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How to Install Baseboard and Trim Like a Finish Carpenter
Measure and plan your cuts
Measure wall by wall and sketch where each corner is an inside or outside corner — that decides every cut. Buy about 10% extra for mistakes and short walls; one bad cut shouldn’t send you back to the store.
Corners: miter versus cope
Outside corners get matching miters. Inside corners look best coped — cut one piece square to the wall and cut the other to ride over its profile. Coping beats mitering inside corners because it stays tight even when walls aren’t perfectly square (and Broward walls rarely are).
Nail it solid
Find the studs and nail into them and the bottom plate so the trim can’t pull away. A brad nailer is fastest; finish nails and a punch work too. Keep a consistent reveal along door casing.
Caulk, fill, paint — the finish
Fill the nail holes, run a thin bead of caulk along the top seam, and paint. This is the step amateurs skip and pros never do — it hides every small gap and makes the whole run look built-in. Bigger job or whole house? We install trim across Broward.
Frequently asked
Should I miter or cope inside corners?
Cope them — a coped joint stays tight on out-of-square walls, where a miter would open up a gap.
How do I handle gaps on uneven walls?
A thin bead of paintable caulk along the top edge closes small gaps; for bigger waves, scribe the board to the wall.
What nails should I use?
18-gauge brad nails for most trim, into studs and the bottom plate. Finish nails work if you don’t have a nailer.
Can you install baseboards over tile or LVP?
Yes — baseboards sit on top of finished floors; we add shoe molding to bridge any gap to the floor.