, it varies that much). Which means a rosette would be cut in half and the fluted trim would need to be scribed across vertical lines. I'm just guessing here, but I am imagining it would look hideous.
(The next to pictures are not occupy, do not be alarmed!)
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With Plinth (Used without permission, someone else's weblog) |
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Without Plinth (Use without permission from someone else's flickr) |
I thought I had a good solution with the fluted casing. Back to square one.
Sure I could go down to 2 1/4" casing after the plinth. But the wall are absolutely hammered. I need to use the trim for precisely what it intended to do: Hide imperfections and gaps. In my case, the imperfections on the existing plaster extends beyond 3" from the edge-of-jamb.
From archives: wall damage extending outward from each jamb. It goes past 3". I need to use a larger door trim. |
I am kind of screwed here. But I came up with a compromise solution. I will make skinny plinths (3 3/16" width) with a height that overcomes the existing base cap (7"+). Then, I will create a crown piece that makes a platform to transition to a wider standard casing size. Thus, I will be able to use 3 1/4" colonial or 3 1/2" colonial like I did in the master bedroom. Its cheap ($9.99 for 16' piece), and then I do not have to make any hardware adjustments at all. Furthermore, the scribe cut on the pass through door will disappear A LOT better over the rounding portion of the colonial vs. the vertical lines of a fluted casing. Its all about the optical illusions. A break in vertical sight line with the crown piece will hopefully conceal this dirty trick of using wider casing than plinth.
Understand?
I'm not even sure if I understand! Let's just get to work.
The players: Fluted casing (on the left) you're out. Tag in some pieces of 5/4 stock I have laying in the basement. |
First, 5/4 is too thick. We need to cut this thing down a bit to the 1" depth of the existing base. It's actually more like 7/8". *rip* |
Now cut it to width *rip* |
Make a quick-n-dirty cross cut sled, paying close attention to professional architectural specs provided on scrap shim. |
Put stop block on sled (top), begin cross cuts |
Dimensions are true to design. |
With the jig working well, the 6 cuts take about 10 seconds.. and now we have a stack of plinths. All the same size. |
Now, let's take a piece of 3/4" preprimed and route a profile into. I personally feel the ogee profile has a ton of portability: it almost always looks good and can be squeezed in anywhere.
I'm going to work directly on a scrap I found at the bottom of the stairs to basement. Route down one edge and around each corner |
My table saw also acts as a workbench.. My tools also double as a dangerous obstacle course. |
Corner detail |
Another view |
I won't bore you with the details any more than I already have. But I need to cut these into smaller pieces, then scribe them to the wonky walls to give the illusion of level and parallel to the naked eye.
Scribing back side |
Also, since I like to make my life impossibly hard... I am going to put a tiny return piece on the my plinth cap, just so there is no end grain exposed at all. It wouldn't be proper.
Well, here's how it looks mocked up with a scrap of colonial trim on top.
I think this is going to turn out OK. Lets go ahead an install the rest of the room.
I'm very lucky to have a neighbor who is 85 years old. She can't here the nail gun going past 10 pm on a weeknight. |
Difficult corner. |
Middle bedroom to master bedroom door |
Did I go overboard? Probably.
Was I kind of screwed? Definitely.
Will I ever do something like this again? Maybe.
In the end, this was all an attempt to save my existing baseboard. Next time, I will probably just take it out. All in all, its tough to repair the plaster at the intersection to the baseboard cap anyway. It's a lose lose situation as always... but I tried my best to turn it into a win.
Who knows? I may actually look nice when its all painted up.
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