How to Cut Baseboards With a Miter Saw
Trim can add value and style to a house. Some of the easiest trim to tackle yourself are the baseboards. The cuts are usually simple and one person can install them fairly easily. Thanks to modern convenience, and mass production, almost anyone can now cut baseboards with a miter saw. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Preparing to Cut
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1
Measure each wall from corner to corner and record the measurement. If a wall is longer than the baseboards you have available to cut, find the closest stud to the end of the board and cut the board to end there.
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2
Determine the type of cut to be made at each of end of the baseboards. Where baseboard meets casing, a square cut is all that is needed.
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3
Set the miter saw to 0 degrees on the miter angle and the bevel angle and make the cut.
Cutting a Standard Inside Corner (4 per room)
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4
Set the bevel to 45 degrees and the miter to 0 degrees.
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5
Mark the back side of the baseboard.
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6
Cut to the mark through the body of the baseboard so that the back of the baseboard is longer than the front.
Cutting an Outside Corner
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7
Imagine looking at the corners of a square box from outside the box.
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8
Set the bevel to 45 degrees and the miter to 0 degrees.
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9
Mark the backside of the baseboard and cut to the mark, but this time cut it from the side of the mark that will be discarded so that the front of the baseboard will be longer than the back.
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1
Tips & Warnings
The miter angle is the angle on the table of the saw. It is easily visible when looking down at the miter saw and is usually set near the handle. The bevel angle is harder to read and is located at the back of the saw where the neck of the saw rises from the base of the saw. Most saws use a hand wheel located at the very back of the saw to operate the bevel angle. Adjust the bevel or miter angle to accommodate walls that are not plumb or square.
Power tools are dangerous, especially to the eyes, so make sure to wear appropriate eye protection.
