How to Do Trim Carpentry

Completing Carpet Trim

• 1

  Slide on a pair of work gloves, safety glasses and a dust mask to protect your skin, eyes and lungs.

• 2

  Measure the width of the bottom of a door frame. Cut a wooden or vinyl transition strip with a saw or straight-edge knife, respectively. Position the strip under the bottom of the door frame. Mark a notch in the strip, 1/8 inch in from each edge at center. The notches indicate an area you will cut away so the strip slides halfway back into place over the edge of the carpet.

• 3

  Cut out the notches. Sand the notches with 80-grit to 120-grit sandpaper. Stain the strip to match the color of the door or existing trim. Allow two hours for the strip to dry.

• 4

  Fit the strip into place. Secure it to the floor with three to four evenly spaced finishing nails. Hammer the nails down through the strip and into the floor.

Completing Baseboard Trim

• 5

  Slide a straight-edge knife along the top crevice of existing baseboard trim. Break the seal between the trim and the wall with the blade of the knife.

• 6

  Wedge the flat-head screwdriver between the wall and the trim. Carefully pry the trim off of the wall.

• 7

  Measure the distance along the wall where the previous piece of trim was situated. Cut a piece of baseboard trim to this length. Cut a 45-degree angle at one end of the trim. The angle will allow the piece to fit among existing trim. Paint or stain the trim as necessary before proceeding.

• 8

  Hammer two evenly spaced finishing nails into both ends of the trim to secure it to the wall. Add a thin layer of caulk to the top crevice of the trim -- where the trim meets the wall.