How to fix flooring gaps after removing a wall
When you remove a wall or partition, tile or flooring is often laid up to the edge rather than underneath it, leaving an exposed strip to patch. This forces homeowners to figure out how to cover or fix the gap and whether they are responsible for the resulting damage.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1converting the outlet to a floor outlet
- 2replacing the flooring entirely
- 3putting a nice top on it and turning it into an island
- 4using rugs to cover the gap
- 5Painting after floor demo and baseboard removal
- 6Touching up the scuffed spots with paint instead of repainting the entire wall
- 7Using isopropyl alcohol and a clean paper towel to clean marks
- 8Using quick dry spackle and touch-up paint for a quick fix
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Problem is tile was likely laid up to the wall, not under it - so you have to figure out what to do with the strip.”source ↗
“The house was newly painted and the flooring contractors were made aware prior to ripping out the baseboards and old laminate flooring. I expected there would be damage near the baseboards but are these other scuffs and dings much higher up reasonable?”source ↗
“Should I just assume responsibility for fixing them?”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 2How to fix a 3/8 inch gap in tongue and groove flooring
- 10How to fix a gouged or cut floor
- 4Should I finish mudding drywall where wooden trim was removed myself?
- 3Why is my apartment flooring bubbling and getting gaps after cleaning?
- 2How to fill deep holes in the yard from removed structures
- 5How to fix squeaky flooring joints along the wall