A Homeowner’s Guide Trim Steve Cory Trim Trim A Homeowner’s Guide Trim Steve Cory t Text © 2015 The Taunton Press, Inc. Photographs © 2015 The Taunton Press, Inc. (except where noted) Illustrations© 2015 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved. Pp The Taunton Press, Inc., 63 South Main Street PO Box 5506, Newtown, CT 06470-5506 Email:[email protected] Editor: Peter Chapman Copy Editor: Seth Reichgott Indexer: Jim Curtis Cover and Interior Design: Stacy Wakefi eld Forte Layout: Stacy Wakefi eld Forte Photographer: Steve Cory and Diane Slavik (except where noted) The following names/manufacturers appearing in Trim are trademarks: Speed Square®, Surform® Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Cory, Steve. Stanley trim : a homeowner’s guide / Steve Cory. pages cm Includes index. ISBN 978-1-62710-942-0 ISBN 978-1-63186-336-3 (eBook) ISBN 978-1-63186-337-0 (ePub) ISBN 978-1-63186-338-7 (mobi) ISBN 978-1-63186-339-4 (fi xed) 1. Trim carpentry--Amateurs’ manuals. I. Stanley Black & Decker Inc. II. Title. TH5695.C67 2015 694--dc23 2015022881 Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 About Your Safety: Construction is inherently dangerous. Using hand or power tools improperly or ignoring safety practices can lead to permanent injury or even death. For safety, use caution, care, and good judgment when following the procedures described in this book. The publisher and Stanley cannot assume responsibility for any damage to property or injury to persons as a result of misuse of the information provided. Always follow all manufacturers’ safety, installation, and operation warnings and instructions provided with the products and materials. Don’t try to perform operations you learn about here (or elsewhere) unless you’re certain they are safe for you. The projects in this book vary as to level of skill required, so some may not be appropriate for all do-it-yourselfers. If something about an operation doesn’t feel right, don’t do it, and instead, seek professional help. Remember to consult your local building department for information on building codes, permits, and other laws that may apply to your project. STANLEY® and the STANLEY logo are trademarks of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. or an affi liate thereof and are used under license. MOLDINGS CAN BE AN EXUBERANT expression of personality, or they can just clean up the look of a room—and all for a modest materials cost and a day or so of labor. Trim boards (the words “trim” and molding are used interchangeably) come in a dizzying array of shapes and sizes, and they can be fi nished with natural wood stain or paint. Many are inexpen- sive, allowing you to nicely trim out a room for under a hundred bucks. Trim boards can make a room feel satisfyingly fi nished and coordinated with the rest of the house’s style, and they can be installed quickly and with a modest set of tools. However, if you have the budget and inclination, you can aim for a room with stunning details that pop out. In that case, you will need a few good tools, and you may want to study up to learn new skills—and spend some time practic- ing—before tackling the job. This book helps you choose trim styles that suit your personal taste and your house’s style, and it tells you all you need to know in order to cut and install moldings with tight joints and straight, crisp lines. I’d like to offer special thanks to Mike Fish of Vogon Construction in Chicago for his sage advice and genial assistance. Danny Campana and William Shuman appear in many photos and built many of the projects. The folks at Owl Lumber in the Chicago area shared their vast expertise. And many thanks to the builders, interior designers, and architects who shared photos of their work, as well as the manufacturers who shared product photos. CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE 40 Tools for Shaping and Smoothing WHAT TRIM CAN DO 43 Fastening Tools FOR YOUR HOME 46 Dust Collection 4 What Trim Is CHAPTER FOUR 10 Finding a Balance TECHNIQUES YOU’LL USE OFTEN 12 Choosing Trim Shapes 14 A Short History of Trim 50 Removing Old Trim 52 Checking Openings, Doors, and CHAPTER TWO Windows TRIM MATERIALS 54 Measuring and Marking 20 Molding Shapes 56 Cutting with a Miter Saw 22 Standard Moldings 61 Using a Tablesaw 24 Wood and Other Materials 66 Nailing 28 Fasteners 68 Making a Coped Joint 71 Making a Return CHAPTER THREE 72 Planing TOOLS 74 Biscuit Joinery 32 Cutting Tools 76 Using a Router to Make Custom Trim 38 Demo Tools 78 Joining with Pocket Screws 38 Measuring Tools CHAPTER FIVE WALL TRIM 82 Baseboard 94 Base Molding with Corner Blocks 96 Picture Rail 97 Plate Rail CHAPTER SIX DOOR AND WINDOW JAMBS AND STOOLS 100 Installing a Door Jamb 105 Installing a Window Jamb 110 Making and Installing a Stool 113 Trimming a Bay Window vvii CHAPTER SEVEN CHAPTER TEN DOOR AND WINDOW CASING BEAMS AND MANTELS 123 Installing Mitered Casing 200 Beam Styles 129 Adding Backband 202 Building Box Beams 130 Rosette and Plinth Block Casing 206 Mantel and Fireplace Surround Styles 133 Casing with a Fillet 208 Building a Fireplace Surround 138 Picture-Frame Window Casing 216 Index 141 Casing in a Tight Spot 217 Credits 144 More Casing Recipes CHAPTER EIGHT CROWN MOLDING 148 Crown Options 150 Prepping the Room for Crown 152 Blocking 155 Setting Up a Chopsaw 157 Understanding the Cuts 162 Inside Corners 164 Outside Corners 166 Built-Up Crown Molding CHAPTER NINE WAINSCOTING AND WALL FRAMES 172 Wainscoting Styles 174 Beadboard Wainscoting 184 Inexpensive Thin Wainscoting 187 Frame-and-Panel Wainscoting 194 Wall-Frame Styles 196 Making Wall Frames 11 CHAPTER ONE WHAT TRIM CAN DO FOR YOUR HOME 4 What Trim Is 10 Finding a Balance 12 Choosing Trim Shapes 14 A Short History of Trim WHAT TRIM ADDING TRIM IS LIKE PAINTING with broad strokes the outline of a room’s features, strokes that add a satisfying sense of definition and CAN DO FOR dignity to the space. It makes a room feel finished. Even in a home with neatly installed trim, upgrading the moldings can upgrade the look YOUR HOME of the rooms. Trim has always had the virtue of covering a multitude of sins. The details of wood trim shine through and add appeal. They also help establish a sense of style. Getting the trim style that you like—one that works with your taste in furnishings and your general design sense for your home—will help tie the rooms of your home together in a way that is satisfying and that makes your home feel like a welcoming space. Adding additional trim pieces to your home, or changing the trim you currently have to a style you like better, is an upgrade that can make a big difference in the look and feel of your home’s interior. If you do the work yourself, the expense will be the cost of materials, plus a few hundred dollars for tools if you don’t already have them. Trimwork does not call for special talents; the skills you need are taught in this book. However, every joint needs to be tight, and you must work care- fully and systematically. If you have a devotion to detail and the patience to treat every board with care, you can achieve professional-looking results. 3