Hello!
Earlier today I fixed the moldings in my daughter's room. But since I live in a wonky old 1920s house and I'm a fairly mediocre carpenter, there ended up being quite large gaps in the corners. But I thought, whatever, I'll fill the gaps with latex and paint over them, so it'll probably look decent anyway. But the best thing is to be as meticulous as possible.
As I was working, I heard a voice in my head saying: "If you're going to fill a gap with soft filler, a large gap is better than a small one." The voice said it was because a large filler can stretch more than a small one, which means the sloppier I am, the larger the gap becomes and the less likely it is for a cracked joint and a better result. Whether the voice was an echo from some colleague, something I picked up from the TV, or just an excuse my lazy brain came up with to not be so picky, I'm unsure.
But is there any truth to that statement?
Of course, it would be best if I were skilled enough to not have to use latex at all, but unfortunately, I'm not there yet.
Earlier today I fixed the moldings in my daughter's room. But since I live in a wonky old 1920s house and I'm a fairly mediocre carpenter, there ended up being quite large gaps in the corners. But I thought, whatever, I'll fill the gaps with latex and paint over them, so it'll probably look decent anyway. But the best thing is to be as meticulous as possible.
As I was working, I heard a voice in my head saying: "If you're going to fill a gap with soft filler, a large gap is better than a small one." The voice said it was because a large filler can stretch more than a small one, which means the sloppier I am, the larger the gap becomes and the less likely it is for a cracked joint and a better result. Whether the voice was an echo from some colleague, something I picked up from the TV, or just an excuse my lazy brain came up with to not be so picky, I'm unsure.
But is there any truth to that statement?
Of course, it would be best if I were skilled enough to not have to use latex at all, but unfortunately, I'm not there yet.
If the gap is less than maybe 2 mm, it is a bit more difficult to fill it with sealant. But I don't want to go so far as to say that a larger gap is ever better. Do your best to avoid having a gap. Then fill it if it still ends up there.
It is at least more difficult to fill a very small joint. As for potential cracking, I'm more skeptical. As a former carpenter, I have generally made relatively small gaps, for the most part at least. There haven't been any cracks, though. Whether it gets better or worse with larger gaps, I have no idea. However, the best approach is to apply joint compound on the cut surface of one strip before pressing it together with the other strip. Then the joint is properly filled, regardless of how well or poorly you managed to cut.