I have found that this makes projects go much faster. After 7 or 8 corners the sugar rush from eating so many popsicles helps me whip out the rest of the project in no time!!
A guy showed me a trick years ago. It works much better than shims or popsicle sticks. Put a drywall (or any) screw in the bottom corner of the wall, you can adjust the depth to control how far the boards sticks out. 👍
I see all the professionals jumping all over this but read the title. This is for DIYers and beginners, not professionals. If we want it professionals to do it, we hire them but if you're doing it yourself, this is a great hack.
Excellent tip. I've used several materials to shim the bottom in my 45 year career. I eventually settled on corrugated cardboard. It self adjusts through compression. I also cut my trim 1/16th long, not short. When bowed in this immense pressure compresses the cardboard and may slightly bed the end of the base into that built up mud.
I trimmed houses For a living. When running base board in a new house, you use 3/8" shims to hold the baseboard up high enough for the floor covering. There is no time to try sticking shims here or there to make the joints fit. I could have a corner cope, and ready for my laborer to nail it. The outside corners were mitered, glued, and nailed. The painters were always glad, knowing I was the one that did the work.
100%. I think this video though is for the diy'r, not Tradesmen doing production. If I'm doing my house, I want perfect miters, not copes. But thats me.
When inserting the popsicle stick from the top down, don't force it all the way down till it bottoms out. Pull it back up a little bit, snap it off, and then push it down behind the baseboard so that it is hidden when you caulk the top to the wall.
@@StayHandy pushing it down a bit assures that there will be no interruption as you are laying down a bead of caulk. Thanks for your comments and videos!
When I install hardwood base boards for staining, you can't caulk your errors, so I usually do compound miter cuts with some test pieces before I do use the actual piece. Although, I will do coping sometimes. The shim behind the piece is my last resort, if I still see an opening. I always cut the piece a 1/32-1/16 longer to make sure I get tight corners.
Interestingly, every part of every point you mentioned is the exact opposite of this video. Did you watch the video? His intro right away says this isn't for staining baseboards...
Fun fact, this tip helps get tight joints in coped baseboards also. Even easier and cheaper, use drive a drywall screw into the wall about 1/2 inch from the floor and use a square to adjust the screw so the head is flush with the drywall above it. Its a "trick" thats been around for years. You cope baseboards to account for strange angles in corners. Drywall mud in corners often builds up and results in a wall that is slightly curved in the corners. Its difficult, time consuming, and often material intensive to get inside corners right when mitering, especially when using thinner baseboard material that flexes easily. This tip can help with that to an extent. Coping allows for greater flexibilty in that you get 5 or so degrees (depending on the profile) of play where you still get tight joints. Coping gives superior results, limits recuts (often saving time in the long run), and avoids material waste. However, not all profiles can be coped, so learning to miter trim is still important to learn.
I actually used these same paint stirring sticks to shim out the bottom of my baseboard last year, on all of the baseboard, not just the corners, due to the paint buildup on the walls. You just drop it against the wall at the floor, place your baseboard and nail it on. Much cheaper and quicker than using screws. I went back and forth on coping versus mitering the inside corners and finally found a way to get my coped corners looking decent. So many commenters here saying cOpInG iS EaSiEr AnD fAsTeR, but I call BS. Maybe if you've done it on dozens of projects and had the practice to get it down, but for a new DIYer, getting the coping right is not easy at first. I ended up gluing a piece of sandpaper onto a small scrap piece of baseboard and using that to sand down the last little bit of excess in the cope. To get the cope right I had to use 4 steps. It was 1. miter saw 2. coping saw 3. dremel tool with small sanding drum and/or 4. sanding block Pretty time consuming. It was my first baseboard project, but in the end it looks great so I'll take it.
I prefer coping but, on times that I have mitered I have used two roofing nails side by side with heads overlapping near the base of the board. Put the baseboard in place and just tap with a wooden block to fit. Works better than using a screw where you have to remove the board to make adjustments.
HA! Today I decided to do baseboards for THE 1st TIME EVER 😅 oh no pressure I’ve watched THOUSANDS of TH-cam videos about how to do it and don’t cut too short or sneak up on the cut. Well luckily I started on a small closet 😅 4 hours in I just FINALLY finished the little closet 😂😂… finished as in cut the pieces but they are not nailed in as yet. So glad I found this video because I’m having a lot of rocking, because the walls are uneven 🤦🏽♀️ THANKS FOR THIS TIP I’m off to dollar tree now 😅
Oooh good idea! I'm a female doing this for the first time ever & on an old, constantly settling farmhouse. I'm starting in the bathroom & it has a small closet. PERFECT for working out the kinks & mishaps. Totalky worth buying the extra trim. I was even thinking about practicing first... but didn't think of that! Thank you soo much for that idea!!
Genius! Easy enough for my beginner female self too!! (The popsicle stick part, that is). I seen a comment saying they're gonna practice in the closet first & that's EXACTLY what I'm going to do! I know I'll have "wiggle room" it's an ole, settling farmhouse.
I found that if you cut the baseboard about a sixteenth over the needed length, then ben d the baseboard in the center and wedge it in by nailing it tin the center the joints always astay tight even for stain grade trim. The popsicle trick is useful for un plumb vertical walls or curved floors.
