How To Install Door Trim: Beginner to Level 10 Pro! 

Been a carpenter for over fifty years and this is the first video that shows exactly how I do it. I even learned one new thing. Thanks. Your explanation skills are very good.

One more tip☝️ We get all our trim precut, some with miters already done, top part fit as is, sides are a bit to long, 2" or so.. So you set your top part where it should be. And the sides you turn upside down, putting the miter point to the floor, then you mark the top of your top piece on that side piece and cut it 90°. Turn it around and nail it in place. That way you have taken the 2 out of 3 measuring steps out of the equation 🎉

You're probably the experienced tradesman on RU-vid who's the best at not taking the little steps for granted. Great job.

Love the line up with saw trick. I always struggle measuring from short side.

Nice work. I work on a production trim crew. Mostly new construction. Speed is crucial but we have to do nice work. Our system for doors is based on the door slabs and jambs being identical for a given size. They almost always are. We cut all the casing to the same dimensions. We gang cut the straight ends if it's MDF, probably 6 at a time. All miters are cut individually. Often we'll put a slight bit of torque on the saw to create a subtle angle to help the exposed edges of the miter touch each other more easily. We do everything from left to right, so the left leg goes on first, then the left side of the header, then the right side of the header and right leg. It's super fast cause we eyeball the reveals, no measuring and marking, and never any gaps to the flooring. Instead of shims we hold a thin, narrow putty knife behind the casing to help with alignment. Pin things up, slide out the knife and everything stays put. It's a super fast system, and we only get compliments, never complaints. Just our way. Having a holster for your wood glue bottle speeds things up as well.

CA glue with activator was a game changer for me too. After that, I would suggest a battery powered nailer. Not having to drag that hose around and mar other surfaces has been awesome!

Level 11 results: on a big flat work table, arrange all 3 door trim pieces. Use 2-part ca spray glue to immediately bond the 45 degree angles exactly. The gaps will vanish. Carry the entire assembly over to your door frame and brad nail in place, shim between the wall and trim as necessary. Caulk joints to finish. Faster, easier, cleaner than futzing around adjusting and installing the 3 pieces individually.

You’ve literally changed my life with one trick. I will never have to hold my tape on 1 inch while doing headers again. Good god, thank you so much

Great video! Since I discovered mitre bond and preassembly, I’ve never looked back. The only way to trim interior doors and windows!

I've been doing this work my entire life. Watching your content is awesome. We can always do better, and you certainly do a great job. Thanks for sharing your talents!

You are without question, a skilled craftsman. Your video production skills are top-shelf, as well. Thank you for making these videos and sharing your knowledge.

I've been doing the CA glue method for a while, but you still gave me plenty of new things to learn. I definitely appreciate your attention to detail!

Nice tips. I glue and shim mine with pin nails to hold the corners to each other if they are close. If not, I use biscuits and glue... with shims as well to keep things solid on the wall. Painted trim is way easier to dress out than stained, since you can always finish it with caulk. ;)

Had to come back to this video to thank you!! I was working on casing around doors in our remodel this weekend, and I used the glue method on the miter joints. It worked PERFECTLY! This was my first time casing out doors myself and I've grown to really enjoy it. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and expertise!

I've been enjoying watching finish carpentry videos. I'm in the process of replacing the door trim and baseboards. I took my game to lvl 100! They were pricey, but I purchased 2 Clam Miter Clamps. I actually cut, glue and nail my miters before installing it on the door. This way my miter joints are invisible after a light sand in paint.

Yep used a combination square for years but few years ago 3d printed some reveal gauges.. Best thing ever for a trim carpenter!! I have 4 of em from 1/8th to 5/16th but mostly use the 1/4" and 3/16" mostly.. Quick tip at 4:47, instead of at the top, make the mark on the very bottom of the trim then line it up with a zero clearance insert.. Love your videos bro!! Keep em coming!!

I was just thinking about your channel the other day while I was on a job! I can’t tell you how stoked I am this video popped up! Glad you’re back….well back for me at least, maybe you never left.

Nice Install! Method number 1 is the most common for sure especially if door jambs are not quite true. I have heard some people use biscuits to connect the mouldings together. I also know there is a very old fashioned method where they use a holesaw on the back of the trim to drill 1/2 way through between the interconnecting pieces and then use a metal ring in that recess to clamp the pieces tight together. I sometimes wonder whether both methods are overkill for most homes but I guess it depends how your house is built and the movement the walls and floor are subjected to. Usually glue and a brad nail seems to suffice on the mitres especially if your mouldings are MDF

Experienced DIY, home gamer here. I use my grandfather's old combo square to mark the reveal. Works awesome.

After many years of finish. I learned to pre-assembled when possible. 2p10 thick with accelerator and a cam clamp. Cam clamps will give you the tightest miter...

great video, your door vids are always highest quality there is on youtube!

I love the bloopers at the end...so funny!

The bloopers are my absolute favourite. Can you just make a compilation of these at the end of the year.

