How to Cut & Install Wall Molding

Measure the walls with a measuring tape. Add approximately 10 percent to these measurements when you purchase the wall molding. This will help to avoid running to the store if you accidently cut a piece too short.

Place the wall molding on a couple of sawhorses or a worktable. Finish the molding by painting or staining it with a paint brush. This step will save you a lot of time because it is easier to paint molding before it is attached to the wall. Allow the finish on the molding to dry completely.

Use an electric stud finder to locate the studs on the wall. Lightly mark the wall studs with a pencil.

Measure the wall and transfer the measurements to a piece of wall molding. Cut the wall molding with a compound miter saw. Place the molding on the table of the saw and make the cut. For corner cuts, set the saw at a 45-degree angle. The two pieces of molding that form the corner should be cut at opposite angles. Once cut, the molding should meet together to form a corner.

Use a nail gun to nail the wall molding into the wall and to the studs. Use the stud marks on the wall to help you locate the studs. Continue measuring, cutting and nailing the molding in the wall. Crown molding should be nailed into the wall right below the ceiling and baseboard molding is installed right above the flooring. Chair molding is typically installed on the wall at about 32 inches above the floor.