May/June 2020 43BLAND, 1970S-ERA TRIM REALLY DRAGS DOWN
the look of a room. To replace it, you’ll
need basic hand tools and a miter saw.
You’ll also need a spirit of adventure.
First, remove the old trim without
wrecking everything in sight. Sounds
easy, but sometimes it’s not, espe-
cially if you just wedge a crowbar in
there. Start by slicing the layer of paint
or caulk where the trim meets the
wall. Then pry the trim away with the
thinnest pry bar you can find. I like to
begin with a hefty putty knife (called a
chisel-type). There is also a bar called a
fishtail-type that’s an extremely effec-
tive trim-removal tool. (1) Once you
get the trim moving, spread out the
prying load by wedging a wide, flat knife
between the pry bar and the wall. You
may find that the trim pulls off but the
nails stay put. That’s okay. You can pull
the nails afterward using a locking plier
with a block of wood as a fulcrum.
The hard part is cutting your new
trim. (2) For doors and windows, you
can go with a miter-free stacked design
or (3) cut a 45-degree miter (diagonal
cut) on the end of each piece of trim.REPLACE DATED WOOD TRIM
DIFFICULTY: ●●●○○
TOOLS AND
MATERIALS
Utility knife
Chisel putty knife
Fishtail pry bar
Wide, flat knife
Hammer
Miter saw
Wood filler
Nail sets
Primer
To p co a t
Combination
square1 423Before cutting any miters, make test
cuts on scrap wood and evaluate them
with a reliable square. If two 45-degree
cuts (or one at 90) don't make a right
angle, adjust the saw per the own-
er’s manual and reset the pointer at
45 degrees. Also make sure you have
a support under the piece of trim as
you’re cutting it—even if it’s nothing
more than blocks of scrap. Leaving trim
hanging off to the left and right as you
cut is the mark of the greenest green-
horn. Make your cuts—at 90 degrees or
45—aiming for a tight fit. You may need
to lightly nail up the trim before the final
nailing to check for fit. That way you can
adjust or even remove the trim if you
need to recut.
To create a smooth profile once the
trim is painted, sink the nails slightly
below the surface. If you use a nail gun,
it should set the nails as you fire them.
To set nails manually, use a trim ham-
mer and a nail set to sink each nail head.
(4) Cover each nail with filler; don’t use
caulk—it’ll leave an indent. Sand the
filler smooth. Apply primer formulated
for wood, and a compatible topcoat.