| |
Project Difficulty:
Easy
Estimated
Project Time: 2 hours per average-sized room
|
|
| |
| Tools and Materials: |
|
Profiled single-piece base trim for room
Measuring tape
Pencil
Hammer
Finishing nails
Nail set
Sandpaper
Coping saw
Power miter saw or miter box
Backsaw
Utility knife or flat file, as needed
Wood filler
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Most homes have some sort of base trim in every room, hiding the gap between the walls and the floor and protecting the lower portion of walls. Indoor trim can be a single molded piece or it can be a three-part unit that consists of a flat middle section with a base cap on top and a quarter-round shoe along its bottom edge. Unlike other areas of woodwork, where the joints may be structural, the installation of indoor trim is primarily decorative. As it is finish work, you will likely want to put effort into making sure the installation looks good, with tightly fitting joints, especially at the corners, and no gaps between the wall and trim.
Installing single-piece base trim, even if it has a profile, as shown here, is relatively easy to do. At outside corners, the pieces will need to be mitered to fit, but where the trim meets at an inside corner, a coped joint is preferred. Using a pencil, lightly mark all intended cutting lines. Then, when you are lining up the molding in the miter box, align the saw blade so that it cuts on the far edge of those lines; this will prevent the molding from being cut short. To secure the trim, use finishing nails long enough to go through the molding, the drywall or plaster, and into the framing securely. Before starting, locate the studs and mark their positions on the wall areas being covered by the trim.
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
1.
Cut the Trim
Cut the base trim to rough lengths and distribute the pieces around the room (Fig. 1). Try to use as few lengths as possible to avoid joints along the wall. Where you have to run multiple lengths to cover a wall, use scarf joints at studs, mitering and lapping the ends of the pieces at 45-degree angles, as shown in inset. Plan to nail through the top of the joint and into the stud.
|
|
2.
Miter the Molding for Outside Corners
Start with an outside corner, if there is one. For well-dressed outside corners, proceed as follows: Using a miter box set for a 45-degree angle, miter the molding so that the faces of both pieces of molding extend beyond the outside corner enough to meet in a tight fit, as shown in Figure 7, Step 4.
|
|
3.
Coped Joints on Inside Corners
For coped joints on inside corners, proceed as follows:
1) Crosscut the first piece of trim. Butt it tightly into the corner, and then nail in place. (Fig. 2)
2) Cut a 45-degree miter on the intersecting piece of base trim. Pencil a 90-degree angle on the top edge of the molding. (Fig. 3)
3) Using a coping saw, along the front edge of the miter and then angling it 90 degrees away from the edge of the miter, cut off the miter (Fig. 4). Test the fit by slipping the coped piece into place against the first piece of trim.
4) So that the front edge of the cope fits properly, use a flat file or utility knife, if necessary, to fine-tune the back side of the cut. Retest the fit until you are happy with it. (Fig. 5)
5) The two cuts should produce a face that fits the contours of the piece to which it is butted. (Fig. 6)
|
|
4.
Tack the Pieces in Place
Use finishing nails to tack the pieces temporarily in place. At each stud, drive in two nails, placing them about 1/2 inch in from bottom and top edges. When nailing near the end of a run, predrill the nail holes to keep the wood from splitting. Work your way around the room, tacking each length of base into place temporarily. (Fig. 7)
|
|
5.
Nail Trim in Place
After all the base trim is in place and you're sure the pieces are where you want them, drive all the nails home and countersink them, using a nail set. (Fig. 8)
|
|
6.
Fill Nail Holes
Use wood filler to fill the holes. Then lightly sand off excess filler, in preparation for paint.
|
|
|
|
