How to hide a crooked gap between VJ panels and architrave?

[ChrisM]

Hi there, I'm looking for ideas on how to hide a crooked gap between the vj panels and architraves that we installed. We are not very good or handy when it comes to these sorts of things but we'll still give it a shot! 😉. We cut the panels crookedly at the bottom with a circular saw (as circular saw guard didn't sit flush with panel) and with struggling to affix them to the wall, the gap at the top starts to slope and get wider as you cast your eye across to the right 😬 (apologies, pics aren't the best as the lighting isn't great in the room).  It was suggested we could use beading to hide this but if we add the beading it will sit out and not be flush with the architrave and instead of looking like an extension of the architrave won't look natural (hope this makes sense). Any ideas/ options on how we can turn this around and fix this? 🙏 Please help!

[EricL]

Hello @ChrisM 

I suggest using Selleys 475g No More Gaps Interior Multipurpose Gap Filler to visually hide the gap. The issue with using timber beading is that it makes it even more obvious that there is a gap because of the difference in material. The Selleys gap filler is paintable and will adjust to the gap even with wall movement.

Here is a handy step-by-step guide:

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[ChrisM]

Hi EricL Thank you for responding so quickly - I appreciate this. We do have some No More Gap filler which we used between where the panels join as this gap was only a couple of milllimetres out. However the top in particular where it is supposed to meet with the architrave is approx 1 centimetre or more of a gap unfortunately. So won't this still look obvious after filling the gap? And would this be too much of a gap for the filler? I apologise once again for the photo's as they don't reflect the gap very well, as it looks much worse when you see it, rather than in the pics.

Cheers

Chris

[EricL]

Hello @ChrisM

I'm afraid your only other option is to remove the panel and put another one in. Because the panel is no longer square, cutting it will make it shorter than the other panels. At the moment the gap is visually noticeable because of the shadow it is throwing and comes off as a black line in your set-up. Filling it with white filler levels off the shadow and when you paint it over will give you a nice uniform finish. If you have a guest having a casual look at the wall they won't even notice the gap.

Selleys gap filler is rated to cover a gap of 25mm and a depth of 12mm. There should be no issues with using this product to cover that gap. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[ChrisM]

Thanks EricL, makes sense what you're saying about the shadow. Ok, we'll give this a go and see how it looks. Thanks for the info & your help.

Cheers,

Chris

[EricL]

Hi @ChrisM

Please keep us in the loop and make sure to post an update once you've painted your wall. I'm sure members will be keen to see the results. 

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[huck]

I have a similar issue because my roof isn’t straight. So I need to fill a gap at the top of my VJ boards. If I use gap filler, how do I prevent it from filling into the channel a bit? That would make it look really uneven. Thanks

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @huck. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about filling gaps above VJ panels.

You'd need to try to manipulate the filler and try to replicate the grooves in the board. In practice, this is likely going to be quite difficult. If you attempted doing so, perhaps these silicone scrapers might be useful. I recommend keeping your tools/fingers wet with water and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. This should help prevent the silicone from sticking and becoming a mess.

The other option is to run a thin timber beading along the wall that is slightly wider than the gap. You could use a small quad, scotia, or flat beading.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

[huck]

Thanks for the reply. I successfully used gap filler between the VJ board and architrave. Using a spatula I was able to quite easily, but carefully remove any filler that made its way into the vj groove. I’m still in the process of painting here. Thanks again. Hucm