How to Install Baseboards

One of the things I love about my 1905 house is the beautiful, original details. In most of the rooms we have tall, gorgeous baseboards! They’ve been painted a million times and are a bit dinged up, but they tell the story of the house. The playroom though had different baseboards on each wall. And when we took out the chimney, that created even more problems.

So, what’s a girl to do? I decided to replace them all. Note, I will hold onto the old baseboards in case they match somewhere else in the house that’s full of millwork mysteries ;). I thought I’d share this project in case anyone is installing or replacing theirs too.

If you’ve missed any of the playroom posts, you can catch up here-

tiger wallpaper installation / how to create a mood board / how to paint walls super quick / how to lay laminate floors / how to make a Kraft paper roller

Here’s how the room looked pre-baseboards. With the underlayment on the walls, it was not looking pretty!

how to install baseboards

Let’s start with the video tutorial so you get an overview on what I did. Then, I’ll dive in with more details below:

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cheat sheet

When doing DIY, there’s always some good tricks so you can make it look like a professional did it, without paying one! Here are a few that might be helpful-

all angles will be cut at 45 degrees
the only exception is if your baseboards go against a flat wall or door trim. In that case, it will be cut at 90 degrees
If you’re working on a wall and you need to put two pieces next to each other, cut them at a 45 degree angle (not a straight 90 degree angle) so that the seam is better hidden
become clear on what is an inside corner and what is an outside corner. This will help you position your saw at the correct 45 degree angle. If you’ve used a miter saw, you know that when the saw is in the center position, it is at 90 degrees and if you go left of that, there is a 45 degree angle spot. Well, if you go right, there is another one. The way the angle goes, depends on if you’re doing an inside or outside corner.

step 1

Start by measuring your first wall. Cut the piece of baseboard with the correct angle.

step 2

Next, bring the cut baseboard to the wall and nail it in. If you want bonus points, you can use a stud finder so that you nail the baseboards into a stud.

step 3

Continue around the room, making sure to move the saw blade so that it is at the correct 45 degree angle spot. If your floor is uneven, you can use a shim to raise the baseboard up so that the corner seam closes tightly.

step 4

After all of your trim has been installed, you’ll want to finish by caulking in the seam and filling the nail holes. Fill in any gaps to make a clean, professional finish. I promise, if you have any mistakes, this should clean them right up! After the caulk has dried, finish with a fresh coat of paint.

*side note, tomorrow I’ll have a how to caulk tutorial!

after

Yes, the room is still a mess, but man! It looks SO much more finished with baseboards in!

I am in love with these 7 1/4″ baseboards from Metrie! They are perfect for my historic home. I can’t wait to see how great they look with the finished space!

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