As a veteran carpenter I reject this. Coping will always be better and you made all my points for me pretty much. The pressure fit of a coped joint keeps it closed tight as well. And it is faster than this shimming method. I have no adjustments to make, I can simply spring my piece into place and nail it off. Doesn't take me more than a minute tops to cope a piece of base depending on how long it is using a normal Coping saw.
I'm not a capenter nor professional woodworker and I would agree with you, learn to cope; it's much more effective and quite satisfying once you get it right.
you betcha. retired now. you know you're good at coping when you have two 16' runs to a 14' wall, 16' baseboard and want no seams. then you cope both sides of the 14' wall. snap it into place and perfect. you really know you're good when you do this with crown moulding too. that takes confidence and experience, but can be done. i know.
@@johnfischer_2 I've tried both. I still go for my coping saw. Just as fast, no dust getting thrown around the room. Only time I reach for the grinder is crown when it can be tough to make a big enough back cut.
Sorry about my earlier comment. I was taught to make a homemade miter box. We cut with a handsaw, and we drove our nails with a hammer. My grandfather would have back-slapped me if I would have mitered an inside corner. I was even taught how to cope 45 degre and similar angled corners. I feel like it was an advantage to first learn the old way.
Once you learn to cope with the assistance of your miter box, it really goes quickly… and you’re not depending on caulk to hide your gaps, like I think we’re seeing here.
Yeah man . Exactly what I was thinking. I cope all my baseboard and do most of it with the miter saw.Takes less than 30 seconds . everything I seen had already been painted and caulked.
Wood does not expand in the direction of the wood grain. It expands across the wood grain. So wooden boards or baseboards in this case would not grow or shrink in length. However, they may expand slightly in thickness or height. Otherwise great tip with the stir sticks. Shims are not cheap!
Despite no significant changes of length, as the wood thickness changes the slope of the miter cut effectively changes (i.e. thickness/length) so it no longer forms a proper joint. The wood is the wrong length for its new location.
Wood expands .1% with grain and between 6-8% cross grain. I have always used extra cardboard from material, foldable for size and compresses if needs be. Never had a call back.
If I'm not mistaken your title said, Handyman. Take it from a seasoned Professional Mr. Handyman, please don't go giving BAD Advice on how to cut and install inside corners using baseboard, crown molding, or any other type of trim materials. 1st, in most homes the sheetrock wall dosen't go all the way down to the floor, leaving a 1/2" gap between the bottom of the sheetrock and the floor. For the best results rip a bunch of 1/2"x1/2" stock and place short pieces at various locations in this gap. Especially in the inside corners. Then cut and COPE your baseboard. The purpose of the 1/2"x1/2" stock is to prevent the baseboard from folding in while the Carpet layers knee kick the carpet while it's being stretched. Oh, by the way, it doesn't matter what you are installing. Whether it's Baseboard, Crown molding, or Chair Railings. Whether it's paint or stain grade, Coping your inside corners is always better. Another thing for you Handymen to understand, wood of any type, whether it's natural or man made definitely will expand and contract. It's just the way it is, so take that into account as well.
hey hey! glad to see you still make content. i watched your yard transformation videos with the retaining wall, and completed my yard project two years ago. i was looking for a video about how to build a T intersection with moulding to get great results (e.g. building a latice on the ceiling), do you have a view for tips on that?
I usually cut the inside corner baseboards larger than needed and bow them in the middle when installing. It will tend to push the drywall as needed to get a snug fit.
Coping is far superior. Only have to cope the top profile, flat part can be cut with the saw. If you're putting popsicle sticks in from the top, then it's too short. Only time you wanna shim the top of baseboard, is if the wall is bowed in and out
Yes, I take my measurements on the wall at the top of the base, if 4" base I measure 4" above the floor, then shim or plane the back of base as needed. I like the top of base to fit as tight to the walls as possible.
@@CroSensate79 No You might find it easier to cope the left side of the board vs the right side. Vice versa. Sometimes there's one thats coped on both sides. You can do it 💪
I was a labourer installing dog-eared (coped) skirting (base boards.) They are superior as there is no gap - none, and no amateurish caulking to mask the error.
I’ve done this for ages. Tho I never went and bought popsicle sticks. Cardboard, roofing black paper folded a time or three, even just a flat bar under the drywall to mash it outward a little works👍👍 I do like another guys suggestion putting a screw behind and being able to adjust.
I like the idea of the popsicle sticks. I typically use shims as they are adjustable and I always have them around, but the pop cycle sticks make total sense. Also will try the screws, sounds promising.
One thing I'd say, is keep the shim out of any expansion joints for flooring! Especially those engineered laminated click together type. I've used cardboard, screws, shims, scrap wood, whatever is available. I'll start stocking some popsicle sticks as they seem to be really good for caulk tools as well with silcone.
Ive done a similar thing with flat stock baseboards...or sanitary base... Essentially no profile on them... I either use a screw in the wall to adjust if the gap is too big to caulk or use cardboard (drywall shims)/wood shims to tweak as neccesary if its close. If they get painted (and caulked), you cant really tell.
It’s not so much about getting a perfect joint. It’s about getting a perfect joint that stays perfect over time when humidity changes cause the joint to shrink and swell. Remember the 2x4 studs are usually wood and they to will swell and shrink. Coping the joint (especially on a simple baseboard shown) takes the same or less time than your method of popsicle sticks and the joint will look good over time. It’s not a waste of time and it makes you a craftsman.
