How To Cut Wood Floor Molding
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1-3 hours
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Intermediate
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- 200-500
Floor molding is the most common way to decorate an interior wall at the point where it meets the floor of the house. Floor molding comes in many sizes, styles and types of materials, including rubber, plastic, wood and even aluminum.
Depending on the type of molding you use, there are various methods and techniques involved in cutting it. For example, you should cut rubber molding with a razor knife, but wood molding is best cut with a miter saw.
Read on to learn to cut wood floor molding.
Step One – Measuring
Measure the wall from the edge of one corner to the edge of the opposite corner. If you have a piece of floor molding that is longer than the length of the wall, simply butt the piece of molding up against the wall and mark the point where the wall meets the molding.
If the length of the wall is longer than the lengths of your floor molding, you will need to create a joint using your miter saw to connect the pieces together. Then mark the edge of the outer one. When marking your cutting line, make sure to use your measuring square and draw a line across the entire width of the wood floor molding.
Step Two - Preparing Your Saw
Before you start to cut, ensure that your miter saw and a miter saw fence are functioning properly. Visually inspect the saw, blade and fence to make sure they are all clean and free from debris or obstructions.
Raise and lower the miter saw blade into the miter slot on this saw fence and make sure that it rises and falls easily and smoothly. Also, make sure that the saw blade doesn't touch either side of the miter slot on the saw fence.
Before you start cutting your floor molding, make sure your saw has a sharp carbide-tipped blade. A dull blade will result in uneven and sloppy cuts and cause your molding not to fit together correctly.
Step Three - Cutting the Floor Molding
Take the piece of floor molding and lay it in the miter saw fence. Hold it firmly in place against the fence so that it will not move or slip, while you're cutting it. Then adjust the angle of your miter saw to 45-degrees.
Proceed to cut the molding. When using the miter saw, try to cut it rather quickly, as slow movement can cause uneven or sloppy cuts on your floor molding.
