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Builders’ Tip: How to Trim Baseboards for a Snug Fit
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Click for larger image. | I do the finish trimming for a small builder of moderately priced homes in the Norfolk, Va., area who found that it was less expensive for him to use plastered walls than to hang, tape, sand and paint drywall.
But because plaster walls are a hand-tooled product, they're a little uneven and the baseboard molding rarely ends up plumb.
Consequently, what I learned is that in order for me to keep the cope joints tight, I have to slightly adjust the 45-degree bevel used on perfectly square walls. Instead of a 90-degree cut, I found that the cut needs to be a touch off square — usually between 88 degrees and 92 degrees.
When I first started coping these joints, I used a bevel gauge to measure each angle in each corner and then adjusted the compound-miter saw accordingly. That procedure required too much fussing and fiddling and just took too long.
So, to save time, I created several templates to eliminate the fiddling. Here's what I did:
- I cut five test blocks or templates of baseboard molding with miter angles ranging between 88 degrees and 92 degrees. The blocks are cut in one-degree increments and marked accordingly.
- As shown in the accompanying drawing, I then test-fit the blocks to determine the correct angle, and read the angle marked on the block, set my saw to that number and cut the trim piece accordingly.
The trim fits snugly with no gaps, no more back-and-forth measuring — and no fuss.
— Dennis Smith, Suffolk, Va.
Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2009 The Taunton Press
To contact Fine Homebuilding, e-mail Christina Glennon.
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