DIY Perfect Baseboards

As promised, I'm back with more of our Entry Hall Makeover.  Today I'm going to attempt to tell/show you how to get your very own perfect baseboards with the perfectly finished off ends.

We are not pros by any means, total DIY people here.  Everything we do we look up on Pinterest and YouTube.  If you don't already know, those two sites are the best for the DIY types. *wink*

A few weeks ago my honey installed our nice new wood look tile floor and of course it was beautiful so we couldn't leave the bottom edge of the wall exposed like this for very long.  We wanted to add the baseboards back so it would look finished and gorgeous.  Check it out HERE for how we did the floor tile.

You will need to choose the type of baseboard look you're going for first.  We chose a very simple look.  The baseboard itself with a quarter round finish.  This is two separate pieces of wood.  You will also need a chop saw like you see above, or just a miter saw will work.  The reason being, you will need to be able to cut the wood pieces at an angle and it is much easier with the chop saw or a miter saw.

Here you can see the tall flat pieces (baseboard) up against the wall and then the skinnier rounded pieces (quarter round) touching the base board and the floor.  My honey's method was to make all the cuts first and lay everything out for what it would look like, then nail everything into place.

See the before picture above?  This is what we ended up with when he was all done cutting all the pieces to size.  He was NOT happy with that look and he wanted it to look more finished off.  We went straight to Pinterest for solution.  We found it HERE.  The after picture is what he ended up with after reading the very informative article.  So much better huh?

The trick is 45 degree angles.

You should always wear safety glasses when using power tools, but please wear safety glasses for this step because you will be cutting small pieces that could go airborne if they come in contact with the moving saw blade.

1. Turn your saw to the 45 degree cut on the left side like the picture above.  Take the ugly "end" of your 1/4 round and make a 45 degree cut on the very end.  Set it aside.

Make your end cap or return.

2. Take another piece of 1/4 round (this can be a scrap piece) and make a 45 degree cut using the opposite setting (to the right).  Now, return your saw to the center cut setting (middle) and make a straight cut right at the top tip of the right hand 45 you just cut.  You should now have a little tiny wedge or your end cap.

Here are the pieces before they are joined together.  You will need to add a bit of white caulk to the end cap before nailing it in to place, this will help secure it.  Next step is nailing it all in place.  We used our nail gun for a speedier process, but you can also use the old fashioned hammer and nails as well.

Look how nice and finished off those ends look now.  After these are painted, they will be perfect!

To finish off your baseboards completely, you will want to use a white paintable caulk.  Run a very small bead of caulk along all the open gaps.  With a damp finger, run your finger along the caulk bead to smooth it out.  Wipe excess into the nail holes and then if needed, have a damp cloth in your hand for any unneeded caulk.

Gorgeous!  All I have left to do is put a nice fresh coat of white paint on them and we'll be golden!

Hazel there under the little farm table, another one of our inspectors.  She's double checking Daddy's handy work. lol!

Fresh paint for everything coming up and some new decor too! Stay tuned!

Want to see what else we've done in our Entry Hall Makeover?

Porcelain Wood Look Tile Floor
Builder Grade Door Makeover

It doesn't have to be done all at once.  It is a slow process in the works! C-ya next time!

I'm Linking to:
These lovely and FUN parties!
Between Naps on the Porch
The Dedicated House  - (I was featured)