Cracks when installing quarter round trim

[Norman Johnson]

I'm pulling up some flooring to fix our beginner's mistakes (while repeating "Practice house!!!" over and over) and I've noticed that almost all the quarter round trim is cracked where the nails went in. Internet is too full of lolcats and pr0n this morning to find out if this is normal or something we are doing wrong or just shitty material.

Any input is appreciated! Thanks!

[Jamesqf]

Drill pilot holes, just a smidgen smaller than the nails you intend to use.

[grantmeaname]

I'm not quite following. Are you cracking the trim when you pull it up, or is it already cracked and you're noticing it?

[apstone]

Agree with that last question.  If it is cracking when you pull it up, just make sure you are pulling the material up as close to where it is nailed as possible.  Start from one end of the molding, not the center.  But depending how it was attached, some cracking might still occur.


Are you using a compressor and nail gun to install?  If so, what gauge?  I use 18 gauge nails to install thin, fragile moldings such as quarter round.  sometimes, especially for stain grade, we use a 23 gauge pin nail with construction adhesive.  almost non-existant hole to fill after too.  Of course, this requires a 23 gauge gun...

If you are hand nailing, do what the other poster said and predrill.  alternatively, to save some time, you can try blunting the tip of the nail a bit, then driving it.

Make sure you counter-sink all your nails so you can fill the holes in nicely

[Norman Johnson]

The wood is splitting around the nail holes when we installed it. We rented a cordless nail gun. It has a canister of propellant to drive the nail into the wall. I think it used 16 gauge brad nails.

I was thinking about reinstalling the trim and nailing it in by hand. Better idea then the rental or worse?

[ShavenLlama]

Your nails are probably too big. Can you rent a smaller guage nailer?

I can only imagine how long it would take to predrill all those holes.

[Norman Johnson]

I'll try smaller nails.

We have a small house and trim is one of those things that had instant gratification, like painting. Sanding on the other hand... please shoot me.

[apstone]

18 gauge max for quarter-round.  for quarter round, don't bother locating studs, but for baseboard, use a stud finder and shoot nails directly into studs.

some people fill holes with caulk, but i find that you can usually still see a small dimple.  i usually use spackling compound, then sand the hole flush after.  even though you hate sanding, it is only a light sand required :)

good luck!

[Norman Johnson]

Good to know! And I'm okay with sanding nail holes. Even though I can do it, you'll never see me as a drywaller unless it's that or hit the welfare office. ;)

[apstone]

yeah.  drywalling is not fun.  i might be building a 35x13 structure for my landlord, the most worrying part of the whole thing is the drywall

[strider3700]

I do almost everything myself. 

 For drywall I pay someone and then sit down and do paying work for the same number of hours they'll be at it.  Even after taxes and everything I come out ahead and it takes 1/4 the time for them to do it compared to me. I hate drywall. 

[Norman Johnson]

If I had the time to wait for a guy to come out I would!

[apstone]

Then do it yourself!  Hanging the drywall is easy and fast for me, but mudding is where I slow down.  Small bits that I've learned is:  1)  Don't mess with each coat too much.  Put it on as smooth as you can and move on.  Time gets sucked up, and the more oyu touch it, the more crappy it becomes.  2) Don't sand TOO much between coats.  Again, time gets sucked up, and before you know it, you've sanded the entire coat.

Anyways, I'm sure it will come out great!

Oh yeah, don't mud over the bottom screws/nails.  Makes it a bit easier when you install the baseboard to see the stud locations

[twa2w]

The other trick that some pro drywallers use if they are rushed, is they will use an exterior paint over a poorer quality drywall install.  It seems to be thicker and fill in some of the sanding imperfections.  They say they can skip or much reduce the last sanding.

may work for us amateurs

Cheers
J

[jawisco]

I think the easiest/best way is to use an air nailer when installing quarter-round.  practice on a piece and adjust your air nailer till you get it right how you want it - head close to the surface and the smallest nail that will hold it in place.

You can re-use the cracked stuff, just cut to right angles - will have more seams this way, which depending on what you are doing may/may not be important.