Quarter rounds are incredibly useful for helping to create a more distinct sense of space within a home, and they help to add a great layer of decorative flair to any internal space.
Quarter rounds are not only decorative but also incredibly practical, as they can help to hide imperfections that may show up between the bottom of the wall and the floor closest to it. This helps to create a unified sense of shape.
However, in order for a quarter round to really get the job done and make an interior space look right, you need to make sure that you cut it perfectly, right?
We’re sure you’ve found yourself in that annoying situation when you’ve finished decorating the walls and floor of a space, only to find that your planned quarter rounds just aren’t going to fit.
Well, join us down below, because we are going to show you how to perfectly cut a quarter round to spruce up your home!
There are generally two cuts you will want to make on your quarter rounds when two pieces meet at a corner, and when you want to end a row of quarter rounds at the end of a wall. The cuts you choose will depend on where the quarter rounds are.
How Do You Cut A Quarter Round?
You will want to make sure you cut your quarter round just right so that it can accommodate for difficult corners and fit into place.
There are two types of cuts you are generally going to want to make when working with quarter rounds. You will either need to cut two quarter rounds where they meet in an internal corner, or where it pokes over the edge of the wall!
Let’s find out how to make these cuts, shall we?
How To Cut A Quarter Round For Corners
Step 1. Make Some Markings
If you need to have two pieces of quarter round meet in a small corner, then you will want to start by grabbing your quarter rounds, and just go about laying them in position, to see how far certain pieces poke out, and how much you can trim them down.
Make markings along the quarter rounds where you will need to make a cut.
Step 2. Create The Perfect Angles
In most cases, you will need to make a 45-degree angle cut on quarter rounds to help them to meet in a corner, but this can depend on the shape of the corner.
However, if your corner is at a 90-degree angle, then you will want a 45-degree angle cut on each piece of quarter round to allow them to meet together comfortably.
If you have walls that meet at corners of different angles, don’t worry, because you can work out the angle of your quarter-round cuts quite easily!
Take a protractor and measure the angle of your corner, and then divide that angle into two halves to determine the angle at which you should cut your quarter rounds!
Step 3. Make Your Cut
Now that you have determined the correct angle, you can go about making your cut! For the rest of this guide, we will work under the assumption that you will be making 45 degrees cuts!
In order to make a clean cut every time on each quarter round, we strongly recommend making use of a miter box, which is designed to help a saw stay fixed at a certain angle as you cut.
These can be purchased quite easily at your local hardware store!
All you need to do is place the quarter round into the miter box, find the angle you want to cut, and then align the saw accordingly to begin making the cut!
Make sure to hold the miter box in place as you cut with your non-dominant hand.
We strongly recommend that you wear protective equipment, such as safety goggles. This keeps small shards of wood from hitting your eyes!
How To Cut Quarter Round Returns
When your quarter rounds have reached the ends of your wall, you will likely want to cap it off with a quarter round return. Here’s how to create one.
Step 1. Make Some Markings
The first thing you are going to need to do is to mark out the point at which you want to bring your quarter rounds to an end with a return.
Place the quarter round against the wall, and make a pencil mark around the point you will want to make your cut and place your return.
Step 2. Prepare To Cut
Again, here we recommend making use of a miter box, especially if you need to create a 45-degree angle with your cut.
Place your quarter round into your miter box, at the angle you want to create.
You will want to make sure that the angle of the cut is facing away from the obstruction you are cutting around, such as the end of a wall or the edge of a door frame.
Again, hold the miter box firmly with your other hand, and make your cut! We recommend wearing some safety goggles to account for shards of wood!
Step 3. Create A Cap
Now, you will want to grab another piece of quarter round and put it into position in your miter box to start creating another 45-degree cut.
Make your cut, and then flip the wood around into a position that will allow you to cut another 45-degree angle on the same piece of wood, in the opposite direction.
You should make the cut in such a way that the angles meet at a central tip.
You have now created an end cap that you can use to create the perfect quarter-round return! Simply fix it into place from here!
To Wrap Up
As you can now see, cutting a quarter round is actually incredibly easy, but you need to make sure that you do it just right.
We hope that this guide not only proves enlightening but that it also helps you to achieve amazing results that look simply awesome in your home!
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