Easy Baseboard Inside Corner

[tommmmmer]

OH.... that is where i was going wrong... i wasn't 45ing it to start with :/

[beransom]

A tip I got from a pro finish carpenter is this:  Use a small square against the baseboard to see how far out of square it is when pushed against the wall at the bottom (due to the drywall not going all the way to the floor). Using the gap, that is shown by the square at the bottom, cut a piece of shim stock the same size. Drop this in behind the baseboard and recheck for square and nail in place. No matter what you will always have a square base for your next piece of base to but up against.

[ebyun84]

He makes is look so easy.

[jeffpicks]

I don't think I saw an answer to the question "Why not just cut two 45° and be done with it?" Answer: actually, TWO reasons come to mind, and there may be more. FIRST, most corners aren't 90°.. BAD FIT, need the putty and paint. SECOND: No matter how well you try to get the angle set, when you NAIL THE BOARD IN PLACE the miter moves apart. With this method shown you nail the butt piece first, slam the sharp edge of the cope into place, and nail to wall. No movement that opens the joint.

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

@jeffpicks  Well said.+++Bob

[davbay100]

Nice quick neat video cheers. 

[Theshuttersguy]

Nice job. What if you could buy the molding from the factory already coped on one end?

[ClintL63]

BRAVO!! but,dammit! you're giving away all my secrets!

[billeybop]

Great help and I appreciate your skill! I will go practice now, Thanks!

[lanya100]

Why not just measure the corner, figure its complement, divide by two and miter 'em.

If that fails, at TS&F (Trip Stumble and Fall) Construction's finish carpentry division, better known as the Not Read For Stain Grade Players, the motto is, "Putty and Paint Make It What It Ain't."

Probably best not to listen to me, I cut all of my crown "on the flat" and NEVER miter an inside corner. Haven't had a visible crack (YEARS later) yet.

[andrewbobbin]

this method is called scribing and is the RIGHT way to do it... mitre internal cuts are for D.I.Y only

[gungfuryan]

@andrewbobbin it's actually called 'coping'

[shad28960]

Why on earth are you going to the trouble of cutting a mitre for the inside corner? All you have to do is scribe the board using a small section of board laid against the back of the board to be cut and use a coping saw to cut the profile. Basic.

[gungfuryan]

@shad28960 the mitre avoids having to scribe. coping is quicker, easier and just as good in the end

[SuperDanksta]

with the 3 1/4" base you can flip itand cut the straight art with the saw so you don't have to cope the whole thing

[grip2010dc]

Joiner tip. Always fix the first skirting back to the wall Before attempting the fit the second skirting as the scribe may not fit after. Sometimes the wall is not plumb or the floor is not level and this is when a true cut in not right .

[gungfuryan]

@grip2010dc that's why you leave a sharp edge and hammer it in. it fixes itself and with the compressed bit at the end, if there is expansion & contraction it still stays tight

[andybarnes20]

and make it tirt so it push in to your scrib i`m a carpenter

[wlc2382]

nice cut, i am getting as good as you thanks for the help

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Lets hope thats a good thing Thanks for watching! Bob

[samlesher]

Very helpful. You're awesome!

[3asa3isso]

Why not cut both side on a 45?

[cobrapowersave]

What you didnt so them BOB is how to get dat big gap at the bottom of the skirting you left away!If the carpet wasnt put down it would of looked shockin bad!Also in da real world most of the time der would be a slight bevel on the skirting dat is already fixed so you'd have a gap if you cut it 90o!I love da way how u wud of fixed it,giving it a couple of slaps with a hammer ;-)not 2 say when you've the bottom scribed and planed there would be a bigger gap!In ireland we'd be callin you a cowboy!.

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Not sure if I got all of that but thanks for the post COWBOY??????? +++Bob

[Robkat3751]

The base board was most likely put down with carpet in mind. A lot of jobs the mop boards or base boards are spaced 3/4" above the subfloor giving the home owner the choice of hardwood, carpet or tile. Part of the trick to a successful coped joint is a good and sharp coping saw. Setting the baseboard with a hammer is standard practice. I use a rawhide mallet on all my wood setting tricks.

[woodypato]

what??? "da slight bevel" is caused by the drywall mud being caked up in the corner. almost all of my copes are cut 1/2 to 1 1/2 degrees out to compensate for "da slight bevel" I guess he could have shown that but most diy'ers don't need to get that technical

[windyday5]

Thanks Bob! Exactly what i needed to get me over the hump!

