What Is Quarter Round Molding?
How to Install Quarter-Round Molding
It is quite easy to install quarter-round Molding. Follow the steps mentioned below to make sure you're doing it correctly.
1) Gather Your Tools
Before you begin working on installing your moldings make sure you have gathered everything and make sure it is well within your reach. Luckily, you won't need too many items. Following are the items that you might need.
- A utility knife;
- A measuring tape;
- Nails;
- A putty knife;
- A pneumatic nail gun;
- A saw;
- A miter box.
Or simply use quarter round cutting shears
More home renovation tools you might need
- Paint;
- A nail crayon;
- Varnish;
- A nail setter;
These few items help a lot when you want to give your molding a professional look and give it a finished look. If your molding is thin or brittle you might need to drill some pilot holes to put in the nails.
2) Remove the Original Molding
Lose the previous molding with the help of a knife. Cut loose the paint that was holding your molding but d it carefully to avoid damaging the paint on the baseboard.
Then, pull the molding away with the putty knife. Push the tool behind and right under the base molding. With the help of a flat bar, you can pull the molding and then remove all the nails one by one.
You can also use this Trim Puller that can make your life easier:
Now as the old molding is removed it's time to prepare the wall for new molding. Ou might need to sand the walls and paint the baseboard especially if you think they have got rough in the process.
Prepare the new molding to install it. Cut the pieces according to the accurate measurement and five its finishing touches by sanding each piece lightly before installing. Finish it by placing each piece on a sawhorse set to match the molding to your floors.
The finishing process can be done through a couple of coats of varnish.
3) Cut the Necessary Molding Pieces
Estimate the area that would be used in quarter round molding. Use a tape measure along the wall. Measure from corner to corner and note these values down. Doing this will give you an idea about how much molding will be used which can then be applied by dividing the sections.
Usually inside corners are present in rooms, however outside corners are also common. For those corners, you must perform a cope cut on the molding. After all the required cuts, you need to sand the edge which allows you to fit the molding piece against the other structures just like a puzzle. Another thing you could do is miter the ends.
To cut an outside corner, you must take two molding units and miter their ends. The molding's back part should fit your wall's measurement while also being the miter's shorter side. You might also need to add a few drops of glue to keep it in place.
Make sure that your baseboard makes a 45-degree angle at the point where they meet hen you would need to make a diagonal outside the place that makes a 225-degree angle
Finally, you can cut mid-run joints but that's only required when the wall is very long and one single piece of molding isn't enough to cover it from corner to corner. For pieces to overlap you might need to add a minor cut and both ends at a 45-degree angle in opposite direction.
We highly recommend to use these shears for quick and easy cut of trim and moulding.
4) Install the Molding and Create Your Returns
Now you have to install the molding. Fix the molding in place and then place nails into it. Make sure that nails go right into the center of the molding so there are no cracks in molding. Make sure that you leave a distance of 1-2 feet between the nails.
Pay attention to when and how you create a return. The outline's returns are those ends that show when the molding meets doors or certain corners. There are many types of returns available for you to use as per your choice:
- Mitered returns – the most commonly-met and easiest way to create a return is this one;
- Bull-nose returns – these types of returns are made using a lot of tools so, they are more complex methods;
- A wrap-around instead of a return – in some situations, you could skip making a return by replacing it with a molding wrap that goes around a doorway and then continues its path into the other room.
5) Add the Finishing Touches
To achieve a smoother look, make sure to caulk any remaining gaps. In case you need to add extra nails for better results. Use a nail crayon to hide the nails if you want, it will give a perfect finishing. Now, all that's left to do is paint or stain the molding. Once the paint is dried the work is finished.
Plain Baseboard
It is the most common type of molding. It is created in an already available profile pattern. They can be either painted or stained. Normally, these baseboards are stained and not painted due to a lack of grain pattern in these baseboards.
Vinyl Baseboard
Vinyl molding is very popular due to its high level of versatility. You can miter and cut it, then assemble it just like you would with any other baseboard type.
Back-Profiled Baseboard
Another popular baseboard molding technique is the back-profiled one. It is also known as a back-cut baseboard. There's a cut-out that covers the lower part of the wall, near the floor surface. The cut-out fits midway right over the initial molding and provides a stacked visual impact.
Baseboard Profiles
There are so many types of baseboard profiles but you must go for the one that is most reliable and durable. Make no mistake in choosing it otherwise you might face a great problem later. You can achieve a custom-made appearance by stacking these profiles together.
Major Trim Profiles
As we said, there are numerous baseboard profiles available on the market. They come in many sizes, shapes, and patterns. The most popular options are stepped baseboards, flat baseboard molding, sculpted mid-height trims, and sculpted taller molding.
Why Would You Need Quarter Round Molding?
When a new floor is made, the ideal approach is to leave a gap between the ground surface and walls surrounding it to prevent overlapping of the elements involved especially the wood pieces used that might expand and create problems. But again you have to cover those gaps to give your place a good look and the best way to do so is using quarter-round molding
Also recommended flexible variation of the quarter round molding:
What Is the Standard Size of Quarter-Round Molding?
The average length of the quarter-round molding is up to 7 feet long. Its height and width are made of pieces of about ¾ inches. These are then cut into proper sizes before installation.
What Color Should You Choose for Your Quarter-Round Molding?
Most people choose to use white molding. This further creates a quarter round trim that will also be white. Except for the fact when the floor is of vinyl and the floor of the room adjacent is has hardwood work, In this case, you must move the molding from the tiled area to the room of the hardwood work.
Molding comes in various shapes and sizes so you have to be accurate about your measurements to make it look perfect. Follow the step by step process so that you can install it perfectly. Molding is of various types but quarter round molding is known to be the best one in the market so we recommend you use it in case you want a perfect look for your place.
Round-quarter molding can give a new look to your place. Hopefully, by going through this article, you’ve gotten clarity on Quarter-round molding and are ready to renovate your place with it. We have given you a complete guide about quarter-round molding and how to install it.
Give this article a complete read to know how to install it and where to use it. Installing Round quarter molding can be a really complicated step so you might need to be careful. However, no need to worry as our team of experts have fully researched and compiled this information and offered our expert advice. All you need to do is give this article a thorough read.