Good & Poor Comparison - Hardwood Trim Moldings

The proper installation of hardwood floors doesn't stop with installing the boards themselves. Another major importance would be the trim work that is needed to compliment the installation. Unfortunately I've seen far too many good installations that turned out poorly due to the threshold or trim pieces that were placed after the floor had been laid. I've mentioned several methods in finding the right professional and one is the importance of moisture testing but the finishing touches are just as important and can make a considerable difference.

When installing trim or thresholds that actually rest on the subfloor, preferences call for trying to avoid nailing because of unsightly nail holes that will have to be filled. Options include using 18 gauge nails with a pneumatic nail gun if a wood subfloor is present. Also called wire nails, they barely leave an entry hole caused by the nailing. Liquid nail or other urethane type glues can also be used in lieu of nails and are used frequently for trim installation on concrete. Quarter round on the other hand will most likely have to be nailed at all times to keep a tight fit against the baseboard; glue cannot hold as effectively.

The Door Casings

Door casings should be trimmed with the use of a jamb saw, often called an undercut saw.


Poor example	Good example

Quarter Round Trim


Poor example (no end cap)	Good example (with end cap)

Moldings at Tiled Areas - Poor Examples


Pieced T-Molding	Gapped T-Molding

Moldings at Tiled Areas - Good Examples


Mitered Molding	Larger view. Mitered T Molding

Other Trim Moldings


T Molding in bath doorway. Separates natural stone	Shoe molding before final painting

Wide T Molding at tile with end capped quarter round	T Molding scribed to fit

Overlap reducer on floating floor at door casing	Header board in doorway during installation