I prefer rolling miters when I can but this is a great video for anyone trying to get the basics. I appreciate the bloopers man I swear sometimes I forget the english language when I'm trying to film something lol

Incredible timing for this video! I need to remove some interior window casings, fix drafts, and replace the outdated trim? Really appreciate the 2 different methods. I’m anxious, but the detailed explanations and instructions, really give me confidence. Thank you for another great video. Happy Holidays😊

When I used to trim homes that's how we did it. I recently did a reno with a flat profile trim like this but the walls and floors were very out of plumb and the spray glue was great for getting perfect flat profiles that required 0 filler on the front. Probably wouldn't do it on new builds because it takes too much time compared to just wood glue and nail on the spot but good when you just need it to hold in place nicely on a screwed-up wall.

Excellent description.

Great video!!! Merry Christmas

I prefer spraying the activator on the join after its held in position. When its sprayed on the second surface it can react with the glue on contact and prevent the two pieces coming together completely. You have to hold for a little longer but you also as much adjustment time as required.

Love the CA glue method. Only difference I like is placing my mouldings on the jamb and marking my mitres off the door. Give yourself an opportunity to make sure you will have a nice cut against the flooring(not that any customer actually cares) and it doesn’t take any longer. Good video anyway

lol....."...and if you're using metric, you're laughing at us...' lol that's funny, right there... and so true! Greg (garden grove, CA)

Thank you for showing the part when you align the mitre edge with the edge of the mitre saw base and hook the tape measure onto the mitre base - smart!

I love using both methods when doing trim, both work great, but the CA and spray is PRIMO! I worked on a large cottage last year that took about two weeks to trim out top to bottom and all the VERY high windows...ahhh, angled ones the CA was...as you say GOLDEN! Did this with all four pieces and I was just flabbergasted at the results, I have to say that I was feeling very good about my finished work, all the doors I did the other method and Bingo! Thanks for the encouragement you give to those who are taking a shot at it. Awesome video.

love the detail, thank you.

This is the way I was taught almost 12 years ago when I started doing finish carpentry.

A mini combination square also works well for setting reveals👍🏽

with this type of board for door and window trim I use biscuits to hold the corner and titebond glue. they never come apart.

Instead of lifting the miter saw blade guard to view placement prior to cutting, I found that you can keep the blade guard down (safety first) and simply view through the horizontal slits on the blade guard. Works very well.

The best shims for work like this is playing cards like they use in Vegas. Each card is exactly the same thickness. You can place a card on the gap and run your finger over it to see if its flush. If not add a card. if flush put the shims under and nail away.

Check out the Senco 21lxp nailer. Game changer! Shoots 21 gauge headed brad nails or headless pins up to 2". It almost has the holding power of 18 gauge but with a much smaller footprint closer to a 23 gauge. I am expert painter by trade but am a self taught near professional carpenter because of great videos like yours. I lend builders my 21g nail guns all the time, they love it, end up buying one and I love patching smaller holes, win win. Do your best, caulk the rest!

Thanks for sharing!

Love the trick with using shims. It definitely makes it a lot better.

Хорошая работа 👍. У нас мастера уже много лет так делают.

Only thing I do different is i have a straw on the activator. It took me three trips around the block and 20 years to get to this method. It works.

Love the channel. For a while i kept getting hairline gaps on the face of my miters It was so frustrating. Come to find out my miter saw blade wasnt 100% true. Sometimes your tool is the problem Cant wait to get the glue

Please remember to use longer nails on the outer edges, where they must (usually) pass through sheetrock or something else that adds zero nail-gripping action.

44.9 degrees on saw. 1.2 bevel on saw out side edge. Glue and Nail long outside edge while laying down. Attach legs with 1x4 , 2 ect across like a strap. Cure overnight.Raise as one piece nail on……done.

Mid Mod homes (or others with clean-line sensibilities) with ornate/decorative/curvy trim is a personal pet peeve. There is a place for every trim. Also, this is likely a long-suffering door frame that is used for demo purposes (I’ve seen it used in more than one vid) - for our benefit. So, thanks, @The Funny Carpenter

Thanks!

I like to use instant adhesive to fasten miters on the floor before putting up casing

Can we get a video showing all the trim molding being used in this room? Love the look so far.

Yep i learned a couple new tricks to make it better

Love this how to do video

I've seen door casings now where they just don't even bother with the miters. Just two boards on the side of the door and a board that just fits on top of them across the top. That sounds like it's more my speed.

The most mental thing of all is that Imperial's decimal-equivalents are easy to memorize, and more accurate, yet people still insist on relaying them in fractions (in multiples of 4, no less). It boggles the mind. Imperial's silly enough. Let's not complicate things any more than we have to... lol

I got goose bumps when I saw how tidy your miters were. So can a knucklehead carpenter get pro results with a spray gun? Inquiring minds want to know

What was that pry bar called the you used at the start?