[pezzza16]

It looks easy too do but trust me it takes a bit of practice (practice first) also make sure the blade on coping saw is tight it will make the cut sharper and the saw will be easier to control :D

[cookstar2005]

Good easy to follow video, will be trying this tomorrow. Many thanks...

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Give some respect to your coping saw blade one of the worst cuts I gave myself was with one+++BOB

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

That sweatshirt is actually for Ohio University not Ohio State.I do actually have a few Ohio State University sweatshirt,and I will admit I have a Michigan sweatshirt also.===Bob

[kirkbieber]

Nice sweatshirt, go BUCS!! Great tip, mine always have an unsightly gap since I mitre both edges at a 45 angle, I'll try this method.

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

This is the first time I have heard this, it makes sense thou Thanks===Bob

[daflyboys]

Bob, what is the initial mitre saw cut (prior to using the coping saw? 45 deg.? Then, when you're cutting with the mitre saw, is there a specific angle as well or are you just trying to get that sharp point so it overlaps?

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Yes,indeed it is a 45 degree which will give you the perfect profile of the opposite baseboard.The reason you cut the sharp backcut,instead of square,is if the first piece of base is not sitting perfectly flat on wall your newly cut piece,when you tap it or press it tightly into corner,will actually slightly cut itself into the first getting rid of that tell-tale gap that appears when mitering both pieces of base only. Hope this helped===Bob

[tonytone604]

also if you wanna put a 1 or 2 degree slope on the recipient piece it will fit better

[Bunjamin27]

How would one do this WITHOUT a coping saw?

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

If I were doing it without a coping saw I would take a couple of one foot pieces and play with the miter angle until I got a tight fit the cut my long pieces of trim with those angles.I would definitely use wood glue in miter and not nail too close to inside corner while setting base,could pull miter apart!Also if base is going to be stained have a damp cloth to clean all excess glue off that squeezes out,stain will not take to glue!===Good Luck Bob

[pukaman2000]

Great video! Quick and too the point.

[mischuk]

how do you do an inside corner if your baseboard is just a plain rectangle? - not cut at all and just have one hit the other wall and the other baseboard run in to it OR 45 degree angle for both baseboards? (the difference being that because there is no profile to it you can't have one cover the other

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Even if your rectangular baseboard has a rounded corner on top you can improve your fit by backcutting and coping.Hope this helped===Bob

[bearwoodcarpentry]

if you mitre both pieces you always get a gap when you fix them back to the wall. Scribing as in the video always wins.

[CrazyCoach]

Hi Bob,

Quick question. Does it help if both pieces are mitred or can I just use a 90 degree cut on the first piece?

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

The first piece that goes in corner is square'90 degrees'the second piece is cut to profile of first piece and goes over top of it---Bob hoped this helped.

[malanga13]

well, i just don't understand the video, what is he cutting?

[TATTEDPUNK]

HES cutting base board hes just doing it in a coping style instead of miter, theres diff ways and hes showing you one of them

[TATTEDPUNK]

why dont you just miter both your pieces on a 45,, the joints are tighter

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

The sharp edge actually cuts into opposite baseboard making a very tight fit even if corner is not a true 45 degree angle.This way results are pretty much guaranteed---Bob

[splattypus]

My Gawd....I've been tryin' to figure this "coping saw" thing out for HOURS. Books. Video. Bob Vila. None of them helped much. You made it EASY to figure out in a one minute video. THANK YOU!!!

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

LOL seeing is believing! Bob

[rmichelek]

Lessens the possibility of gaps between the two if the boards are not exactly straight. I learned the hard way.

[AceLockCo]

Thanks for the info. I do have a question though. What is the advantage of doing it this way vs. cutting both parts at 45 degree angles on your mitre saw and installing.

[budgie98]

The advantage is that no gap will show even if the angle of the two walls is less or greater than 90 degrees. The coped edge will fit tightly throughout a wide range of angles.

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Good answer!---Bob

[HanTuber]

Thanks for making it so clear. Can you adapt it to work for external angles aswell? My brain's really struggling to visualise :)

[HomeRemodelWorkshop]

Actually I did make a video on adjusting outside corners I will go to your channel and send it+++Bob

[xPilotxHellfire]

Are you serious?

Turn your Mitre saw to the opposite angle of the inside... For an external 45 degree angle..