# No taping below 5 1/2" base height.



## TMT (Aug 31, 2005)

I've heard this type of BS from people I 've done work for before. Taping a 1 bedroom apartment and this is what I was told. I should of told him to show me how to do that. Snap a line at 5 inches and dont go below that? Come on give me a break I mean how much longer and what are you really saving by doing this. And what about fire codes? I'm getting so tired of this kind of stupid crap. Help me out here guys what do you think. Should of packed up and left.


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## CookeCarpentry (Feb 26, 2009)

uhhh.....what?

I know there are question marks in there, don't know about actual questions...


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## TMT (Aug 31, 2005)

So the trim for the base in this apartment is 5 1/2" high. And was told not to tape below that height.


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## CookeCarpentry (Feb 26, 2009)

And you were going to walk off a job because of that?


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## blackbear (Feb 29, 2008)

snap lines? why not eye ball it within an inch or two?


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## Warren (Feb 19, 2005)

snap the line at 6" and teach him a lesson.


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## woodworkbykirk (Sep 17, 2008)

just make sure your joints are air tight in your baseboard, cope all inside corners:thumbup:

but all seriousness, ive never seen anything like that, its pretty normal to see the mud work get really sloppy or light towards the floor, reasons such as this is why i always carry a beater chisel or a scraper so to scrape off gobs of dried on compound down towards the floor


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## TMT (Aug 31, 2005)

I'm not afraid of walking because of stupid thinking like that, I mean whats next. I have other people I could be doing jobs for that i have worked for over the years and they would have never said anything like that. I agree just eyeball it close to the floor.


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## loneframer (Feb 13, 2009)

Tell him to install the base first and you'll tape to it.:whistling


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## MeatBallDryWall (Aug 28, 2008)

I'd leave the tape 5' too long & say I misunderstood. :jester:


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## bhock (Feb 17, 2009)

This may be because some tapers apparently(and I said some not all)can not bend down far enough to wipe the corners good and there is always a big build up at the bottom of corners. As I said some tapers, I know most with any pride in their work do a good job but there are those few.


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## TMT (Aug 31, 2005)

Thats a good one to install the base first lol. Leaving it 5" long is too funny.


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## Mike Finley (Apr 28, 2004)

TMT said:


> I'm not afraid of walking because of stupid thinking like that, I mean whats next. I have other people I could be doing jobs for that i have worked for over the years and they would have never said anything like that. I agree just eyeball it close to the floor.


Why not just tell him that's not within the scope of work, so no problem, but I need to charge $X more to do what you want. What you're asking is not the norm and it's going to take more time to do it your way.


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## Frankawitz (Jun 17, 2006)

Make sure you use mesh tape so you'll get repete work in a year when all the corners crack. give him a 90 day guarantee:laughing:
Some people are Morons with what they think is best
Guy sounds like a real bonehead.:whistling


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## TMT (Aug 31, 2005)

Right on Mike and Frank. I dislike Mesh tape also, seen it crack to many times when gaps are not prefilled right.


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## Tim0282 (Dec 11, 2007)

Had a contractor wanting to subtract footage for windows, doors, outlets and such. Told him I could add since they were put in and I had to work around them. Two way street.


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## PA woodbutcher (Mar 29, 2007)

Maybe he was just telling you, you didn't have finish any lower than 5 1/2".

I was doing some work at a flooring business one time and the owner asked me where I had picked up finishing all the way to the floor. Told him probably my dad...that's the way I've always done it. He liked it and wished everyone would do it. Made for installing the rubber cove base easier.


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## Axecutioner-B (Jan 28, 2010)

To me it sounds like the guy is used to a sloppy taper who gets globs of mud on the ground at the joints which makes it more work for this guy to put his base board on, so to try to avoid that he told (asked?) you to not tape below 5 1/2 inches. To me this doesn't seem too unreasonable. And it certainly wouldn't motivate me to want to leave the job (jobs are hard to come by these days). I get asked to do silly things that i don't agree with & most of the time i do them because it makes the person i'm doing the work for happier. 
Not taping below 5 1/2 inches? What's the harm in that ? I'm asking for real, i really don't see the harm in it, please explain it to me.


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## Big Shoe (Jun 16, 2008)

Ok I'll jump in on this one. I've seen ''some'' finishing crews leave mountains of tape and mud piled on the floor in all the angles. It's a matter of supervision, the drywall contractor has to keep an eye on his guys to make sure they scrape,sweep and clean the angles and floors when they are done.Good crews do this without asking. 

Alls this guy has to ask is'' please keep the bottom of the angles clean''.

If you really want to piss off the trim guy, just leave all the board a little long on all the door openings.:jester:


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## Ashcon (Apr 28, 2009)

If you really want to upset the trim guy, use the jacks to scrape off the unwanted mud. Or bow the window jambs with the board, leave mud on the window jambs...

I think this guy just wants to keep the corners clean!

My concern would be what will happen when they decide not to use the 5 1/2" base due to buget cuts?

Get him to sign something and do the best job you can, eyeball the 5" or cut a 5" block and use it as a gauge in the corners and snap your lines.

Do you have to worry about different floor thickness?

He should pay for the extra effort, 20 min. per room seems reasonable if they are not to big or cut up? Might not even take that long.

Think it over, people always want something weird. Being able to accomplish great things in less than ideal conditions is what makes us 

better than the other guys!:thumbsup:

Good luck Chad!


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