Woodwork Trim Around Floors

Installing woodwork trim around floors is a project that the do-it-yourself enthusiast can easily do. Although it is an easier home project, it will still require a little skill, patience, and attention to detail. There are a few different ways to accomplish the finished project. At the outset, the new floor must have at least 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch clearance all around the wall perimeter, even if you leave the existing base molding.

By far, the best method is to start with a clean slate. Remove the old base molding and discard prior to laying the floor. Trim cut the bottom of the door trim and lining for floor thickness. Buying new quality trim will give you a higher end look to your finished floor.

Start the base molding in a corner with your first piece going along a wall. If you have to join a second piece, try to match the grain so it looks like it is all one piece and scarf the joint to minimize any sign of shrinkage, should it happen over time. Continue around the room with scribes at internal corners and miters at external corners. If there are gaps under the base molding, you have two options. The first is to scribe the molding down to the floor by sanding or cutting off the high points, so that the finished job has a better look. The second is to apply a shoe molding to hide the gaps.

After you match the grain at the joints wherever possible, and use a matching putty to fill any nail holes or unfortunate gaps in the joints, you can sand and stain the project to meet your requirements. When you finish, you will have a high end project.