I'm amazed how even 30 years ago they already just couldn't nail door jambs straight together, or drive hinge screws straight, and it's worse today :-( To the point that it's easier to assemble jambs and hang doors myself.

Yeah, wood glue is the way to go, but i'm a little slower because i like to use a clamp, such as Ulmia clamps or clam clamps. I leave it overnight! I don't think 2p10 is strong enough to do this, unless you're using mdf, then it works perfectly!! On wide flat casing i use biscuits, seems to to work pretty well!!

Looks great and easier using the second option. Is nails (what you're doing) or glue alone enough to fix the trim to the wall?

Just curious if C-A has the long term hold like TB ?

I have Hartford miter clamps. Shame they don’t make them anymore, they are an absolute game changer. Completely get rid of that gap at the short point

Question, would you used or recommend MDF trims?

Hi, Im located in the North Okanagan, where are you getting your 2p10 from?

Nice, but I like to trim clockwise around door keeping top piece a bit longer till I'm happy with left miter then doing right miter. I don't put last nail in right side of top miter till joint is adjusted.

Great tips. Why don't you get the attachment for your DeWalt that creates the shadow line? It's the reason I got rid of my Bosch saw and switched to DeWalt. No more guessing where the blade is going to come down.

Love the pro method and I will be trying that next time I trim a door or window! One question: You don't shoot a nail through the miter after the glue dries?

Do you put the sides right against the floor or leave a gap?

To make life easier on yourself, cut the 45 first, measure out your length and make a 90 cut. Much easier to cut your line so your not trying to see where the blade is hitting on an angle.

I plan on attempting this for my first time soon. I have the same trim you removed and want to put on something similar what you have here, but I’m curious what is normal practice if the door way is close to a adjacent wall that is less than the height of the trim and requires to be ripped on the table saw. Obviously 45 degrees on both cuts will no longer work 😅

if its paint grade then we always do it the way you did it with the first door but stain grade ill pre assemble before hand like the second door

You need to do a rolled miter. Put the shim on the saw then cut.

Lol! The dry erase board! 😂😂😂

What size is this door trim that you used

I'm retired and doing a lot of remodeling projects. I have an issue with a number of interior doors. The sheet rock is sitting proud around the door frame. I initially thought I could add a trim piece to bring the frame even, but the distance it's proud is not even from top to bottom. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I shot though my finger and hit the bone once … did it once … I learned good haha 😅

I love how he says how much he loves the pry bars but doesn't add a link.

How do you get trim (casing) properly when you have an old house, and there's an uneven gap when putting in new doors and frame? I have a 1/2" gap on one side, and zero gap on the other side on the inside of the door. This happened because the hardwood floors that run with the doors needed to be straight at the bottom, whereas the walls were not in line. What you're doing here is easy.

👍👍👍.Thank you

Why wouldn’t you use a high quality white caulk like sherwin max for the joints instead of wood glue? It’s strong and it makes the joints look that much better

Is your bee hive glazing bar any different than a Richards scrapper /pry bar?

No one told me math would be involved.

Link to chop saw points to more push blocks.

Instead of making a block on the table saw to mark your reveal just buy a Kreg Multi Mark tool. I use that for so many different things and it is always in my belt.

NICE ... Beard Pal ! ..

My first time trimming the bathroom door..do.. Let's just say I need more practice..It looks ok but definitelysee the some of the mistakes... I did notice my walls are not straight.. I going to redue it again in the summer.... My wife just wants done..

I'm facing an issue that might make for a 'how to' video. Wife added 3 broom hooks to the wall a few years back and decided they needed to be replaced. In pulling the old hooks (without asking for any help...) she pulled up about a 4 x 12 inch 'hole' in the paint - which is about 8-10 layers of old paint. I'm at a loss as to how to go about repairing this without stripping the entire wall. Is there a hack? Thanks for another great video brother!

Great advice unfortunately in my case the original installer use a combination or stable brad nails and framing nail. Followed by the thickest caulk job. Needless to say it was a process to remove without damaging the jam or drywall

I've seen other carpenter here mostly using 15g nails...

Wow

It’s best to cut at 45 1/2 nothing is a true 90 then go back and take one of those 1/2’s if need be! Funny!

I’ve tried the super glue way, it never works. It always breaks

Made my comment too soon - saw method #2😊

seriously why using imperial and make it harder than neccesarily? its redicoules instead of measuring 3/16 of an inch you can say 5 mm ! lol love your videos man, thanks

@8:32 you can see the nail flying I think for a split second.

Well done 👍 one piece of advice put some cardboard or canvas on you floor. You would be surprised how sloppy some of your viewers are

flat trim i will just use a orbital sander on miter and

Trim that is painted is far more forgiving. Can you do some tips for those DIY folks foolish enough to venture into hardwood baseboards and window and door casings. especially uneven floors, non plume walls, non straight walls, poorly executed drywall corners, and basically all the defectful houses that we live in

I was taught to add 2 1/4 in. ..for doors...n 4 1/2 in. ..for windows...this is much more accurate way.

Hey bud