Rant: my half-assed baseboard fix turned into a weekend project

I tried to patch a 4 inch gap in my baseboard near the radiator in my kitchen last Saturday. I figured a little wood filler and paint would do the trick. Well the filler cracked and fell out after two days because the wood was too old and dry. Then I had to chisel out all the crud and measure a replacement piece from Lowes. That took three trips because I kept getting the angle wrong on the miter saw. Ended up spending Sunday evening sanding and painting the whole thing. Has anyone else had a simple fix blow up into a whole day of work?

2 comments

2 Comments

wright.taylor1mo ago

Hold up, wood filler actually works fine on old dry wood if you use the right bonding primer first.

ellis.susan1mo ago

That's just how it goes with old houses... one patch job turns into a whole new piece because nothing is ever square or level after fifty years. I've noticed the same thing with small plumbing drips or even a sticky window. You think you're just tightening a knob, and suddenly you're rebuilding the whole frame. Seems like every little fix in an older home is really just uncovering the three other problems that were hiding behind it.