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Wanting to know what type of sealant is good for sealing around my baseboards. I have some places where their are gaps where I have replaced the flooring & some are quite large & feel air coming from them. I tried using that foam stuff but it is so messy to handle & alot of it just keeps going under the floor. Most are in the inside portion of the house & not the outer walls. Happy holidays staff. David!
I am a certified ford diesel tech, "Retired Now" Ford Parts Department counter man, computer consultant, repairman & programmer
Basically any caulk will do, but if it is a large gap foam will work the easiest & fastest. The trick is to use a small amount so when it expands it stays in the gap. Greg
"If I can't fix it, I can screw it up so bad no one else can either."
Thanks Greg. Those cracks are about a 1/4 inch wide but i will give it a try again & then try cuting the excess off once it sets up. I'm not the best when it comes to installing new plywood on a floor & getting the measurements just right. Thats why I have big gaps around the walls. Happy Holidays Greg & be safe on New Years. David!
I am a certified ford diesel tech, "Retired Now" Ford Parts Department counter man, computer consultant, repairman & programmer
You can buy the expanding foam sealant marked "windows & Doors." It will not expand so hard it warps or moves framing around. It's good stuff and easier to cut back after it drys. I did notice that it is significantly cheaper at my Walmart than at Home Depot. One thing: plan on using the whole can at one time. It will not store for even a week. Don't ask me how I know. But the big drafts I was getting along the floor are gone. I also put those foam things behind the switch plates and outlets.
another product I love, is sill insulation. it is a pink rubbery foam strip with ridges.
I usually get the 4 inch wide type, and it comes in a roll of yards of it.
It is not itchy, you can tear it with your fingers and stuff it into gaps. I can fold it over for a big gap, or tear it into narrow strips. I sometimes pack it tightly with a plastic pancake flipper.
it also works great as a backer rod, meaning it is used to fill the majority of the gap, then caulk is placed over it, needing much less caulk.
so far this rehab, I have stuffed it above a door header, at the sides of a door, and around the edges of two air conditioners that i left in place in the windows of the home after securing them with extra boards.
I have used it at the gap of the wall and floor in my apartment building, where I removed molding, and did not get the new molding installed, I can feel the draft is gone. or returns, if the sill insulation comes out, which happens occasionally since I did not get the molding installed lol.
and when I have handed it to my contractors to fill a small gap, none of them said it would not work, and they also appreciated the no itch feature!
I will consider checking all these products out & experimenting with them on pieces of board & see what happens. I did measure the gaps & they are lg. enough I can fit my pinkey finger in them. Thanks again all. Yanita, I did like yours about the insulation theory then fill in the rest with foam so it doesn't flow down inside the lower flooring.
I am a certified ford diesel tech, "Retired Now" Ford Parts Department counter man, computer consultant, repairman & programmer
I guess a multitude of various products could be used. If you can get your pinky into some of those gaps I would definitely get some insulation in there. Quarter round is cheap enough, and looks good as well.
Just a quick thought, if you plan on staining or painting the quarter round, do so before you install. Then all you need to do is a little touch up from the install.
Merry Christmas,
Yanita
The difference between success and failure is who gives up first!
Could you just lower your baseboards? Where I shortened some interior walls, I was able to reuse the baseboards no problem. Just be sure to pull the nails through the back side.
Also, in the weatherstripping isle at Lowe's is a foam backer-rod that is pressed into gaps before caulking over. They are used specifically around window/door openings and at expansion joints to provide proper 2-sided adhesion of caulk.