Installing Floor Molding

Caulk along the top edge and corner edges and nail holes.

Installing floor molding.

Set a 4 foot level on the floor next to the wall to see if the floor is level. The nails won t hold if they re driven straight into the polystyrene molding. When installing trim such as baseboard and crown molding master craftspeople use this method and you can too. Nail the floor trim to the studs and then tack the braces to the trim with 1 in brads.

Nail it at an angle so that the nail goes downward into the wood. Once the paint has dried it s time to install the molding. Cut the base shoe a quarter round molding that goes at the bottom of the base molding to length and attach it with a finish nailer. Miter the corners as with the base molding.

Plus you can often achieve a great effect for less money by combining small wood moldings. Lengths of scrap baseboard and put 45 degree angles on the ends. Employ the same methods for outside and inside corners scarf and butt joints on the moulding. You ll save time and protect your knees if you completely finish baseboard trim pieces before installing it on the walls.

Tack the cap molding into studs wherever possible. If you have concrete floors you will need to tack it into the baseboard. At that point tack a scrap piece of baseboard to the wall with a nail. If you see some cut a few braces from 4 to 6 in.

Then apply construction adhesive at the top and bottom. Mark it where it will meet the other piece of the outside corner by setting your try square or combination square against the surface of the wall it meets. Install shoe or cap moulding if using. In addition to allowing endless possibilities for customization smaller moldings are easier to cut and install than large moldings and allow more flexibility on wavy or irregular walls.

Continue to measure cut and install the baseboard molding around the room. If not move the level across the floor to find its lowest point. First hold the base molding against the wall after you cut it to length and look for gaps. Tack the shoe molding down into the floor with pin nails.

Install shoe molding and cap molding if necessary. Coped molding gives the tightest fit best a.