Laminate

Cutting Base Shoe and Quarter Round Miters

Cutting and fastening quarter round and base shoe: 45-degree corners, returns and splices, and why trim is nailed to the wall, never the floor.

Updated · 2 min read

Quarter round and base shoe cover the expansion gap, so they have to be fastened to the wall or baseboard and never to the floor. Most rooms need only 45-degree cuts, plus returns at door frames.

Fasten to the wall, not the floor

Every flooring maker says the same thing.

  • Never nail base shoe to the flooring; nail it only to the wall or baseboard.[2]
  • On floating floors, hold trim at least 1/16" off the floor and never fasten it to or through the flooring.[2]
  • Keep nails and screws out of the flooring and out of the expansion gap around the perimeter.[3]
  • Nail molding to the wall, not through the flooring.[4] Nail quarter round straight into the baseboard without pinching the floor.[5]
  • Never hard-caulk moldings to the floor; use 100% silicone.[6]

The cuts

Most rooms only need the first row. The others cover out-of-square walls, door frames and long runs.[1]

Situation Cut
Square inside and outside corners 45 degrees, with outside corners cut the opposite way from inside corners[1]
Walls that aren't square 21.5 and 33.5 degrees are also common[1]
Ending at a door frame 45-degree back-cut plus a small return piece, joined at 90 degrees
Joining two lengths Two 45-degree cuts running in opposite directions

Step by step

Work around the room from one corner.

  1. Pull the spacers and vacuum the gap.
  2. Cut the first corner at 45 degrees, measure, and cut the other end.
  3. Test-fit before nailing. Adjust the angle on corners that aren't square.
  4. Nail into the baseboard or wall. Angle the nails, use #6 or #8 finishing nails, set each nail, and space them every 8".[1]
  5. At door frames, finish with a return piece.
  6. In wet areas, put 100% silicone in each 45-degree joint.[1]

Miter cutters

A lever miter cutter cuts shoe and quarter round without a saw.

  • The Crain No. 855 cuts wood quarter round without a chop saw, with gauges for straight, 22.5° and 45° cuts. The 22.5° setting makes a soft corner.[7]
  • The Lowe 3104 cuts wood quarter round, plastic trim and rubber, with an anvil marked at 45°, 60°, 75° and 90°.[8]
  • For vinyl trim, the Crain No. 880 makes clean, straight 45° cuts.[9]
  • Metal trim needs a hacksaw and a miter box like the Crain No. 176.[10]

Common mistakes

These pin the floor or open the corners.

  • Nailing down into the floor. A floating floor can't move and will peak.
  • Pressing trim hard onto the floor. Leave a slight clearance.
  • Caulking trim to the floor with hard caulk.
  • Dull blades. They crush the profile. Replace the blade.

Pinned floors are covered in Peaking, gapping and bounce.

Tools we carry

These are the miter cutters and blades we stock.

References

  1. Mohawk: Quarter round installation
  2. NWFA: Wood Flooring Installation Guidelines
  3. Pergo Extreme installation
  4. AHF: Rigid core installation
  5. Mannington: ADURA Max installation
  6. Mannington: Laminate installation
  7. Crain No. 855 wood miter (product page)
  8. Gundlach/Lowe 3104 miter cutter (product page)
  9. Crain No. 880 vinyl miter (product page)
  10. Crain No. 176 miter box (product page)

Linked PDF documents are archived copies saved by PreFloor Tools so they stay available if the publisher moves or removes them. Check the publisher's website for the latest revision.

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