How to Install Baseboard on Curved Walls

Curved walls add a touch of elegance to the walls of a house. Although nice, curved walls increase the difficulty of finishing the point where the wall meets the finished floor. Wood baseboard trim has a certain amount of flex that varies by wood type. The trim will crack if you attempt to bend it past its given amount of flex. The expertise required to increase the bending ability of wood exceeds the abilities of the average do-it-yourself homeowner. Flexible trim looks like wood but can be bent to conform to curved walls.

Flexible trim
Pencil
Power miter box
100-grit sandpaper
Construction adhesive
Caulk gun
Finish nails
Hammer
Nail set

Instructions

- 1
  Hold a length of flexible trim against the bottom of the curved wall. Mark the end of the curve on the face of the trim with a pencil. Avoid using markers when marking trim. The ink used in markers will bleed through the paint or stain applied to the trim after installation.
- 2
  Cut the trim to length with a power miter box. Sand the cut smooth with 100-grit sandpaper.
- 3
  Place an open tube of construction adhesive in a caulk gun. Apply a bead of adhesive to the raised ridges located on the back of the trim.
- 4
  Set the bottom of the trim on the floor. Push one end of the trim into the corner where the curved and straight walls meet. Set the tip of a finish nail against the trim. Ensure the nail sits at least 3/4 inch below the top of the trim. Drive the nail into the trim with a hammer. Leave the nail head sit 1/32 inch off the face of the trim. Press the trim against the wall. Secure the trim to the wall with another finish nail. Continue moving down the wall while placing one finish nail every six to eight inches.
- 5
  Align the tip of a nail set with one finish nail head. Tap the handle of the set lightly with the hammer to send the nail head 1/32 inch below the trim face. Repeat the process on each finish nail.
- 6
  Allow the construction adhesive to dry for 24 hours before applying wood filler and paint to the trim.

How to Frame a Shower in a Basement

How to Join Wires in a Recessed Lighting Box

Interior Remodeling