How to Install Wood Door Trim

When finishing or remodeling a room, one of the last steps to complete is installing trim around your doors. This will covers the gaps in the door frame and give your room a completed and polished look. Installing wood door trim is not a difficult task, however it does require the right tools and precision when sawing and nailing so the trim lines up correctly. Read on to learn how to install wood door trim.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Stain or paint
• Pencil
• Measuring tape
• Miter saw
• Nail finish gun
• Six penny finishing nails

1. Stain or paint your trim pieces. Staining or painting your trim will save you time if you do it before it's installed on the walls and give the door a more finished look.

2. Take a pencil and mark where you want the inside corners of the vertical pieces to go. Make two marks, one on each side, just above and to the outside of the corners of the door jam. These two marks will also be the length of the inside corners of the top piece of molding.

3. Measure the distance from the marks on the wall to the floor. Using a miter saw, make a straight cut for the part that will go along the floor. On the other end, saw a 45-degree angle at the corner. Repeat this process for the other side of the door.

4. Line the pieces up against the door frame and nail it to the wall. Nail the trim to the wall using a nail finish gun and six penny finishing nails. Install nails, every three along the trim.

5. Use your measuring tape again to measure the top piece of trim needed. Measure from the bottom inside corners to get the correct length. Then take your miter saw and saw two 45-degree angle cuts at the corner.

6. Nail the top piece of trim to the wall by repeating the process in Step 5. Once the trim is installed, use wood putty to cover the nail holes on the trim and any small gaps that may be made in the cracks or between the wall and trim.