Help on a few tricky issues?

13 years ago

I'm finishing up a very long remodel of a 1975, 900 sf split entry. We hope to put the house on the market in the coming months. It will definitely be an entry-level house, but almost everything about the house is new or redone, so I don't want a few unfinished details to turn off buyers. Besides the issues below, I need to put another coat of paint on most of the walls and trim, but otherwise we should be very close.

At any rate, I've got a number of issues I don't know how to fix or what to do with:

1. Sliding door threshold
I can't find a transition piece wide enough to cover the seam to the door. The flooring is laminate. Should I put a thin strip of laminate against the door and then a transition piece between the two? If so, should I put any trim between the strip of laminate and the door?

2. Broken trim

I can't find any trim around that matches mine--so I have to replace an entire room, or try to repair. Thoughts on this piece? Worth messing with?

3. Gap between counter and wall

I've got this gap between the countertop and wall, I think it is about 1/4". I can't force the countertop against the wall. What do I do to cover the gap?

4. Crack in cabinet veneer

This crack is right above the only drawer base. Should I try sanding this down and patching it? Or with old, crappy veneer cabinets am I going to screw this up more?

5. Trim not fitting together right

Almost all of the trim in the house has been removed and reattached, and we're left with trim corners that do not match up well. Should I sand, calk and paint these seams?

Thanks so much for any thoughts you've got!

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Comments (4)

Fori
13 years ago
I'm definitely NOT a pro, and I hope someone with actual skills helps you out, but this is what I'd do. :)

1. If I'm reading it right, you might be able to get an oak threshold from Home Depot or other store in the flooring department--there are more sizes available in actual wood than in laminate. I think it should look okay if the color isn't far off (and it looks like the laminate is a nice standard medium oak color).

2. Possibly wood filler with lots of patience and many thin layers? Or let it be.

3. Paintable caulk

4. I think I'd ignore it unless it was really visible.

5. I think woodfiller instead of caulk in the seams and nailholes. Not a lot of sanding should be needed.

So, remodel pros, did I get any right?
weedyacres
13 years ago
1. Door threshold: Is that subfloor exposed that's lower than the laminate or is the subfloor the same height as the laminate? If it's lower subfloor, I'd rip down a piece of laminate to fill it in. I'd also put a piece of quarter round/shoe molding against the door to cover the floor/door gap, and caulk top and bottom.

2. Broken trim: wood putty. Let it dry, sand it down to shape, then paint it. Kind of tedious, but it'll do the trick.

3. Countertop gap: Caulk in the closest color you can get to the counter (dark gray).

4. Is that the veneer peeling or the underlying wood cracking? Do you have paint that matches it? Might be a candidate for sand/putty/sand/paint.

5. Trim gaps: That's why God invented caulk. :-)
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CamG
Original Author
13 years ago
Thanks for the responses. Weedy, I think it is the same height as the subfloor, so a thin strip of laminate would work there. Should I put a transition piece between the two laminates?

I think the veneer is peeling on the cabinets, not the underlying wood. And yes, I have paint that either will match it or be close (I may have to put a fresh coat over all the cabinets anyway).
weedyacres
13 years ago
If you've got matching laminate you don't need to do a transition piece. They should lock together and be level.