I'm currently installing maple hardwood floors and maple base. I've come across a situation where I'm not sure the best way to install the baseboard against the door casing. Here is a photo of the situation.



I guess it's not obvious from the photo but there is a gap between the door casing and the wall. The upper part of the molding is thin enough to slide past the casing but the lower part cannot clear the casing. Leaving it butted as shown in the photo looks odd since the upper part is suspended in midair and there is a gap past that point benween the casing and the wall.

Any ideas on how to deal with this so that I get a finished look.

Lots of times there's a gap behind the casing trim. I'd scribe to it or stick a tiny piece of base back in there. Hopefully it is behind the door.

Unfortunately it is on the other side of the door so it is exposed all the time. I was thinking of cutting a piece small enough to slide into the gap and then skimming the lower part of the face on my bandsaw to allow it to slide in. Other than that no ideas. Skimming the casing would be difficult to do precisely - at least I cannot think of how to do that.

This is a first time hardwood floor project for me but I'm finding that there is quite a bit of carpentry work involved especially as I also put hardwood on the stairs and some of the stairs have curved shapes and so on. So I have had to custom make some of the parts like the nosing. It's not just a case of buying the material and installing.

I'm totally confused by your picture and whether you are talking about a problem with the door casing or the baseboard?

Perhaps you could show another photo, or use a coping saw and cut it to fit, or use caulk in the gap, assuming it is being painted.

Okay here's another photo taken form the top which shows the situation hopefully more clearly.

Wow, that's odd, makes you wonder how that happened. I would add a piece of flat strip moulding that's rounded on one corner, to the casing, from the floor to the top of the casing. Either 1/4" x 3/4" or 1/4" x 1 1/8".

I guess I'm the one confused now. Are you suggesting adding a piece of molding (white) into the gap upto the height of the baseboard and then butt the baseboard to that. Or are you suggesting doing this all the way around the door casing. The second option would look odd as there is another door nearby with the same casing and widening the casing on one but not on the other will make it look non uniform. The first option would be one way to solve this.

I also though of possibly using a chisel and cutting out a small passage in the casing to slide the baseboard in but this is somewhat high risk - any error in doing that will probably require pulling out the casing and installing a new one.

I would first try a small piece straight cut and then cope the base extending out of the corner to that small piece in there. Thats the best your going to get IMHO.

Okay good point thanks - I will try that first. I hate coping though - maybe it's me but it seems to take forever (is maple hard?) and I ended up breaking the blade on the saw at one point. Since then I decided to stick to miter cuts rather than coping. I guess a miter cut is not going to work in this case due to the steep angle. Also I have not measured the depth of the gap but if it's more than 3/4" I will need to shim the small piece to stick forward. But thinking about it I agree that this will probably give a reasonably finished look.

Maple is very hard to cut with a hand saw.

I just thought of another idea. Somehow attach a little piece of flooring to the existing flooring, just enough to cover the hole in the corner. Then, instead of trying to fit the baseboard up to the casing, miter the end of the baseboard at a 45 degrees or less, and slide it in as far as it will go.

Yes good idea - I will try that. Actually I will see if I can also stick a small piece in with a miter cut and then slide the long piece with a miter cut - if they join up reasonably well then that would be better than the main piece alone with a miter cut.

My bandsaw idea probably won't work - I only have a benchtop bandsaw and the throat height is not enough the slide the baseboard in.

How about this look?



I think that's the way you were explaining by using a band saw? Trim the bottom of the baseboard profile? That can also be done by laying the back of the base on a miter saw and carefully slide it back and forth while cutting until the right mount of material is removed. Not a safe trick but doable. Then insert/slide into the area. Not the best explanation but...

I'm impressed with that pic - was it Photoshop

Yes I was proposing trimming just the lower part of the trim so that is slides in - if you look at the second photo I posted it shows that the baseboard cannot slide in due to the fact that the lower flat part of the trim hits the casing. With the bandsaw I was proposing skimming the face of that lower section flat and enough to get it past the casing.

With the suggestion of doing the trimming on the miter saw - why not do it on the table saw. Same operation but much easier as I can setup a fence and the blade is rigid. Harder I think on the miter saw if I understand correctly what you are suggesting.

1) Mark with a utility knife, the precise point of the base, that will slide all the way flush to the wall corner.
2) Then measure the distance from the face of the casing to that same wall corner.
3) Mark that distance, on the "fat part" of the base, that won't clear.
4) Notch out that "fat part"

Ultimately the thinner section of the base will slide to the wall, while the "fat section" will be tight to the jamb.
A more precise way to do it...Use a pair of dividers,(or compass), to scribe the "fat section" to the jamb. While allowing for the correct distance of the thin section to slide behind the jamb.

I usually cut this with a tablesaw. Cutting the horizontal short mark..horizontal to the blade. And the vertical mark, perpendicular to the blade. The reason being...With a cut like that, you need to be careful that the blade doesn't cut up through the thin section of the base, and into the base profile.

Ken..Nice photo work

Great - yes sounds like the best of all the ideas. I will try that.



I guess I did not understand the scribing part.

btw great website - I'm referring to the main website with all the info on hardwood install. I very it very useful reading before starting the project. I kind off wish I had found it earlier as it would have made some things easier earlier in the project.