DIY Network

Floor Trim Installation Finish out that bathroom floor.

The new bathroom floor already looks great, but it's not quite done yet. Amy Matthews shows Erin how to get a professional look by installing bathroom-friendly polystyrene floor molding.

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Materials:

polystyrene base molding
shoe molding
miter saw
safety glasses
stud finder
pencil
finish nailer
coping saw

	Figure A
	Figure B
	Figure C

Floor Trim Installation

• Base molding isn't just pretty – it also helps cover the expansion gap between the floorboards and the wall, preventing dirt and debris from collecting there.

• Measure the walls and cut base molding to length with a miter saw. This project used a polystyrene molding that looks like wood but is much less reactive to dampness or heat.

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and use caution when using a miter saw, jigsaw or any power saw.

• Locate the studs in the wall (figure A) and use a finish nailer to secure base molding to the wall at the studs (figure B).

  Safety Alert: Always wear safety glasses and use extreme caution when working with a finish nailer or any power nailer. These powerful tools can drive a nail through wood – or a hand or foot – instantly.

• For inside corners, cut the piece to length at a 45-degree angle with a miter saw. Use a coping saw to trim out excess material behind the cut so the pieces fit snugly (figure C).

• Cut base shoe – a quarter-round molding that goes at the bottom of the base molding – to length and attach with a finish nailer. Nail at an angle so that the nail goes downward, into the wood; the nails won't hold if driven straight into the polystyrene molding. Miter the corners as with the base molding.