Executive Mansion
Installing the Baseboards
Behind the Scenes - Executive Mansion
Bob Ryley is on site with Bob to provide some insight into the unique baseboards being installed on the first and second floors of the Executive Mansion. The moldings and baseboards are exact replicas of the original profile. Originally they would have been planed out by hand as one finished piece. Today they are being milled out of the ever popular poplar wood which is an inexpensive, steady wood that takes paint well.
A unique aspect of the baseboard installation on the second floor is the way in which the space behind them is being utilized. The masons did some temporary demolition and removed the original brick and mortar and dug out a cavity about six inches deep. In this newly created space the electricians installed the conduit containing phone, electric, and communication wiring. When the electrical work was completed, the masons returned and replaced the brick and mortar. In some rooms the cavity was used to house conduits for other mechanical systems. Once the masons completed their phase of the work, the carpenters were ready to trim out the baseboards.
There are some unique challenges to the first floor's baseboard installation as well. Work on the first floor tends to be more complicated and it's not uncommon that the trim is more elaborate than on the second floor. The electrical feed comes up directly from the basement, and all the baseboards have had electrical cut-outs made with a miter box.
Like the second floor baseboards these are also exact replicas of the originals. Their construction, however, is slightly different than on the second floor. Where the baseboards on the second floor were fabricated from one piece of wood, on the first floor the baseboard in made up of several pieces including the cap and shoe.
There is also the HVAC fixtures to consider.To nicely camouflage the new HVAC fixtures, carpenter Bob Lidell fits the antique trim around the register. The old ventilation to the outside will be sealed by masonry from the exterior, so the interior carpentry work can proceed without interruption.
Although the architect provides shop drawings, these often prove to be theoretical at best as each situation is different. With just about everything in an old house being either out of plumb, out of level, or out of square, it is real challenge is to make those plans work in each unique situation.
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