How to Cut Wood Trim Around Windows
The wood trim around your windows is called casing. Casing is used to cover the area where your window frame meets your drywall. Casing a window is a matter of joining four boards together to create a frame around your window. It can be cut and installed entirely by hand, or you can speed up the process with a couple of power tools. Making your miter cuts for each corner is the key to successfully installing your trim.
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Instructions
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Begin on the left side of your window. Measure 3/16 inches from the inside edge of your window jamb towards your drywall, and mark it with a pencil. Make this same measurement all the way down the left side of your jamb. Use a straight edge to join your pencil marks together. Repeat this step all the way around your window. The pencil line is the place where the edge of your trim board will stop.
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Measure on the left side of your window, from the top corner pencil mark, to the bottom corner pencil mark. Write this measurement down.
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Set your miter saw to 45 degrees on the left side of your center zero mark. Lay your trim board flat on the cutting surface of your saw with the thick edge facing you.
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Slide the left end of your board to within a 1/2 inch of your blade. Make the miter cut on the left end of your trim board.
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Set your miter saw to 45-degrees on the right side of your center zero mark. Set your trim board back on the cutting surface of your saw with the thick edge facing you. Line up your pencil mark on the right side of your board with your saw blade, and make your miter cut. Cut a second board identical to the board that you just cut.
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Measure across the top and bottom of your window at the corner pencil marks. Your measurements should be the same.
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Place your top trim board on the cutting surface of your miter saw with the thin end facing you. Cut the left end of your board. Follow Steps 4 and 5 to cut the right end of your trim board. Cut a second board identical to the one you just cut.
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Lay all four boards flat on your floor. The left and right trim board should be opposite of each other. Place your third trim board at the top, and your fourth trim board at the bottom. Slide all four boards together until all four corners meet, and you have created a square or rectangle, depending on your window's shape.
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Shoot two, 1-inch finish nails into the top left corner so that the nails enter your top board. Continue this step all the way around your casing. You should have all four boards nailed together.
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Lift your window frame and place it so that the thin edge of your frame is up against your pencil lines on your window jambs. Shoot 1-inch finish nails through your window frame into your jambs. Make sure you shoot your nails at least 1/8-inch from the edge of your window frame. If you shoot nails to close to the edge of your frame, you will crack the wood.
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References
- Photo Credit boards image by Marcin Karpeta from Fotolia.com
