Stanley trim : a homeowner's guide

226 Pages·2015·29.083 MB·English

by  Cory, Steve

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
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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.
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