Help! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] <br> <br>Well, my husband's off on his movie shoot and I've started in on my massive improvement projects. I'm in the preparation process for painting the living and dining rooms and decided at the last minute, since both rooms are going to be complete disaster areas, I might as well restore the baseboards to their original 7 1/4" height from the 3" replacements done some time ago. I removed the old baseboard without damaging the plaster (I was afraid I'd find 4" nails holding everything in place - par for the course in my house) but did find that the scratch coat from the floor up to about 3", the part covered by the current baseboard, is all crumbly and chunks are falling away from the lathe. <br> <br>1. Do I need to repair this since it's going to be well hidden behind the new baseboard? The perfectionist part of my temperament really hates to leave it all nasty. Will the new baseboard have trouble lying flat if I don't repair it and/or could bugs get in if I leave it? Yuck. <br> <br>2. What product would be best to use for this repair? Would regular old plaster patch be okay or do I need something stronger like that hard as rock stuff in a can ... (don't you love the technical-ese?) ...it's something like water putty? Or is there a better product out there with which you've been really pleased? Someone on this board recommended Krack Kote for plaster cracks and it's worked brilliantly in repairing my walls. <br> <br>You've all been so unbelievably knowledgable and helpful on past projects, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated for my latest dilemma. <br> <br>Barbara

Barbara, <br>The perfectionist in me (like you) says it should all be beautiful and just so, even what can't be seen. However, having just spent FOREVER working on three rooms with the same kind of issues, I'm now of the opinion that what is behind baseboards is not necessarily something that needs to be pretty. I have exactly the same situation in my bathroom. When I removed the ill cut and poorly fitting baseboards, I exposed the joint where the PO repaired the lower 4 inches of wall with wallboard and didn't seam any of the joints. I just sighed in exhaustion and put up the newly cut and properly sized board and nailed that puppy in! You might try putting a section of the new baseboard in place and see if it seems to affect the fit of the board. If not, you can use caulk and/or that expanding foam spray for large gaps that you think may allow pest parties, but otherwise, I'd just put those snazzy new baseboards in and stand back and admire them! [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] If you feel you need to repair it, I would think that plain old plaster patch would be just fine.

Hi Rebecca! <br> <br>It would be the expert of experts who answers my plea for help! Thank heavens there's always someone on this board who's been through what ever's ailing us. <br> <br>While I was waiting for a reply, I checked out This Old House's Home Renovator Forum and someone there also suggested the foam. The foam sounds like my simplest, cheapest, and best bet, especially the kind of foam that doesn't expand 18 times it's size. I can just squirt and apply my new baseboard, know that there's some support behind it, and not worry about what's doing to crawl through. <br> <br>Did I neglect to say that I love you? [img]/ubbthreads/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] <br> <br>Barbara

I'm with you Barbara. The baseboard will go on easier. Amy and I use a light-weight patch material, straight out of the bucket that has the consistency of marshmallow whip. It is very easy to use and is non-shrink. Since, it never fully hardens, it is also good fill material for wide cracks.

Must be baseboard project week. This week I stained and finished my baseboard (PO had stripped and partially stain the wood and then left it to fade - why, I don't know). I also noticed some plaster gaps/crumbling, so I used the foam (although I made the mistake of using the expanding)....tightened the baseboard and then used a clear acrylic/silicone caulk at the base of the baseboard and the floor. I figured this would keep the centipedes in the basement and provide some extra weatherproofing (always a bonus in my area). Next week I tackle putting in the new toa guard.