How to Add Base Molding
To give a room a finished look, install base moldings. In addition, base molding protects the bottom of your walls from shoe scuffs and vacuum cleaner marks. Otherwise known as baseboard, base molding is reasonably easy to install for a moderately experienced do-it-yourselfer. If you have the right tools for the job, such as a compound miter saw and nail gun, the work is also fairly quick. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Sawhorses
- Paint or stain
- Compound miter saw
- Nails
- Nail gun
- Nail hole filler
Instructions
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Measure the walls in the room in which you want to install the baseboard molding. Take the measurements at floor level because walls are rarely symmetrical.
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Buy enough base molding to cover the area measured. In addition, buy about 10 percent more molding than required to cover any accidents or missteps during installation. Another consideration is to buy enough of the individual boards so that you can keep splicing to a minimum. For example, baseboard molding usually comes in lengths of 16 feet, so if your walls are smaller, buy one for each wall.
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Paint or stain the base molding boards before cutting them. If you are painting them, apply two coats and allow enough time for complete drying for each one. If you are staining, apply the stain and allow it to dry. Give them a coat of varnish or lacquer if desired as well.
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Measure the walls again while the paint is drying to make sure all the measurements are accurate. It is always best to measure twice before cutting.
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Cut the boards to length on the miter saw. Each end will have a 45-degree angle. Before cutting, consider the structure of the corner. Some will be interior corners and some may be exterior, or protruding, corners, and the angles for each type of corner will be cut differently. Cut the angles for each corner so that the base molding will fit together snugly.
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Nail the baseboards in place with the nail gun, placing the nails about a foot apart and making sure they penetrate into the wall behind the molding and not the gap between the wall and the floor. Also, countersink all the nail heads so the head of the nail is below the surface of the board.
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Fill the nail holes with nail hole filler according to the directions on the filler label. Allow it to dry, if necessary.
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Paint the nail hole filler spots and any other places that have been scuffed or nicked during installation.
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Tips & Warnings
An electric compound miter saw is worth its weight in gold for this project. Try to avoid handsaws and miter boxes. Manually sawing the baseboard moldings greatly increases cutting time.
If the wall is not straight at the bottom, place glue on the back of the molding and nail it in place. Next, nail a triangular block of wood against the molding to hold it in place overnight to let the glue dry. The wood block should have a 90-degree angle where it meets the base molding and floor. The molding is flexible enough to conform to the wall contours.
Caulk any remaining gaps between the molding and walls after installing the baseboards. Let it dry overnight and paint it the next day to match the color of the walls.
Use extreme caution with power saws, nail guns and any other electric tools.
Wear safety glasses when sawing and nailing.
Keep children away from your work area.
