The long, straight runs are easy to install, but what do you do with an inside corner?
Your two options are to cope or miter the joint.
No single answer applies to all projectsor all people.
Andrii Shablovskyi / Getty Images
Learn about mitered vs. copedjointsfor inside corners and which is best for you.
Contrast an inside corner with an outside corner: a 90-degree angle where the walls face outward.
Coped joints only work with inside corners, not outside corners.
Mitered joints work with both inside and outside corners.
What Is a Coped Joint?
The other piece that meets the corner is cut to conform to the profile of the first piece.
This second piece butts into the face of the first piece.
The second trim piece’s profile is cut with a coping saw or jigsaw.
For this reason, it is often preferred for work with historic or period moldings.
Tip
Coped joints are easier to install because they are less affected byimperfect walls.
You may also favor coped baseboard joints in moisture-prone areas like bathrooms.
With a coped joint, it’s always best if the two sections meet at 90 degrees.
But, if necessary, the coped board can be angled a few degrees with little visual discrepancy.
Making a mitered joint requires either a power miter saw or a hand miter box and saw.
Modern power miter saws with fine-tooth blades quickly cut moldings to perfect angles for mitered joints.
When Walls Are Square
Inside corner walls are rarely perfectly 90 degrees.
But some are closer to 90 degrees than others.
By contrast, copes are tricky and take practice.
The board must remain steady.
The coping saw’s blade often becomes twisted within the saw handle.
Even the slightest wrong move might send the saw blade on the other side of the pencil mark.
Mitered joints are the quickest method for installing baseboards and other moldings requiring inside corners.
