I will be installing baseboards (3 1/2 by 1/2 mdf rectangle). Can I not just run one side right into the corner and then butt the other against it? Or should I always both of them at a 45 degree angle for the corner. Is this a asthetic thing?
Thanks, Dennis
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Replies
Can't speak for others here but I simply butt painted rectangular base.
It's true, that plain rectangular base could be just fine that way - a little caulk and paint.
But, there is discipline and pride as well as "get on to the next job".
You choose your own path.
Quality repairs for your home.
AaronR Construction
Vancouver, Canada
When you butt square baseboard stock you are coping. You're putting the profile of the long piece that goes to the corner on the shorter piece that will meet it.
If your baseboard was something weird like a 10 degree bevel you would put that 10 degree on the intersecting piece while keeping the profile square.
The preference for cope, but you're using stable mdf, is that seasonal movement is better masked with a coped joint.
Yep, butting rectangular stock IS coping.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
If you were installing a cap on top of the baseboard, I'd butt them as you're doing and just miter the cap.
By butting the base, you will have the butt joint visible on the top 1/2" edge. If that's okay, then just butt them.
If you do miter them, cut one board slightly long, about 1/8th inch or so. The board should be long enough to be slightly bowed away from the wall when installed.
A little titebond on the miters, and when you nail the middle of the base to the wall it'll clamp the corners tight, and Bob's your Uncle.
Or something like that.
Mongo
coping is for profiled material
square stock like you are using normally gets butted at inside corners and mitred at outside corners. especially if it is getting painted.
carpenter in transition
Here's what I tell my trim carps:
Butt cuts are BUTT ugly! :-)
That pertains to exposed cuts - like on an outside corner, or where a piece has to end and needs to be returned, like on a apron. You never want to show end grain if you can help it.
Seriously though, I agree with Tim Kline and the others. Butt the inside corners, miter and glue the outside corners. You may even want to put a bit of a back cut on the second piece of the inside corners.
If you try to miter the inside corners, the walls won't be square, and you will have to futz around with getting them to look right.
To tell you the truth though, I've never seen a S4S piece used for base around here with no base cap. Trim styles generally run very traditional around here. I understand that on the west coast and even in Hawaii things are different. I had one lady who was from Hawaii tell me: "Trim moldings? Those are ugly! We like the clean look of no moldings," Which, I can respect that - just not my cup-o-tea.
PS: >> baseboards (3 1/2 by 1/2 mdf rectangle) << I guess that's a pretty minimalist look/approach hu? Like I said above, just a different style...
BTW - you probably want to scarf join and glue any joints that have to occur on a long wall.
''you probably want to scarf join and glue any joints........ ''
he he he heh,......secret carpenter talk !
Dave vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv
:}
I'll translate if you can give me the handshake... :-)
Maybe back cut a few degrees the baseboard you are butting against the piece that is already on the wall. All the ones that I have taken off that were put in 100 years ago in my house had slight back cuts to adjust for wall variations.AS
Edited 3/23/2007 10:16 pm ET by alan sullivan
There's another consideration if there's a dominant line of sight in a room (an angle from which the baseboard will be most often viewed).
Keep the joint perpendicular to that line of sight. If it opens up slightly, it won't be visible. Generally, the baseboard on the wall opposite the entry to a room would run wall-to-wall, and the baseboards on the side walls would butt against it.
When coping profiled moulding, or making angled scarf joints in the middle section of a straight run, I also try to keep this principle in mind.
Allen
I always just butt together rectangle trim on inside corners. If the corners is really bad you may want to back cut it a few degrees.
A block eliminates the need for coping or mitering. Works esp. well for exterior corners with various profiles intersecting.
as far as 'a asthetic thing', if its going to be caulked and painted, one set of opinion holds that painted mdf is far from asthetic to begin with.