Crown Molding for base

Is Crown molding acceptable for base trim? I did an inspection of a flip for profit. The contractor must have used leftover material to trim out the baseboards with Crown molding.
I told my client,this was not acceptable, since dust and debris will collect in the top and bottom of the trim.

Trim of any sort is acceptable, cleaning it is an entirely different matter. Once built a high gloss black kitchen cabinet set with a high gloss white counter top for a large home , when I told the client it would show every mark and fingerprint from cooking she replied I don’t cook that what the maid is for.

Perfect reply, except I don’t know if I would want the maid in charge of food.

They must have got a deal on it, most likely had no idea what it was :roll:

Are you joking? That’s not a defect.

If I put that in a new house, it would rejected by anyone who knew what they were looking.
It is the wrong application of a material. So it’s a defect.
I know in Alaska, people purposely don’t finish their homes so they don’t have to pay property tax on developed land. You will see many homes finished with OSB for siding in Alaska. Maybe that’s the idea here.
LOL…

debatable

I would called out marginal , and explain why as you did , shoe molding could be added at the top for easy cleaning and would finish it off .

This would never be an issue for a ‘true’ flipper!

http://www.housepainting101.com/images/caulking.jpg

That’s some expensive base trim.
Did they use 1/4 round at the ceiling?
Was the trim carpenter Polish?

Is “Trim” even “required” to be installed, or is only done so per architect’s drawings?

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/trim

It really isn’t. Trim is not listed for any one use. It’s not manufactured for one purpose. It’s not improperly installed, as there is no proper way. Silly isn’t a defect.

It’s no more a defect than ugly wall paper, a pink toilet, or a penny floor.

Baseboard trim is often installed upside down behind crown molding. Is that a defect?

I personally agree with Juan’s statement. It would not make it into my report. While I would not use crown molding for base board molding, some people may love this application while others my hate it. I don’t see this as a defect.

What if the interior was painted in a dark purple, black or even orange, would that be considered a defect also.

Please show me documentation were it says crown molding cannot be used as base board molding or documentation of the ONLY approved base board molding

Maybe mention the unorthodox installation of crown as base. Just so it doesn’t come back as “you should have told me” after all their friends get a good laugh at the house warming.

Ive seen about every type of molding possible used for various projects to include fireplace mantels. Can you imagine if I called out window trim , crown, baseboard trim, scotia, quarter round etc on that mantel as not properly used? lol
this thread is hilarious.

I agree. You can’t go wrong mentioning things and providing additional information. Reporting non defects as “unacceptable” or “rejecting” them and recommending repair is completely inappropriate though.

As a builder I have built many homes with no moldings whatsoever, using drywall returns at the windows, and reveals along floors and ceilings - there is no code for baseboard molding - we see the same thing every day and assume that is what it has to be, but it doesn’t. I would have made some kind of comment during the inspection that its an odd place for crown molding, but not point it out as a defect or anything like that.

Here’s the base I installed in my home 12 years ago.

The top piece is wood drip cap. I had about 400 LF of it in my shop so I liked the way it looked and nailed it.
Is my drip cap a defect as it sure isn’t base cap?

Looks like it can collect dust, so it must be a defect.