#Scarf joint full#

Take your tape measure and measure each of the places you will need shoe molding, and add up the total number of feet. Shoe molding does not usually go across the bottom of door casings unless you need to cover a big gap where new flooring was installed.

#Scarf joint full#

Typically the molding just runs the full length of all the pieces of baseboard, but it sometimes runs along the base of cabinets too. Walk around the room and take a tally of all the surfaces that will get a piece of shoe molding. The next step is figuring out how much trim you need. It does come in a smooth white finish that doesn’t need to be painted, though, making it a popular choice when cost and efficiency are the biggest priority. This means it’s harder to get it to sit flat, and it doesn’t cut or nail quite as cleanly as the other materials. In most big-box stores, you can also find polystyrene shoe molding, which is the most affordable option, but it is more flexible and softer than wood or MDF. This sample chip will also help you match the stain you will need to finish the installation later. If you don’t have a loose piece of trim, use a chisel to carefully chip off a piece of baseboard in an inconspicuous spot down low where it will get covered by the shoe molding. If you don’t know what wood your existing trim is made of, it’s best to bring a sample to the lumber yard so someone can help you ID it. Lumber yards typically carry unfinished oak and pine molding, which are the most common stain-grade trim materials, but you may need to go to a specialty lumber store if your house is trimmed with wood of a less common species. If your home has stained wood trim, you will likely want your shoe molding to match. The pine is the sturdier of the two choices, but MDF is typically more affordable, easier to cut, and usually smoother than pine. If your shoe molding will be painted to match existing baseboard trim or cabinetry, you can either go with primed finger-jointed pine or primed MDF.

This decision may be influenced by what existing trim you have in your house, but it’s really up to you. The next choice you need to make is the material you want your molding to be made of. If neither of these are the look you’re going for, check with your local lumber yard for other possible options. This is a bit more formal looking than quarter-round molding, and would be fitting in a room with colonial-style existing trim. Most building supply stores also carry a more traditional shoe molding which is thinner and has a flat face with a detailed top edge. This molding style is clean and simple, easy to find, and looks good in any style room. The most basic shoe molding looks similar to quarter-round molding, but it’s a little taller and flatter on the side that abuts the baseboard trim. The first step in planning your project is choosing the molding profile that will look right in your home. Even if you don’t have any gaps to hide, shoe molding is a nice way to dress up the baseboard trim in your home. Because shoe molding is so thin, it’s very flexible, which allows it to easily conform to any dips or curves where floors may have sagged, or walls are not completely flat. The primary use for shoe molding is to cover gaps where flooring meets adjacent vertical surfaces, especially when the flooring was installed after the baseboard trim and cabinetry. We’ll walk you through the entire process, including choosing materials, making measurements and cuts, and installing the trim in your home. Installing shoe molding is one of the easiest trim projects, requiring only a few tools and some basic carpentry skills.

The most common type looks like a simple quarter round, but it can come in other profiles, too, including a rectangle with a curved edge or something with more detail resembling a tiny baseboard molding. Shoe molding is that thin piece of molding you see in many homes during the transition between baseboard trim or cabinets and the floor.