Good trim work is the key to a room looking beautiful and not haphazardly put together when it comes to home improvement projects. While installing molding and other types of trim is straightforward and easy, the actual cutting work can be intimidating, even for a seasoned home craftsman.
Today, well cover everything you need to know about how to cut trim angles. When youre finished, you should feel much more confident in your ability to cut the angles you need to produce beautiful trim work.
What Youll Need
When it comes to cutting trim, youll be able to get the job done with little more than a compound miter saw. While other saws like a table saw or circular saw can do the same job, they are not as efficient at cutting precise trim work as a mitersaw.
For this project, I recommend you rent or borrow a compound miter saw if you dont already have one, rather than trying to make it work with what you have on hand.
Step I: Identifying The Cut You Need
The first step in cutting trim is going to be identifying the angle you need to cut. Interior trim is most popular at 90 and 135 degrees. Each angle can be either straight on or with a bullnose.
This video provides a great cheatsheet that will make it easier to determine the angle you need. Or, if you need a cheat sheet for all the complex angles youll (hopefully) never need to worry about, Dewalt offers a more comprehensive sheet.
Let’s pretend that we were completing trim on an interior wall at a 90-degree angle.
Step II: Trimming The Trim
Prep
A regular miter saw is not recommended for trimming trim. With a standard miter saw, youll need to make your cut vertically through the trim. This may not work for thicker trim pieces.
A compound miter saw will allow you to place the trim flat against the saw’s fence, adjust the head to the desired angle, and then cut the trim. This makes trimming trim much easier.
You should consider investing in a compound miter saw. If you don’t want to purchase one, borrowing or renting one will work just fine for this project.
Once youre ready to begin cutting, youll want to put on your safety goggles and work gloves. You may also want to consider wearing earplugs.
First Cut
This example shows how to cut trim for a 90-degree inside corner. Youll need to cut each piece of trim at a 45 angle so that when the two pieces butt together, theyll create the perfect 90 angle you need to create a polished look. The first thing you need to do is set the saw at 45 degrees.
Place the trim on top of the fence. Since were cutting for an inside corner, youll want to make your cut on the right side of the piece of trim.
With the trim firmly against the fence, turn the saw on and make your first cut. Always keep the hand youre holding the trim with at least 15 cm away from the blade of the saw.
Second Cut
The next step is to continue the process with the second trim piece you will need to complete your corner. Instead of holding the top edge of the trim against the fence you will do the opposite with the second. Place the trim on the fence so that its bottom touches the fence.
Now, you can make your second cut.
Outside Corners
If we were cutting trim for an outside corner instead of an inside corner, the entire process is identical. Instead of cutting from the front to the back, you should cut from the front to the back. This is because you will cut from the left side instead of the right.
It is easy to make other angled cuts by setting your saw to cut an angle and then working from one side or the other to create trim to fit the angle.
Final Word
Learning how to cut trim angles is a critical skill that every DIYer needs in their toolbox. High-quality trim work can make a big difference in your home’s appearance. You should feel a lot more confident when trimming your home.
Home Depot’s help page has more information about cutting and installing trim and molding.
