How to Trim a Baseboard to Fit a Warped Wall

Fitting the baseboard to your wall requires some woodworking knowledge.

Old houses are prone to warped walls, which make the task of fitting baseboards to the walls slightly difficult. If the wall has bulged or acquired a dent over time, the baseboard will not fit close to the wall, creating a gap. To fit the baseboard snugly against the wall, scribe the baseboard then cut it with a jigsaw. This process requires at least an intermediate knowledge of woodworking.

Things You'll Need

• Jigsaw

Instructions

1. Hold the length of baseboard against the wall at floor level.

2. Hold a pencil flat to the wall, positioned perpendicular to the baseboard with its point against the top of the baseboard.

3. Drag the pencil along the top of the baseboard. The irregularities in the warped wall will cause the pencil to skip, making the line drawn on the baseboard waver.

4. Use the line, as a guide, to trim down the edge of the baseboard with a jigsaw. In many case, the cut that you need to make is very shallow but cut carefully to make sure that it will accommodate the baseboard to the wall. Though this project is straightforward, a wavering cut means that you will still see some gaps due to the warped wall.

Tips & Warnings

• This process may need to be repeated a few times before you get a piece that fits your wall precisely. Use a scrap of baseboard for the warped area so you can try several times if necessary.

• Installing a baseboard cap and a baseboard shoe above and below the baseboard hides any irregularities without the need for trimming.

References

• This Old House: How to Install Baseboards
• Fine Homebuilding: Ten Rules for Finish Carpentry
• YouTube: How to Scribe Trim to Fit Against a Wall