Coping is cutting along one piece of trim so that it fits perfectly against the shape of another piece. Coping is relatively easy skill to learn, but it takes practice to master.
My first attempt at installing base trim was in an older home with walls that were far from square. Knowing nothing about coping, I tried to bevel the base trim at 45-degree angles where the inside corners met. I finished the project six hours later. Tired and frustrated, surrounded by a small pile of discarded trim pieces and two empty pint containers of putty, I sat on the floor wondering how professionals could install base trim so quickly and precisely.
It wasn’t until I began working as a carpenter years later that I learned the secrets of coping. In this article, I walk you through seven steps to install a few pieces of base molding. Although coping crown molding can be more difficult than coping inside corners of base molding (as shown in the article), the basic principles are the same. Try using these seven steps for a faster, more precise trim installation.
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