Scarf joints help conceal the seam in your molding.
Before remodeling, learn how to make one.
But a joint becomes unavoidable when the room is longer than your molding.
The solution is a scarf joint to make the seam as invisible as possible.
Learn how to make one for your home makeover using our helpful tips below.
That way, you’ll only see the seam on amoving day.
opt for location for the scarf joint, positioning itover a stud, if possible.
Mark the stud’s edges and centerline onto a piece of tape applied to the wall.
In this example, the corner at the right is fitted first.
To help your cutting, mark diagonally across your molding piece.
Nail this piece to the wall at the other stud locations along the wall.
Notice that the miter runs opposite to the cut in the first piece you installed.
Makeseveral cutsto sneak up to a perfect fit.
Slightly angle the pilot holes so the joint doesn’t slide apart when you drive the nails.
Drive Nails and Sand
Apply glue to both ends of the joint.
Get both nails started through the pilots before you drive either one of them completely.
Countersink the nails as little as possible.
Sand the joint smooth and touch up the paint.
Remove dust with a tack cloth, then apply primer to the raw wood.
Curved Edge
Smooth curved surfaces with sandpaper wrapped around a rod or cylinder that matches the molding.
Some good cylinders include round pencils, dowel rods, and PVC plumbing pipes.
Pressure-sensitive abrasive (PSA) sticks to the cylinder, making your work easy.
Spraying adhesive on ordinary sandpaper is a good alternative to a PSA.
Doing this significantly reduces the work you better perform whilestanding on a ladder.
As a result, you get better joints with less work.
Align the assembly against a straightedge and apply strips of masking tape to keep the joint shut.
Glue and screw a plywood gusset over the seam.
Steel mending plates are a good alternative to plywood, lending excellent strength with minimum bulk.
Choose coarse-threaded screws for maximum holding power in softwoods.
Don’t attempt to drive or shoot nails through the metal plates during installation.
Disguising the Joint
it’s possible for you to do several other things to disguise the joint.
If you’rejoining woodthat will get a clear finish, join pieces that have the same subdued grain pattern.
Joining a wildly grained strip with one that has straight grain will make the difference immediately apparent.
Painted scarf jointsare easy to conceal, but they still require careful workmanship and sanding.
Paint is merely a finishing coat, not a cure for a poor fit.
Touch up the joint’s ends with a stain pen to eliminate the appearance of raw wood.
More Tips for Installing Trim and Molding
It’s all in the details.
