Installing baseboards can be a challenge for inexperienced home builders or renovators. Simplifying the installation process can make your task more manageable and less prone to mistakes that may require additional effort and cost to fix. One option to consider is using a high-strength adhesive like liquid nails instead of traditional nails.
You can install baseboards with liquid nails. Liquid nails can be used in conjunction with traditional nails or on their own. However, before exclusively opting for liquid nails, it’s important to be aware of the pros and cons.
This article will cover key factors you need to consider before using liquid nails to install baseboards in your home. I will also describe how the actual installation itself is carried out.
Contents
The Function of Baseboards in Your Home
Baseboards are the trim that covers the bottom portion of the interior walls of your home where they meet the floor. They are typically made of wood, vinyl, or wood composite materials like medium-density fiberboard (or MDF).
The primary purpose of baseboards is to protect your walls from damage. Without baseboards, your walls deteriorate over time from the impact of scuffing feet, children, pets, rearranged furniture, or even aggressive vacuuming.
Baseboards also serve a decorative function. They can be simple or intricately detailed, available in various colors, finishes, and styles. Along with crown molding, baseboards harmonize the aesthetic qualities of your decor, providing a unified appearance to your home.
How Are Baseboards Traditionally Installed?
Baseboards are traditionally attached with conventional nails. However, professional builders also frequently use adhesive to secure baseboards in corners or other hard-to-nail areas.
In practice, a combination of nails and adhesive often provides a more robust attachment than nails or adhesive alone.
To securely hold baseboards in place, you need to nail them to the wall studs in your interior wall. Wall studs are the rows of parallel vertical framing components of your interior wall located behind the drywall. They are typically made of wood and may be load-bearing or not. You will need a stud finder to locate them.
The nails used to secure the baseboards must be thin enough to avoid splitting the baseboard and long enough to go through the baseboard, drywall, and the wall stud behind it. I recommend using 16- or 18-gauge finish nails depending on the thickness of your baseboard.
If you decide to use nails in your installation, here is a link to a box of 16-gauge Dewalt finish nails on Amazon.com that will do the job well. These nails are the top choice for professional installations, so if you want your baseboards to last for a long time, these are the right choice.
The Advantages of Using Nails
- Nails are robust. They provide the most secure and durable installation by directly attaching baseboards to wall studs. They anchor into the wall and keep the baseboard in place for many years without loosening.
- Nails are easy to remove and replace. Prying off a nailed-on baseboard is straightforward and doesn’t require much skill. They make replacing your baseboards very simple.
The Disadvantages of Using Nails
- Attaching baseboards with nails requires some level of skill and precision. The process can be challenging for anyone with limited abilities or experience in home renovation. Improper use of nails can result in poorly aligned or broken baseboards or injuries, requiring additional time, effort, and cost to correct.
- Using nails to secure your baseboards can also be time-consuming. To securely attach the baseboards, you need to locate the wall studs and individually hammer in each nail. Additionally, you will need to fill the holes with putty so that the hammered-in nails are not visible, ensuring the entire board has a uniform color and appearance.
- Nailing baseboards also requires the use of some essential tools. Ideally, you will want a stud finder to locate the spots where your nails need to be placed. While a regular hammer will do the job fine, a nail gun can significantly speed up your work.
- There are several cases where using nails may not be a practical option. The baseboard in question may be too narrow, or the space may be small, requiring many intricate operations in tight quarters. Similarly, it may not be possible to nail into a wall when there are water pipes or electrical cables behind it for safety reasons.
- You may see nails on the baseboards. Unlike adhesives, nails go all the way through your baseboards, leaving a small metallic dot on the board where the nail head is located. You can cover those nail heads with paint or putty, but they still leave a small bump, which can make the baseboards appear less seamless.
How Do You Install Baseboards Using Liquid Nails?
Liquid nails are a quick way to adhere baseboards to interior walls. As construction adhesives, they are strong enough to hold baseboards in place for an extended period.
Applying liquid nails to a baseboard is also easy, even for beginners.
To attach baseboards with liquid nails, make sure you spread the liquid nails evenly along the baseboard in a thin layer and avoid applying too much glue. The baseboard will fit snugly against the wall and can be easily removed if needed without damaging the wall.
Once you have cut your baseboards to size, you don’t need any additional complicated tools to apply your adhesive. Although a caulking gun would be helpful, a nail gun or stud finder is not required to install baseboards with liquid nails.
If you’re in the market for an easy-to-use caulking gun that will help you apply the liquid nails to your baseboard quickly and precisely, I recommend the highly popular Newborn 930 from Amazon.com. This caulking gun is sturdy and heavy-duty, so it won’t bend like some of those cheaply made ones.
For further instructions on installing baseboards with liquid nails and recommendations on specific liquid nails products to use, refer to this article on the Liquid Nails website.
Final Thoughts
While it is common to use traditional nails, you can also use adhesive materials like liquid nails to attach baseboards to the interior walls of your home.
Using liquid nails is easier and faster than using traditional nails. However, it would be helpful to ensure that you don’t apply too much adhesive and spread it evenly along the baseboard.
Sources
- Architecture Lab: What Are Baseboards & Architectural Baseboards & How Are They Used Today?
- The Spruce: What’s Behind Drywall: A Guide to Wall Studs and Framing
- Home Decor Bliss: Should You Glue or Nail Baseboards?
- Santa Luzia Mouldings Blog: Why Glue Works Better Than Nails for Installing Baseboards and Crown Molding
- SFGATE: How to Attach Baseboard Molding to Drywall Walls
- Liquid Nails: How to Install Interior Trim Moldings Using Construction Adhesive