Crown molding separating from floor?

Question

It is my understanding that molding is intended to cover- or hide, at the very least- the gap between the wall and the floor. The contractors who renovated our apartment about five years ago, however, must have done the job a little haphazardly, as there is now a 1/4 - 1/2 inch gap between the moulding and the floor, throughout the apartment. My question is- would it be wiser to seal this gap (and with what), or to completely remove the moulding and reapply it (and how)?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

this is called quarter round or shoe molding..crown molding is on the ceiling..and now i am kinda concerned ..or you talking about the baseboard itself..or the thin round strip of molding below and against the baseboard? If it is a baseboard you are talking about..then you can add quarter round/ shoe molding to cover the cracks..I just cant see that much of a gap beyond a house trimmed out with baseboard and quartr round..i believe you are simply talking about baseboard and not quarter round..and will all due respect i say this cause you called a floor level trim crown molding

Answer 2

I had that happen to me before I used Puddy one time and I also used glue and the wood dust that came from the molding mixed it together and filled the hole

Answer 3

Use 3/4", quarter round molding - a 1/4 of a circle. Simply nail it down as uniformly as possible with a trim gun. Do yourself a favor and stain and seal it first, or paint, fill the nail holes later. Its' a bit tacky, old school, but will go unnoticed- you;ll find this in many older units.

Answer 4

You are talking about cove molding. Crown molding is at the top of the wall, not at floor level.

Answer 5

Baseboard comes in various profiles/styles, heights and widths and from your description I suggest you hire a "professional trim carpenter" to remove and reinstall baseboard.  Can you remove and re-install the same base?  Sure, but base costs on an average of $1.00 per foot and it's actually more cost efficient, relative to labor, to install new.

I believe the gaps, as described, are likely due to the floors level/elevations changing and previous tradesman poor work ethic, not likely due to foundation issues.  If you're on the second floor of an older, wood framed apartment building, there may be a foundation/structural issue to consider, but that will be apparent and relative when you look back five years and consider whether or not these gaps have remained the same or increased. . .that will pretty much confirm or negate any foundation/structural issues.

If there is this gap problem during a new install due to the aforementioned floors level, you will need to apply whats known as "Base Shoe", NOT Quarter Round.  Though similar, base shoe is for baseboard molding and the correct addition and feature used for this application.  A professional carpenter will know and implement this, a handyman won't and will install the inappropriate and ugly quarter roundmoldingg

Mike Lonergan

TradesProfessional, Inc.

http://www.tradesprofessional.com  

Answer 6

Hmm... You're in an apartment... you need to contact the Landlord, or Property Management.  

I could see a 'piece' of moulding shifting, but not the whole apartment, so there's something else going on.

We really don't know enough about your situation to give a good recommendation.  What type of trim is it... wood or painted... base or quarter round, etc.

Was it installed with the gap?  or was the flooring changed out without removing it?  (I could see an apartment changing carpet and pad.. and going with a thinner carpet, and/or thinner pad, for example, without moving the trim, hehe)

How does the foundation look?  Any cracks?  This may be more than sloppy workmanship... but we can't tell without seeing it.  So, you should contact the management.  There may even be a clause in your lease that if you replace something, you're responsible for it... so I'd advise against doing anything to it yourself, without checking that first.

IF this is just a case of sloppy workmanship, whether by the original trim installer, or by someone replacing the flooring later... I'd have the management move the trim down.  If its painted trim, then they'll have to repaint.. and maybe even repaint the wall.  By the way, the trim should be nailed to the wall, not the floor....especially if there is any laminated or hardwood flooring.  And, if this is carpeted flooring, the carpet may have pulled from the wall, just a bit.

Good Luck

Answer 7

Sound like you might have a foundation problem .I would get it checked out.

Answer 8

If you pull this off carefully with a small pry bar, you can remove the nails and re nail it. If the holes of the nails get too big...fill them with painters caulk and repaint them once they are nailed again. Painter's caulk  will fill in the small gaps too but do not try to fill gaps that are too big. because it will look bad. Make sure to repaint them after you finish caulking. I would reuse the molding because buying them for the whole house can add up. and these are already pre-cut with miter cuts. If you buy new ones they will need to be cut again using a miter saw or miter box and saw.