Base board moulding separating in humidity

[moremoremore]

Hey! Didn''t know where to post this..Anyone know anything about carpentry? I can''t find an answer on line. Last December my hubby and I moved and ripped up the old and installed this awesome 7 inch base board moulding...(well, we paid someone do to it lol) Anyhoo...we noticed that this month, parts of the mouldings are separating from the wall...there is one spot where the carpenter had to take separate pieces of moulding to go around a curved wall....it''s worse there...I do know that wood expands and contracts in the hot and cold...We had a small leak in one spot...the moulding separated...but then snapped back when it dried..I''m just hoping this will be similar and will go back into place in the cool weather. Also, bc it''s a pre-war building, nothing is straight or even, so they had to put some filler in where there was a gap bt the moulding and the walls...I don''t know if I should fill it b/c I don''t know if the wood will contract again. It''s not a major big deal but annoying b/c we really spent a lot of money to have this all done...It''s not the contractors fault bc it is just what wood does..Anyone have any thoughts???

 

[sevens one]

Sorry to hear that. What a pain. I'm no help but how are things looking these days?
Nan

 

[fire&ice]

This is normal as wood contracts & expands naturally. Wood is not perfectly straight. If you don't like the look, you could use some clear caulk & paint it the color of your walls. The caulk is like rubber & will contract,etc. Some people will paint the caulk the color of the wood base if the wood is not stained.

Welcome to the imperfect world of an old house. Settlement will do the same thing.

 

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Thanks guys!!! The moulding work is white...and it was cauked (white also) to fill in the spots where it did not sit flush with the walls....b/c there is nothing straight in an old home...I'm just wondering if I should re-cauk now (and by "I" I mean a professional..lol)...or just wait for it to possibly snap back in the fall...
And I know settlement...the bathroom floor is so slanted that I feel like I'm sliding off of the bowl...hehehehe....but small price to pay for original subway tiles, hardwood floors and plaster walls...and I'm taking those door knobs with me when we move...Although, my "forever" home will be brand spankin new- we'll just make it look old. This is a coop (like a condo) in a pre-war building....Our old apartment was also in an old home with these amazing floors and trim work to die for...the landlord's grandfather was a carpenter...the was a pocket door and a kitchen swinging door with original stained glass and vintage crystal and brass door knobs...it was so great...but I don't think I could invest in a huge old home like that for my forever....too much up-keep...$$$

 

[fire&ice]

Funny, our primary residence is a new home that people always mistake as old. We duplicated most of the old home stuff except the plaster walls. We are lucky that we have an old timey wood miller that still mills pilaster trim. Our door is from the 1800's.

I wouldn't fret about the separation. And, caulk it yourself - honestly - if you have somewhat of a steady hand, the caulk guns do the trick. We use the clear caulk because w/ painting part of it the wall color & part of it the trim color (white)it doesn't show the separation as bad. The separation happens in most houses.

 

[moremoremore]

sounds like your place is right up my alley. Plaster walls really is a lost art...but they are a pain in the ass...when we moved here, we had to do a plaster skim coat to make them smooth again. Holy $$$$. Ohhh, I love your door! You must take pictures!

 

[moremoremore]

And I was so sad to rip off the orig mouldings but they were SO gross after being painted for years and years and years and I couldn't afford to strip and risk there being bad wood underneath. Dykes lumber online has the best moulding suitable for older homes! I also love to look at those architectural salvage places!!! Bet you do too!