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My staircase hits the floor at a 40 degree angle. How an I bring it and the base trim together?

My thought right now is cut the top contour off the bottom trim and run the upper into it like that.

The contour won't meet perfect but likely clean it with some caulk and just let it be.

Just seems too long of a cut given the angle to get a perfect meeting joint if I try to cut angles for the contours on top of the trim as a whole. Hardest cut I have ever had to do.

base trim cut

The old trim

Rough cut of what I am currently considering

Profile of new trim

Generichbomb
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    What's the question? – Phil Freedenberg Dec 16 '22 at 13:23
  • Sorry, is there a better method for meeting those two trim pieces. Not sure how a pro would handle it. I can go my method but won't be clean up to what I would like. Just want to see if there is any tricks out there I don't know. – Generichbomb Dec 16 '22 at 13:58
  • So your question is, "I need to install trim under the stair stringer, but I'm not sure how to make the join to the existing floor trim. What are some of my options?" If so, feel free to [edit] your question to actually ask that. Sure, it's hard. We know that, otherwise you wouldn't be here asking... It might also be helpful to show the trim piece that you're planning on putting in there. How to make them meet nicely will probably also depend on what kind of detail there is on that piece of trim. – FreeMan Dec 16 '22 at 14:21
  • I think your top trim should run all the way to the floor, without seeing the actual piece I couldn't say for sure. What did it look like before? – Platinum Goose Dec 16 '22 at 14:44
  • I'll take some more pictures on my lunch break, the other side of the stair case has the original trim still up. – Generichbomb Dec 16 '22 at 15:02
  • Personally, I'd have the stringer trim die into the floor trim. Much shorter cut, much easier to make. Then it's just a matter of dealing with the detail on the top of the floor trim - how you handle that is up to you. – FreeMan Dec 16 '22 at 15:15
  • @FreeMan, you'd have to cope the bottom to mate with the base trim profile. How do you propose that be done? – isherwood Dec 16 '22 at 15:23
  • @isherwood by coping. It appears that there's another piece of base trim that's already been pulled (left edge of the pic). That can be used to get the basic profile, then it can be refined in place. Of course, this is all just speculation until we have pics and clarification from the OP. – FreeMan Dec 16 '22 at 15:29
  • Have you ever tried a _horizontal_ cope? It's not fun. – isherwood Dec 16 '22 at 15:31
  • Added a few more pictures to clarify what I started with, the trim profile and my thoughts. – Generichbomb Dec 16 '22 at 17:32

1 Answers1

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I get the impression that you're using the same molding for the skirt under the finish stringer as for the base trim. If so, they'd meet like any other base trim corner... with a miter.

You'll split the angle you mentioned (~40°) so that each piece has about a 20° miter. It's long and fussy, but that's the right way. Try it out with some scrap until you get the exact angle. Both cuts need the same angle or they won't match at the inside. With that long of a cut any error is compounded.

One trick is to use a square (90°) jig mounted to your miter saw to invert the angle. You'd orient the workpiece perpendicular to the saw's fence and make the 20° cut instead of trying to make a 70° cut, which most saws won't do.

You can also use any other convenient angle for your jig, just as long as it's mounted securely.

isherwood
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  • Didn't think about rotating the work piece. Very long cut, could start it on the miter saw but I would have to finish it by hand or maybe a small circular saw. That has to be about a 10" cut length. Might be able to make it work though – Generichbomb Dec 16 '22 at 17:38
  • I'd put it at more like 8". A 12" saw or a sliding 10" saw should do it fine. – isherwood Dec 16 '22 at 18:09