Use fine thread drywall screws into the bottom plate behind the trim. It’s adjustable! Necessary when you hang drywall horizontal to deal with the taper at the bottom unless you have really tall base trim.
I usually install taller baseboards… So I cut a piece of baseboard the width of my torpedo level and tape it to the edge of the level… Then put a screw in the corner using the taped trim to the level to get it plumb… A bit tedious, but these are high end houses… -Also use a pin nailer on all outside corners and scarf joints
I had installed base board a few times but never coped them. I did coping on my last project, and it was really easy. Anyone can do it. Look up a video for some good tips. You should still use something behind the board in the corners because that's usually where the dry wall taper is, so there's a gap. I use a roofing nail, which unlike a popcicle stick has whatever depth you want, and is way cheaper.
You can use an angle finder to get the right angle and then glue the pieces together with AC glue/activator. It'll stay super tight with no gaps but it's probably just as time consuming as coping.
Why? I’m so surprised by all of the “pros” insisting on doing things the hard way and getting mad because other people don’t. These are baseboards, and this is a valid method that saves time and improves quality so people can move on to more important things in life.
@@StayHandy No, it isn't about it being "too easy"; it's about that finished product. That caulk doesn't look good. I wouldn't do this or pay anyone else to do it.
@@StayHandy You literally have no idea what you're doing if you think that's time consuming to use one adjustable screw versus mess around with popsicle sticks.
I switched to coping, and no looking back. With a mitre, every mitre joint is visible from the center of the room. When properly patterned, a coped joint stays hidden, even with shrinkage. I start from the wall directly across from the door, as you enter the room, with a square cut corner. Then i cope the pieces that meet that corner, but leave the other end square (unless i have to scarf two lengths together). I then cope the closer pieces to the sides. Also. Dont cope at 90°. Do it say 93°, and it will hide the drywall tape flare, compensating for corners not square. Considering im only coping one end of the baseboard length, if offset the time the coping takes, with far better results, regardless of the material.
I believe the coped method is better long term. The wood hardly changes in the length but in the width it will which will open up the front of the miter.
Great tip! The size of what you used means they are tongue depressors. Popsicle sticks are not as wide (about half as wide as what you showed), they are typically less rigid, and they are thicker than tongue depressors. It may even be that there are times for the use of both to get the best fit . . .
I guess I just get coping. I can knock a corner out pretty quickly with the chop saw and a flap disc. I'm wondering if I can use this trick to fix already in place base boards though.
I've been doing this but with shims, except I only put them on the very bottom. Thanks for the idea to use popsicle sticks, will be buying them from now on.
@@StayHandy there is another video I saw where a guy uses screws. I haven't had a chance yet to try either one yet but an idea came to mind, to use a closed combination square, that way you can lay it on the floor and guage exactly how much you have to add to the wall
Hey, Mr. Handyman Startup - you must be a healthy - those are tongue depressors! 😆 Kind of big so they were probably purchased at a craft store. I get it! My house has NO corners that are square, no walls that are smooth nor 90° to the next so this skill will save me much time and many headeaches. 🙌🏻
I’m a carpenter and I’m saying you don’t want to do that. Scribing/coping will always be the best way to do corners. It’s also better for older houses as the walls could be out of square.
Ditto ! Do it right the first time. Carpenters and handymen like this own stock with journeyman in a tube, caulk. It does not take any longer to do it right.
Keep in mind that this video is targeting DIYers who don’t want to take the time to learn these things to a competent degree. They don’t think trim matters and just want to move on to “more important projects in the house.”
Timber expands and contracts across the grain due to moisture content not down it and coping definitely helps with cancelling out that problem and with the problem of internal corners not being plumb and square which u rightly pointed out they very rarely r in my experience it’s far quicker and neater to cope internal mitres
If you're going to miter your corners, you really should glue them too. Miters can work well if they're properly shimmed and glued, but your measurements are much more critical and when they do shrink, the gap will point right at the middle of the room. With a little practice, coping is much faster, gives better results, and is more forgiving of slight errors in measurement. If you cut your piece long and bow it into place, the cope will be forced into the other piece and be airtight. If the piece shrinks a couple years later and a gap does open, it will only be visible when the observer looks along the wall with their head close to the wall. Miter gaps are very visible from the middle of the room. Common baseboard profiles are very simple, and are ridiculously easy to cope in a matter of seconds.
I really don’t like using shims for baseboard. This is super handy. Thank you SO MUCH. I can see the drywall screws working more precisely but holy cats that’d take a lot of time to get it just right
Nothing tells me as much about a person's level of skill and experience more than listening to how much they gripe about coping. It's really not difficult or time consuming, especially if it's paint-grade.
I like the old addage, "caulk hides all sins"! 😂 Coping is faster if you invert the board and use the mitersaw to cut the straight, leaving only the top bevel to cut with the coping saw!
I wouldn't want to create a gap along the top using a stick as a shim; I guess this means you would caulk. While at the craft store maybe pick up some craft rubber cement (re-positionable) to hold sticks in place while figuring the needed adjustment.
