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Short Summary
Main recommendation: install large profile wood baseboards by mitering the corners (or coping them), gluing the joints, and holding the trim off the floor so the flooring can expand and contract. The video shows that wall-to-wall corners rarely meet square after drywall mud, so using shims and nails to close gaps is the key technique.
Key Points
- Thick wood baseboards need more care than economy colonial trim: cut square and caulking alone won't look good, so you must either miter the corners or cut a coped joint with a coping saw.
- The presenter prefers mitering corners and gluing them together, with some caulking afterward to handle seasonal expansion and contraction.
- Drywall corners are rarely square, and mud buildup makes them concave, so shims behind the trim are used to close gaps before nailing.
- The baseboard is installed slightly off the floor so the flooring can expand and contract underneath without buckling.
- The walls are typically primed (not painted) at installation so the joint can be caulked and then painted over.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Measure the full wall length at the point beneath the drywall mud joint, not at the drywall face, because mud makes the wall look longer.
- Use a 10-inch compound miter saw; if the trim is taller than the blade reach, cut at an angle. Clear the guards so the saw passes freely.
- Measure the wall (example: 118 1/4 inches), then cut about 3/16 inch shorter (example: 118 1/16 inches) to allow for corner mud and make on-site adjustments.
- Line the board up on the saw base edge so you know exactly where the blade cuts; the presenter notes a small amount of meat left after the cut and confirms the blade position before finishing.
- Glue the wood corners before nailing, since you cannot get in to nail the joint together afterward.
- Use a shim behind the trim to hold the gap open while nailing, then remove or break the shim, adjust the board, and glue lightly where the corners meet.
- Nail with a pneumatic nailer without pressing too hard, because excess pressure dents the trim and the guide can leave an extra hole to fill.
- Nail into the framing on 16-inch on-center studs, located by lining up with the screw spots or electrical boxes under the mud.
- Install the trim off the floor, leaving room for flooring expansion; the presenter says a base shoe can cover the gap.
- The presenter notes that a 6-inch trim should not be installed flush to the floor, because it would leave too little room.
- The video is a DIY demonstration; no measurements beyond those shown are given, and the caulking and paint details are general tips rather than professional guidance.
Bottom Line
Wide profile wood baseboards look best when mitered or coped, glued at corners, shimmed to close drywall-mud gaps, and set slightly off the floor so the flooring can move.
