Molding Installation

Molding adds a decorative finish to many home improvement and woodworking projects. You can add molding to walls, floors, dressers, cabinets and bookcases, to name just a few applications. Molding ranges from very detailed to very plain. Select a molding style that will suit the project and complement the space where it will be used. Molding comes in a variety of materials, including many species of wood and synthetic materials such as MDF and vinyl. A decorative molding that wraps around the tabletop edge of a simple 18-by-18-inch end table will demonstrate how to install molding.

Miter saw
Wood molding, 96 inch
Tape measure
Pencil
Sanding pad, 180-grit
Wood finish
Finish brush
Finish nails
Hammer
Nail set

Instructions

- 1
  Adjust the miter saw to make a 45-degree angle cut. Place the molding length with the front face against the table of the saw. Make a 45-degree angle cut through the molding so that the long point of the molding is on the front face.
- 2
  Measure from the back side of the molding where the cut edge begins over 18 inches. Mark the measurement. Cut another 45-degree angle at the pencil mark so that the front face of the molding has the long point.
- 3
  Saw three more boards following the procedure used in step 1 and 2. The result will be four sections of molding that measure 18 inches on the back side of the molding. The measurement from point to point on the front face of the molding will be longer. The four sections of molding will fit together around the outside edge of the stand tabletop like a picture frame.
- 4
  Sand the molding with a 180-grit sanding pad until it is completely smooth. Apply a wood finish to the molding with a finish brush. Allow the finish to dry for 24 hours.
- 5
  Center each piece of molding over the edges of the stand tabletop. Hammer finish nails through the molding into the tabletop every 2 to 4 inches along the lengths of molding.
- 6
  Center a nail set over each nail and tap it with a hammer to set the nails approximately 1/16-inch deep below the surface of the molding.

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