Also you can buy a flat bar from Menards for under 8 bucks use that instead of popsicle sticks and fire nail after you pull the base to the cope at the bottom
An old Craftsman once told me when I was a young finisher. That "Caulk and paint will hide what you ain't" Coping is a skill and like any skill when you master it it comes naturally with zero effect. There's a big difference between being a craftsman and a trim runner. Craftsman make more $$$$$$
You can cope colonial base on a table saw with ease. Just cope the shortest pieces and leave the the square ends on the long ones. It cuts down on using the coping saw. I couldn't bring myself to put popsicle sticks behind my work.
Coping is fast and easy with MDF or plastic baseboards if you use an angle grinder with a sandpaper flap wheel instead of a coping saw. With little practice, you can cope it in a minute or so.
Perhaps better wording should be “won’t the top edge show through the caulking” I would say slide it in from the top, mark it, slide it up an eights or so then cut it and slide it back down and caulk over it
Wow! I've worked with many top level finish carpenters over the years, and I consider myself highly skilled at installing base. I've never seen any of them do compound miters for base.
If you want an inside joint that is going to stand the test of time, it’s coping. Even paint grade material shrinks. A mitred inside corner will pull apart in two directions. Coping is really not that hard.
I love how all the pros discount this method because it’s not traditional and perfect to them. Wrong audience. Hats off to doing it differently and faster.
I'll stick to coping. setting the saw to 44 or 44 1/2 degrees where the saw has an auto stop at 45 can add time since you need to lock it. adding shims takes time also. coping doesn't take much time once you learn it and much easier to get the next measurement whether it's an inside or outside corner, casing or heat cap. I personally use the section of base where I can by putting the coped end into the existing piece and marking the end to be cut. This will save mistakes when reading the tape measure. I think we've all made that mistake at one point. Your comment on using this method on material to be painted also concerned me. you mentioned coping for stain grade so I'm assuming the mitered joint for paint must not be that good and need caulk. coping can reduce the need for caulk.
I'm a carpenter, and I'm saying coping is for primadonnas, especially when you're trimming a basic suburban home with vinyl flooring. Mitering, in this case will stand the test of time Save your Collins Coping Foot for your crown
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I have found that this makes projects go much faster. After 7 or 8 corners the sugar rush from eating so many popsicles helps me whip out the rest of the project in no time!!
Nice!
I use no sugar added pop cycle sticks
I'll stick with the coke
🤣🤣🤣
HAHAHA....
A guy showed me a trick years ago. It works much better than shims or popsicle sticks. Put a drywall (or any) screw in the bottom corner of the wall, you can adjust the depth to control how far the boards sticks out. 👍
That’s a great tip thanks
Works great
dude awesome tip thanks.
That's a great tip!
Great tip , but is that both sides , Cheers
I see all the professionals jumping all over this but read the title. This is for DIYers and beginners, not professionals. If we want it professionals to do it, we hire them but if you're doing it yourself, this is a great hack.
Honestly, it's useful for professionals, too. But yes, it's created for DIYers.
We use a drywall screw in the bottom plate to compensate for the drywall bevel. It’s quick and adjustable!
Say more, pls
@@nathancollins5822 That's a much better solution........... you can eliminate the gap that the OP has on his first example... well, done, MJ!
Interesting, but sounds time consuming.
@@StayHandy Its way faster and you still had a gap on your first example lol
Exactly what I do, it gives a lot more adjustability and precision, no need for caulking in the corners.
Excellent tip. I've used several materials to shim the bottom in my 45 year career. I eventually settled on corrugated cardboard. It self adjusts through compression. I also cut my trim 1/16th long, not short. When bowed in this immense pressure compresses the cardboard and may slightly bed the end of the base into that built up mud.
Nice. Thanks for the tip.
I trimmed houses For a living. When running base board in a new house, you use 3/8" shims to hold the baseboard up high enough for the floor covering. There is no time to try sticking shims here or there to make the joints fit. I could have a corner cope, and ready for my laborer to nail it. The outside corners were mitered, glued, and nailed. The painters were always glad, knowing I was the one that did the work.
I’m a painter and I thank you on behalf of other painters
Good for you.
100%. I think this video though is for the diy'r, not Tradesmen doing production. If I'm doing my house, I want perfect miters, not copes. But thats me.
@DWilliams-sf5th Coping is not a cheat for "cutting corners," it is a tried & true technique accepted by craftsmen in the building trade.
When inserting the popsicle stick from the top down, don't force it all the way down till it bottoms out. Pull it back up a little bit, snap it off, and then push it down behind the baseboard so that it is hidden when you caulk the top to the wall.
It’s pretty easy to cut if flush using a razor knife without that step, but that works too.
@@StayHandy pushing it down a bit assures that there will be no interruption as you are laying down a bead of caulk. Thanks for your comments and videos!
@@KenHill good tip
When I install hardwood base boards for staining, you can't caulk your errors, so I usually do compound miter cuts with some test pieces before I do use the actual piece. Although, I will do coping sometimes. The shim behind the piece is my last resort, if I still see an opening. I always cut the piece a 1/32-1/16 longer to make sure I get tight corners.
Interestingly, every part of every point you mentioned is the exact opposite of this video. Did you watch the video? His intro right away says this isn't for staining baseboards...
