The Easiest Way to Cut Quarter Round for Any Room

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How to cut quarter round for neat, finished angles
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Quarter round (sometimes called shoe round or shoe moulding) is a lovely finishing touch in most rooms. With a bit of care, you can effectively cut quarter round for joints and corners, or use the "round return" method for door jambs. We’re here with everything you need to know to get started working with quarter round, including expert tips from handymen Ryan Tuttle and Abraham Schwartz to take your home improvement project to the next level.

How to Cut Quarter Round: Quick Tips

Lay your quarter round against the wall where you’re going to install it and use a pencil to mark the angle you’ll need to cut. You’ll usually cut quarter round at a 45° angle. Place the quarter round into a miter box to secure it, then make your cut with a cordless trim saw along the angle that you marked.

Section 1 of 2:

Trimming Quarter Round for Joints and Corners

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  1. Quarter round is available in 8 ft (2.4 m) and 16 ft (4.9 m) lengths. Measure the room where you’re installing the quarter round, then select pieces that closely match the length of the walls.
    • For most rooms, 8 ft (2.4 m) quarter round is easier to work with, but for very large rooms, you might prefer 16 ft (4.9 m) lengths.
    • Quarter round is available at most home improvement stores. You can also buy flexible plastic quarter round online.
  2. Place your pieces of quarter round on the floor up against the wall. Make small pencil marks to indicate the places where you will need to trim your quarter round to fit. [1]
    • It’s better to use a single piece of quarter round against a wall whenever possible.
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  3. Each piece of quarter round will end at either a joint, a corner, or a door jamb. Quarter round will always be cut at an angle, usually 45 degrees. [2]
    • If you need to make a joint—or join two pieces of quarter round along the same wall—cut both pieces at 45-degree angles in the same direction (meaning both angled to the left, or both to the right). The cuts should fit together to form a flat line against the wall.
    • Most corners will be 90-degree angles. For these, cut corner pieces at 45-degree angles in opposite directions (one to the left and one to the right, so that they fit together).
    • For corners that are very different from 90 degrees, measure the angle with a protractor and divide this number by 2 to determine the angle of your cuts.
    • If your quarter round will end at an obstruction, cut at a 45-degree angle and attach a quarter round return.
    Andy Engel, Expert Carpenter

    When cutting quarter round for inside corners, I always miter the adjoining pieces at 45 degrees to form a clean junction. First, measure and mark the location of the corner on each piece. Then set the miter saw to 45 degrees and carefully cut along both pencil lines. Remember to make slow, smooth passes with even pressure on the saw.

  4. Tuttle says that the best way to cut wood quarter round is to “use a small saw, like a cordless trim saw.” [3] Slide the quarter round into a miter box and use the pins to secure it. Steady the miter box with your non-dominant hand, and hold the trim saw in your dominant hand at the angle you want to cut it. Apply pressure with the saw, moving it back and forth over the quarter round until your cut is finished. [4]
  5. Tuttle advises, “If you’re working with plastic quarter round, they make special shears that have the degrees on them. You put the quarter round on the tool, which has a sharp utility blade, and it cuts it on an angle for you.” [5]
    • You can buy miter shears online or at a big box hardware store.
  6. To cope quarter round , miter it like you normally would, but leave one piece about 1 in (2.5 cm) longer than the wall measurement. Take that piece and cut out a 1 in (2.5 cm) piece on the back of the quarter round along the edge where the two pieces will meet. Cut as close to the front of the wood as you can, but don’t cut the part of the wood that you’ll see when the quarter round is installed. [6]
    • When you install the quarter round, install the non-coped piece first, then fit the coped piece over it to create a tight seam.
    • Coping can be a good option when you need to fit quarter round against curved moulding.
    • If coping seems too difficult, or if there’s still a gap even after you tried coping the wood, you can just fill in any gaps with caulk.
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Section 2 of 2:

