Appreciation post: I was cutting baseboard trim wrong for a decade

I was putting up new baseboard in my living room last month, and my cousin, who's a finish carpenter, stopped by. He watched me measure and cut a simple inside corner, then just said, 'You know you're supposed to cope that joint, right?' I had no idea what he meant. I'd always just cut two 45 degree angles and tried to mash them together, which always left a tiny gap I'd fill with caulk. He showed me how to cut one piece square to the wall, then use a coping saw to cut along the profile of the trim so it fits tight over the other piece. I tried it on a scrap piece, and after about 20 minutes of practice, the fit was perfect with no gap at all. It looks so much cleaner and won't crack when the house moves. I feel like I wasted so much time and caulk over the years. Has anyone else had a 'coping' lightbulb moment, or is there another basic trim trick I'm probably still missing?

2 comments

2 Comments

jackson.wesley2d agoTop Commenter

Yeah, the "hacking 45s and slapping caulk" part hits home. I mean, I was so proud of my caulk skills I thought I could start a business called 'Gap Hider LLC'. Turns out I was just really good at covering up my bad cuts. Learning to cope felt like finding out there's a better way to tie your shoes after 30 years of tripping.

charlie_stone723d ago

Oh man, the coping saw trick is a game changer, right? I did the exact same thing for years, just hacking 45s and slapping caulk in the ugly gaps. My wake-up call was crown molding. I tried to miter a ceiling corner and it looked like a toddler's art project. An old contractor saw me struggling and showed me how to cope the crown too. It takes a minute to get the hang of cutting the back profile, but once you do, the joints snap together perfect. Felt like a total idiot for all the wood filler I've wasted.