Fun fact, this tip helps get tight joints in coped baseboards also. Even easier and cheaper, use drive a drywall screw into the wall about 1/2 inch from the floor and use a square to adjust the screw so the head is flush with the drywall above it. Its a "trick" thats been around for years. You cope baseboards to account for strange angles in corners. Drywall mud in corners often builds up and results in a wall that is slightly curved in the corners. Its difficult, time consuming, and often material intensive to get inside corners right when mitering, especially when using thinner baseboard material that flexes easily. This tip can help with that to an extent. Coping allows for greater flexibilty in that you get 5 or so degrees (depending on the profile) of play where you still get tight joints. Coping gives superior results, limits recuts (often saving time in the long run), and avoids material waste. However, not all profiles can be coped, so learning to miter trim is still important to learn.
Thanks for the tips!
is there a YT video that shows this?
@@nathanv6798 the screw trick or how to cope baseboards?
I actually used these same paint stirring sticks to shim out the bottom of my baseboard last year, on all of the baseboard, not just the corners, due to the paint buildup on the walls. You just drop it against the wall at the floor, place your baseboard and nail it on. Much cheaper and quicker than using screws.
I went back and forth on coping versus mitering the inside corners and finally found a way to get my coped corners looking decent. So many commenters here saying cOpInG iS EaSiEr AnD fAsTeR, but I call BS. Maybe if you've done it on dozens of projects and had the practice to get it down, but for a new DIYer, getting the coping right is not easy at first. I ended up gluing a piece of sandpaper onto a small scrap piece of baseboard and using that to sand down the last little bit of excess in the cope. To get the cope right I had to use 4 steps. It was
1. miter saw
2. coping saw
3. dremel tool with small sanding drum
and/or
4. sanding block
Pretty time consuming. It was my first baseboard project, but in the end it looks great so I'll take it.
Congrats on your diy! Feels good to complete a job and have it look nice
Cope inside corners. Use drywall screws to build out the bottom of the baseboard if needed. Done!
You mean Done after several tries that you've ended up screwing up. The guy is right: coping is a skill that most people don't have and never will.
I prefer coping but, on times that I have mitered I have used two roofing nails side by side with heads overlapping near the base of the board. Put the baseboard in place and just tap with a wooden block to fit. Works better than using a screw where you have to remove the board to make adjustments.
HA! Today I decided to do baseboards for THE 1st TIME EVER 😅 oh no pressure I’ve watched THOUSANDS of TH-cam videos about how to do it and don’t cut too short or sneak up on the cut. Well luckily I started on a small closet 😅 4 hours in I just FINALLY finished the little closet 😂😂… finished as in cut the pieces but they are not nailed in as yet. So glad I found this video because I’m having a lot of rocking, because the walls are uneven 🤦🏽♀️ THANKS FOR THIS TIP I’m off to dollar tree now 😅
Hang in there!
So.. in summary.. you re .. Out of the closet now?.. LOL damn I'm funny
@@mos8541 you got it! 😅
Oooh good idea! I'm a female doing this for the first time ever & on an old, constantly settling farmhouse. I'm starting in the bathroom & it has a small closet. PERFECT for working out the kinks & mishaps. Totalky worth buying the extra trim. I was even thinking about practicing first... but didn't think of that!
Thank you soo much for that idea!!
Genius! Easy enough for my beginner female self too!! (The popsicle stick part, that is). I seen a comment saying they're gonna practice in the closet first & that's EXACTLY what I'm going to do! I know I'll have "wiggle room" it's an ole, settling farmhouse.
I found that if you cut the baseboard about a sixteenth over the needed length, then ben d the baseboard in the center and wedge it in by nailing it tin the center the joints always astay tight even for stain grade trim. The popsicle trick is useful for un plumb vertical walls or curved floors.
Thanks for the tip
I agree. That hair extra compresses those corners tightly.
When mitering corners;
Hair over for outside to outside. Hair under for inside to inside.
Precise number for outside to inside and vice versa....
As a veteran carpenter I reject this. Coping will always be better and you made all my points for me pretty much. The pressure fit of a coped joint keeps it closed tight as well. And it is faster than this shimming method. I have no adjustments to make, I can simply spring my piece into place and nail it off. Doesn't take me more than a minute tops to cope a piece of base depending on how long it is using a normal Coping saw.
I'm not a capenter nor professional woodworker and I would agree with you, learn to cope; it's much more effective and quite satisfying once you get it right.
Agreed. Coping the only way for a professional job.
you betcha. retired now. you know you're good at coping when you have two 16' runs to a 14' wall, 16' baseboard and want no seams. then you cope both sides of the 14' wall. snap it into place and perfect. you really know you're good when you do this with crown moulding too. that takes confidence and experience, but can be done. i know.
@@johnfischer_2 I've tried both. I still go for my coping saw. Just as fast, no dust getting thrown around the room. Only time I reach for the grinder is crown when it can be tough to make a big enough back cut.
I don't think this video is meant for professional carpenters
Sorry about my earlier comment. I was taught to make a homemade miter box. We cut with a handsaw, and we drove our nails with a hammer. My grandfather would have back-slapped me if I would have mitered an inside corner. I was even taught how to cope 45 degre and similar angled corners. I feel like it was an advantage to first learn the old way.
Once you learn to cope with the assistance of your miter box,
it really goes quickly… and you’re not depending on caulk to hide your gaps, like I think we’re seeing here.
Yeah man . Exactly what I was thinking. I cope all my baseboard and do most of it with the miter saw.Takes less than 30 seconds . everything I seen had already been painted and caulked.
Caulking is what gives it the finished look at the top and the joints.
