That baseboard gap fix took me 3 weekends instead of 1 afternoon

I was trying to close a 1/4 inch gap between my new baseboards and the wonky subfloor in my 1950s bungalow near Whyte Ave. Thought some caulk and a quick trim would do it, but ended up pulling all the boards and shimming each section individually. Anyone else spend way longer on a simple trim fix than you expected?

2 comments

2 Comments

lucaslee1mo ago

Is it possible your subfloor is moving with the seasons (that freeze thaw cycle we get here) and the gap was actually a symptom of something bigger? I fought with baseboards in my 90s condo off Calgary Trail for a year before realizing the floor was slowly sinking in one corner. A little leveling compound under the subfloor would have saved me all that shimming time.

lily_singh21mo ago

That moisture from the freeze thaw cycle can actually wick up through concrete slabs and cause the sill plates to rot, not just shift the floors around. Check the bottom of the drywall or the trim for any soft spots or discoloration near the corner where the gap showed up first. Might be worth poking at the subfloor with a screwdriver to see if it's still solid before going straight to leveling compound.