How to Scribe for an Uneven Wall

The surfaces of walls are not always even.

In a perfect world, all components of a house -- walls, floors and ceilings -- would meet at perfect angles and remain completely flat. In the real world, most projects will involve uneven walls meeting at imperfect angles. This increases the difficulty of installing wood trim, countertops and other materials. Scribing provides a means to transfer a line from an uneven plane -- a wall -- to a material being attached to the plane. Correctly scribing a surface ensures a tight seam between the uneven wall and building material.

Things You'll Need

• Compass

Instructions

1. Hold the material attaching to or butting up against the uneven wall. Ensure it sits in its soon-to-be installed position.

2. Set the metal pointed leg of a compass on the wall with the pencil side of the compass facing the material.

3. Open the compass until the pencil-tipped leg extends at least 1/4 inch past the edge of the material to be installed. Move the compass to the top of the material.

4. Press the metal leg against the wall. Push the pencil point against the face of the material.

5. Pull the compass slowly along the wall to transfer the profile of the wall to the building material. Pulling the compass along the wall fast will lead to an inaccurate scribe line. Remove the scribed material from the wall.

References

• "Popular Mechanics"; Improve Your Home; April 1991
• Carpentry-Tips-and-Tricks.com: How to Scribe Timber to Irregular Surfaces