@@StayHandy yes I know
@@StayHandy No caulk is required on the joint if fitted correctly, leave it to the professionals rather than using the bodgers method.
Used to carry a white paint marker or brown crayon. Cut, paint the edge and install. No caulk needed
Coping IS the easiest way to do inside corners. Any other way is a waste of time and money. Just learn to cop and do it right.
Hmmm
It Doesn't look like the video wasted any time, nor any money!
Posting on youtube is an excellent metaphor for the maxim
"no good deed goes unpunished".😊
Wood does not expand in the direction of the wood grain. It expands across the wood grain. So wooden boards or baseboards in this case would not grow or shrink in length. However, they may expand slightly in thickness or height. Otherwise great tip with the stir sticks. Shims are not cheap!
Everything expands in all directions with heat.
@@StayHandy fluctuations in ambient humidity levels would be the cause of the wood expansion and contraction you are referring to.
Despite no significant changes of length, as the wood thickness changes the slope of the miter cut effectively changes (i.e. thickness/length) so it no longer forms a proper joint. The wood is the wrong length for its new location.
Wood expands .1% with grain and between 6-8% cross grain. I have always used extra cardboard from material, foldable for size and compresses if needs be. Never had a call back.
If I'm not mistaken your title said, Handyman. Take it from a seasoned Professional Mr. Handyman, please don't go giving BAD Advice on how to cut and install inside corners using baseboard, crown molding, or any other type of trim materials. 1st, in most homes the sheetrock wall dosen't go all the way down to the floor, leaving a 1/2" gap between the bottom of the sheetrock and the floor. For the best results rip a bunch of 1/2"x1/2" stock and place short pieces at various locations in this gap. Especially in the inside corners. Then cut and COPE your baseboard. The purpose of the 1/2"x1/2" stock is to prevent the baseboard from folding in while the Carpet layers knee kick the carpet while it's being stretched. Oh, by the way, it doesn't matter what you are installing. Whether it's Baseboard, Crown molding, or Chair Railings. Whether it's paint or stain grade, Coping your inside corners is always better. Another thing for you Handymen to understand, wood of any type, whether it's natural or man made definitely will expand and contract. It's just the way it is, so take that into account as well.
hey hey! glad to see you still make content. i watched your yard transformation videos with the retaining wall, and completed my yard project two years ago. i was looking for a video about how to build a T intersection with moulding to get great results (e.g. building a latice on the ceiling), do you have a view for tips on that?
44.5 deg referenced to where ? I am not clear on this.
I usually cut the inside corner baseboards larger than needed and bow them in the middle when installing. It will tend to push the drywall as needed to get a snug fit.
Coping is far superior. Only have to cope the top profile, flat part can be cut with the saw.
If you're putting popsicle sticks in from the top, then it's too short.
Only time you wanna shim the top of baseboard, is if the wall is bowed in and out
Thanks for the insight.
Yes, I take my measurements on the wall at the top of the base, if 4" base I measure 4" above the floor, then shim or plane the back of base as needed. I like the top of base to fit as tight to the walls as possible.
This is just bad information it takes all of a minute to cope a corner
I’m gonna try coping my baseboards next weekend. Does it matter which corner is coped?
@@CroSensate79 No
You might find it easier to cope the left side of the board vs the right side. Vice versa.
Sometimes there's one thats coped on both sides.
You can do it 💪
I was a labourer installing dog-eared (coped) skirting (base boards.) They are superior as there is no gap - none, and no amateurish caulking to mask the error.
I’ve done this for ages. Tho I never went and bought popsicle sticks. Cardboard, roofing black paper folded a time or three, even just a flat bar under the drywall to mash it outward a little works👍👍 I do like another guys suggestion putting a screw behind and being able to adjust.
1:23 "Just don't cut them too short." Hahahaha...solid advice right there.
I like the idea of the popsicle sticks. I typically use shims as they are adjustable and I always have them around, but the pop cycle sticks make total sense. Also will try the screws, sounds promising.
One thing I'd say, is keep the shim out of any expansion joints for flooring! Especially those engineered laminated click together type. I've used cardboard, screws, shims, scrap wood, whatever is available. I'll start stocking some popsicle sticks as they seem to be really good for caulk tools as well with silcone.
Ive done a similar thing with flat stock baseboards...or sanitary base... Essentially no profile on them... I either use a screw in the wall to adjust if the gap is too big to caulk or use cardboard (drywall shims)/wood shims to tweak as neccesary if its close. If they get painted (and caulked), you cant really tell.
Thanks for the comment.
It’s not so much about getting a perfect joint. It’s about getting a perfect joint that stays perfect over time when humidity changes cause the joint to shrink and swell. Remember the 2x4 studs are usually wood and they to will swell and shrink. Coping the joint (especially on a simple baseboard shown) takes the same or less time than your method of popsicle sticks and the joint will look good over time. It’s not a waste of time and it makes you a craftsman.
Use fine thread drywall screws into the bottom plate behind the trim. It’s adjustable! Necessary when you hang drywall horizontal to deal with the taper at the bottom unless you have really tall base trim.