Cutting Quarter Round Returns

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  1. Place a length of quarter round up against your wall. Use a small pencil mark to indicate where the quarter round meets the door jamb (or other obstruction). [7]
  2. Place your quarter round into a miter box and secure it with the pins provided. Use a trim saw to cut your wood at a 45-degree angle, angled away from the door jamb. The pencil marking you made should form the corner of your 45-degree angle. [8]
    • You can purchase a miter box and saw set from most home improvement stores, or online.
    • Wear gloves and protective eye wear.
    • Always be careful when using a saw.
  3. Take another small piece quarter round and place it into your miter box. Use your saw to make a 45-degree cut, angled in the opposite direction (if your previous cut in the quarter round was angled to the left, this one will angle to the right). Change the angle of your saw and make a straight cut about 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) away from your angle cut. You should end up with an end cap that is flat on one side and a 45-degree angle on the other side. [9]
  4. Line up the longer piece of quarter round up against the wall where it will go. Spin your end cap so that the flat cut is up against the wall, the angle cut is against the other piece of quarter round, and the finished side is visible. [10]
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do you cut a quarter round by hand?
    Ryaan Tuttle
    Home Improvement Specialist
    Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 17 years of experience, he specializes in building home service businesses, focusing on creating scalable and efficient brands. With the help of his global team, the companies have achieved over 10+ million in sales and received recognition through magazine features, and enjoy partnerships with wikiHow and Jobber field service software. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston. Ryaan holds Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses.
    Ryaan Tuttle
    Home Improvement Specialist
    Expert Answer
    That will depend on what material you're working with. If it's wood, for example, you can use a small cordless trim saw.
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  • Question
    What tool do you use for cutting plastic?
    Ryaan Tuttle
    Home Improvement Specialist
    Ryaan Tuttle is a Home Improvement Specialist and the CEO of Best Handyman, Inc. in Boston, Massachusetts. With over 17 years of experience, he specializes in building home service businesses, focusing on creating scalable and efficient brands. With the help of his global team, the companies have achieved over 10+ million in sales and received recognition through magazine features, and enjoy partnerships with wikiHow and Jobber field service software. Boston Magazine and LocalBest.com have named Best Handyman Boston the Best Handyman in Boston. Ryaan holds Construction Supervisor and Home Improvement Contractor Licenses.
    Ryaan Tuttle
    Home Improvement Specialist
    Expert Answer
    You can use special shears with different degrees. Just put it on there with a sharp utility blade and it will cut on an angle for you. It's that easy!
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 3 Helpful 7
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      Things You'll Need

      • Quarter round (also called shoe moulding)
      • Pencil
      • Miter box and hand saw
      • Gloves
      • Eye protection

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NiHDQeFOLQ&feature=youtu.be&t=196
      2. ↑ https://www.stcenters.org/cms/lib/PA01916724/Centricity/domain/59/learning+guides/1100+InteriorFinishModule.pdf
      3. ↑ Ryaan Tuttle. Home Improvement Specialist. Expert Interview. 17 February 2022.
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NiHDQeFOLQ&feature=youtu.be&t=231
      5. ↑ Ryaan Tuttle. Home Improvement Specialist. Expert Interview. 17 February 2022.
      6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=260&v=OrVBbDYTm5U&feature=youtu.be
      7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NiHDQeFOLQ&feature=youtu.be&t=196
      8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNoc6Nw1VXM
      9. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyboecepR7k
      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyboecepR7k

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To cut a piece of quarter round, first measure the length of your walls so you can select the correct length of quarter round pieces. Line up your pieces against the wall and mark the spots you need to cut with a pencil. Make your cuts based on your markings, remembering to cut at a 45-degree angle to improve the finish. If you’re cutting a joint piece, angle the 45-degree cuts in the same direction, so that they both angle left. Alternatively, cut the angles in opposite directions if they’ll meet in a corner. Once you've determined how to cut your pieces, make sure to put on gloves and protective eye wear before using your miter saw. For tips on how to cut quarter round returns, read on!

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