Installing baseboard is one of the easier facets of finish carpentry. By learning just this part of finish carpentry you will be surprised at how easy and fast you pick up the other aspects regarding trimming. For instance, taking the basics of installing baseboard and applying them to installing shoe or quarter round or even chair rail and crown molding really works. In a sense it is the plat form or starting point to learning this trade. Of course installing doors and casing doors and trimming windows is a little more complicated but is not really that tough with a little research or guidance. This information for research is all over the web and is free, abundant and invaluable for learning. Here are some quick tips for installing baseboard.

When you come to an inside corner there are a couple ways to handle these. One way is to miter the joint. The other way and most preferred is coping the joint. Coping is cleaner and neater looking and just plain easier. To start from the beginning for doing a cope read careful, you only cope one piece and that is the second piece that leads out of the corner.For quick nailing or attaching baseboard to a wall a stud finder works well. You really need to be hitting studs every time so the baseboard is secure and stays securely fastened. However if you do not have a stud finder another quick method is by simply using your tape measure.

Find one stud in the wall towards the center of the wall, then on your tape measure the increments are well marked, just lay your tape down the length of the wall and put one of the 16 inch increments at this one stud.Before you can install the baseboard, you will need a miter saw, a tape measure, hammer and nails. A stud finder is very helpful but if you are willing to test nail to find a stud you can complete baseboard coping without one. A dremel tool is recommended also if you are inexperienced. A carpenter's pencil is very important when coping baseboard. You will need to make marks to keep your trim aligned and to nail the trim to the studs hidden behind the wall covering.

Measure the distance from the corner to the corner. Make sure your measurement is taken from the drywall, sometimes called sheet rock to the next corner. Choose a piece of trim and pick two or three more pieces that have a similar grain to them. Matching the grain of the trim ensures a professional finish.Before you cut your first piece, take a spare piece of trim board and cut a few pieces of trim that are three and four inches long, these will be used later during the installation. Taking your first piece of trim, place it finished side out and cut a clean edge off one end.

Anyone who has tried cutting and installing baseboard trim knows that it can be a bit tricky and frustrating. However, like most DIY tasks, there are shortcut and tricks that will help. By learning a few guidelines and understanding how to cut baseboard trim properly, the costly mistakes of an improperly cut section of baseboard trim will be eliminated.Trim of all types including baseboard requires exact measurements. There are different angled cuts for each type of corner. One simple trick is to cut your baseboard at least two inches longer than needed. This allows a bit of play room for angled cuts if needed.

Before purchasing, decide whether or not you'll be painting or staining after the installation of baseboard trim. This can make a difference in the price of your trim. For baseboard that's going to be painted, you can buy the less expensive finger joint trim, which is molding created by joining and machining shorter pieces together to form one continuous length of trim. The seams are visible, but very effectively covered by paint. If you decide on staining the trim, however, you need to go with continuous grained baseboard. This higher priced baseboard trim costs more but results in an attractive continuity accentuated by the seamless grain of the wood brought out by stain. Do all painting and or staining of the molding before installation.

Begin installation of baseboard trim at an outside corner, if one is present, in the room. Otherwise, start at the wall on the opposite side of where the door going into the room is located. Because this is the first wall people see when they walk into a room, you want this one to have the best looking baseboard possible. If you run short for some reason or the other on the other walls and need to splice pieces, it won't be nearly so evident.The corners in older homes tend to have odd angled corners. Allowing a few extra inches will provide a margin of safety for any discrepancies of the wall, floor or the angle of a corner.