I usually install taller baseboards…
So I cut a piece of baseboard the width of my torpedo level and tape it to the edge of the level… Then put a screw in the corner using the taped trim to the level to get it plumb…
A bit tedious, but these are high end houses…
-Also use a pin nailer on all outside corners and scarf joints
I had installed base board a few times but never coped them. I did coping on my last project, and it was really easy. Anyone can do it. Look up a video for some good tips. You should still use something behind the board in the corners because that's usually where the dry wall taper is, so there's a gap. I use a roofing nail, which unlike a popcicle stick has whatever depth you want, and is way cheaper.
You can use an angle finder to get the right angle and then glue the pieces together with AC glue/activator. It'll stay super tight with no gaps but it's probably just as time consuming as coping.
thanks for the tip
Phew you’re getting a lot of heat! But I appreciate this video. I will replace my own baseboards and this will save me time!
Uhg these videos grind my gears
Why? I’m so surprised by all of the “pros” insisting on doing things the hard way and getting mad because other people don’t. These are baseboards, and this is a valid method that saves time and improves quality so people can move on to more important things in life.
@@StayHandy No, it isn't about it being "too easy"; it's about that finished product. That caulk doesn't look good.
I wouldn't do this or pay anyone else to do it.
A cope joint will not open up when the molding dries out in a year. A perfect caulked painted inside corner. Good video for the home DIY.
I’m DYI this good idea, will save me $ and time. Thx a lot
very simple, but very solid info. (and very economical too!)
Nice trick, we know it is all about the tricks of the trade! Thanks
I use cardboard drywall shims. They can also push out the bottom on longer runs where the baseboard doesn't quite cover the finished floor
I use a drywall screw at the bottom of the molding then nail in the board. screw it in or out as needed for a plumb fit.
Sounds time consuming
@@StayHandy You literally have no idea what you're doing if you think that's time consuming to use one adjustable screw versus mess around with popsicle sticks.
that leaves a big hole tho in the baseboard
@@evictioncarpentry2628 I tape handi-shims to the back of the base then the construction adhesive holds them in place long term.
Excellent tip thanks
I switched to coping, and no looking back. With a mitre, every mitre joint is visible from the center of the room. When properly patterned, a coped joint stays hidden, even with shrinkage. I start from the wall directly across from the door, as you enter the room, with a square cut corner. Then i cope the pieces that meet that corner, but leave the other end square (unless i have to scarf two lengths together). I then cope the closer pieces to the sides. Also. Dont cope at 90°. Do it say 93°, and it will hide the drywall tape flare, compensating for corners not square.
Considering im only coping one end of the baseboard length, if offset the time the coping takes, with far better results, regardless of the material.
Thanks for the great tip!
Brilliant -- thank you for sharing your skills!
I believe the coped method is better long term. The wood hardly changes in the length but in the width it will which will open up the front of the miter.
Professionals cope, Amateurs miter. Period!
Sweet
Great tip! The size of what you used means they are tongue depressors. Popsicle sticks are not as wide (about half as wide as what you showed), they are typically less rigid, and they are thicker than tongue depressors. It may even be that there are times for the use of both to get the best fit . . .
Good to know!
I guess I just get coping. I can knock a corner out pretty quickly with the chop saw and a flap disc. I'm wondering if I can use this trick to fix already in place base boards though.
Great idea.
the baseboard job in this video, can you please tell me specifically which caulk you used?... thank you
Acrylic Latex Caulk Plus Silicone.
@@StayHandy ALEX?... i love using it, i hate the result, it cracks so frequently or separates...
I've been doing this but with shims, except I only put them on the very bottom. Thanks for the idea to use popsicle sticks, will be buying them from now on.
I used shims for a while too. This is way easier. You’ll enjoy it.
@@StayHandy there is another video I saw where a guy uses screws. I haven't had a chance yet to try either one yet but an idea came to mind, to use a closed combination square, that way you can lay it on the floor and guage exactly how much you have to add to the wall
Hey, Mr. Handyman Startup - you must be a healthy - those are tongue depressors! 😆 Kind of big so they were probably purchased at a craft store. I get it! My house has NO corners that are square, no walls that are smooth nor 90° to the next so this skill will save me much time and many headeaches. 🙌🏻
Yeah but popsicle stick trick sounds better.
Great tip Dan and perfect timing, I have a baseboard job next week 👌😎
Let me know how it goes!
I’m a carpenter and I’m saying you don’t want to do that. Scribing/coping will always be the best way to do corners. It’s also better for older houses as the walls could be out of square.
Exactly, it's so much easier to do it the right way than the bodgers method this Texan is using!😂
Ditto ! Do it right the first time.
Carpenters and handymen like this own stock with journeyman in a tube, caulk. It does not take any longer to do it right.
Keep in mind that this video is targeting DIYers who don’t want to take the time to learn these things to a competent degree. They don’t think trim matters and just want to move on to “more important projects in the house.”
@@CarlYota It's teaching people bad habits, using the correct method is easier than doing internal mitres and the end result is far superior.
Nah miter gauge is better than a Coped corner.
It's good to know both this and coping
I was trained to cope, but have used similar tactic👍
Great tip! Thanks. Who would have thought????
Thanks!
I sometimes put a screw into the bottom plate and adjust in/out as needed.
Timber expands and contracts across the grain due to moisture content not down it and coping definitely helps with cancelling out that problem and with the problem of internal corners not
being plumb and square which u rightly pointed out they very rarely r in my experience it’s far quicker and neater to cope internal mitres
thats really a good idea
Awesome. This is exactly what I was looking for. Great video. Thanks, dude.
