September 4, 2014

How to Install Baseboard Moulding With Tight Corners

Here’s the thing about installing baseboard moulding: When you’re running baseboard, especially if it is an ornate style, it can be challenging to make the inside corners fit precisely. Even if you measure accurately and cut very carefully, seldom will you get a tight fit. There is a simple reason for this, and that is that rooms where corners meet are seldom perfectly square. Houses settle, floors are uneven, or sometimes the drywall or plaster isn’t perfectly flush, and as a result, you have an imperfect corner. So, what can you do about it?  How can you get a perfect inside corner like a pro?

Well, there is a woodworking technique called coping, and this guarantees tight fitting corners every time. In a coped joint, one side is cut square, and rests in the corner, while the other piece is shaped to fit the contour of the first piece. Coping your corners is especially important if you plan on staining your baseboards, rather than painting them. With a painted baseboard, it is possible to simply miter cut two pieces of stock at a 45 degree angle, bring the two together to form a 90 degree corners and use caulking to fill and disguise a not-so-perfect cut. Once painted, it will appear to be a tight fit. However, when installing wood that you plan on leaving natural or staining, a miter cut at 45 degrees will broadcast its inadequacies, and this is when coping your inside corners is an ideal remedy.

Watch this video to learn how!