Glad it helped!
If you're going to miter your corners, you really should glue them too. Miters can work well if they're properly shimmed and glued, but your measurements are much more critical and when they do shrink, the gap will point right at the middle of the room.
With a little practice, coping is much faster, gives better results, and is more forgiving of slight errors in measurement. If you cut your piece long and bow it into place, the cope will be forced into the other piece and be airtight. If the piece shrinks a couple years later and a gap does open, it will only be visible when the observer looks along the wall with their head close to the wall. Miter gaps are very visible from the middle of the room.
Common baseboard profiles are very simple, and are ridiculously easy to cope in a matter of seconds.
Good stuff!
As you can see, lots of caulk was used. Simple adjustments on your miter saw can take care of the gaps rather than using popsicle sticks and caulk.
But why do it the hard way? This takes seconds.
@@StayHandy Making an adjustment on my miter box isn't 'the hard way', not to me anyway.
I really don’t like using shims for baseboard. This is super handy. Thank you SO MUCH. I can see the drywall screws working more precisely but holy cats that’d take a lot of time to get it just right
Yes this is way easier
What happens when you nail it back in it goes back further especially when drywall glue is being used an not quite dry
Nothing tells me as much about a person's level of skill and experience more than listening to how much they gripe about coping. It's really not difficult or time consuming, especially if it's paint-grade.
Excellent
I like the old addage, "caulk hides all sins"! 😂
Coping is faster if you invert the board and use the mitersaw to cut the straight, leaving only the top bevel to cut with the coping saw!
Perfect video example of cut to fit, caulk to fill, paint to hide 😂
good vid cool info
This is a great idea!👍
Thanks!
Bit confused as you can buy shims/packers any thickness you like?
Give it a try and you’ll see why
This is a great tip for PVC baseboards because I have yet to learn how to cope them 😪
neat trick- thx
Nice. Thanks, Dan.
You're welcome!
Thank you ❤❤
I wouldn't want to create a gap along the top using a stick as a shim;
I guess this means you would caulk.
While at the craft store maybe pick up some craft rubber cement (re-positionable) to hold sticks in place while figuring the needed adjustment.
I use a speed square and screws. This seems faster. Thanks.
the first completed joint still had a very noticeable gap after nailing, whats up with that??
Also you can buy a flat bar from Menards for under 8 bucks use that instead of popsicle sticks and fire nail after you pull the base to the cope at the bottom
An old Craftsman once told me when I was a young finisher. That "Caulk and paint will hide what you ain't"
Coping is a skill and like any skill when you master it it comes naturally with zero effect.
There's a big difference between being a craftsman and a trim runner. Craftsman make more $$$$$$
You can cope colonial base on a table saw with ease. Just cope the shortest pieces and leave the the square ends on the long ones. It cuts down on using the coping saw. I couldn't bring myself to put popsicle sticks behind my work.
Thank you brother
Coping is faster and cleaner if you do it right. My opinion. Done my fair share of both.
Even with mdf?
Coping is fast and easy with MDF or plastic baseboards if you use an angle grinder with a sandpaper flap wheel instead of a coping saw. With little practice, you can cope it in a minute or so.
Doesn't the stick show from the top view?
No, you caulk the top of baseboards.
Perhaps better wording should be “won’t the top edge show through the caulking” I would say slide it in from the top, mark it, slide it up an eights or so then cut it and slide it back down and caulk over it
Probably but if they're painted you should be caulking the top and corners
great vid. I purposefully undercut the miter angle so i can eat and tax deduct ice cream bars for their thicker sticks.
Diabetes here you come!
I dont set the joint in the miter upright, I set it up side down and the crack isnt there for some reason, and the joint fits perfect ;)
Perfect!
I've been doing compound miters to compensate; this will be much easier and faster! Thank you.
Yessir!
Wow! I've worked with many top level finish carpenters over the years, and I consider myself highly skilled at installing base. I've never seen any of them do compound miters for base.
Coping is also very easy and fast. You want the base to be a touch long and spring it into place, keeps things tight.
If you want an inside joint that is going to stand the test of time, it’s coping. Even paint grade material shrinks. A mitred inside corner will pull apart in two directions. Coping is really not that hard.
I love how all the pros discount this method because it’s not traditional and perfect to them. Wrong audience. Hats off to doing it differently and faster.
The only reason is houses expand and contract with seasonal weather the mitre method will fail overtime and joints will open up
I'll stick to coping. setting the saw to 44 or 44 1/2 degrees where the saw has an auto stop at 45 can add time since you need to lock it. adding shims takes time also. coping doesn't take much time once you learn it and much easier to get the next measurement whether it's an inside or outside corner, casing or heat cap. I personally use the section of base where I can by putting the coped end into the existing piece and marking the end to be cut. This will save mistakes when reading the tape measure. I think we've all made that mistake at one point.
Your comment on using this method on material to be painted also concerned me. you mentioned coping for stain grade so I'm assuming the mitered joint for paint must not be that good and need caulk. coping can reduce the need for caulk.
I'm a carpenter, and I'm saying coping is for primadonnas, especially when you're trimming a basic suburban home with vinyl flooring.
Mitering, in this case will stand the test of time
Save your Collins Coping Foot for your crown
So glad to hear that all finish carpenters aren’t wasting their time!
Been doing this for years, you can also use playing cards to set the thickness
Nice