How to Install Quarter-Round or Shoe Molding Trim

Shoe molding is a finishing look for baseboards, covering the wall-to-floor seam

By
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender
Lee Wallender

Lee has over two decades of hands-on experience remodeling, fixing, and improving homes, and has been providing home improvement advice for years.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process
Updated on 10/14/23
In This Article
Project Overview
  • Total Time: 1 hr
  • Yield: 60 linear feet
  • Skill Level: Intermediate
  • Estimated Cost: $50 to $100

Shoe molding or base shoe molding is a decorative finishing touch for baseboards. This small, thin strip of molding is painted to match the baseboard trim, fitting into the right angle (or gap) created by the floor and wall's baseboard. It's similar to quarter-round baseboard trim, which is similar in height but not as rounded.

Without a baseboard or shoe molding, the gap between the wall and floor could look unsightly, and homes would experience energy-wasting drafts from these corner gaps. Shoe molding and quarter-round molding are inexpensive, easy-to-install solutions that replace an ugly strip of caulk sometimes used to fill the gap. Installation is made easier by using an electric brad nailer. This tool will automatically set or recess the small finish nails you need for shoe molding or quarter-round trim and can significantly speed up your work.

Baseboard shoe molding

The Spruce / Margot Cavin

Quarter-Round Trim vs. Shoe Molding

Two types of molding can be used: quarter-round or shoe molding. After installation, both will look similar, though their profiles are different. Carpenters like to use these bottom trim pieces because they reduce the need for complicated baseboard scribe cuts. Professionals prefer to attach shoe molding with a nail gun rather than glue. Nailing ensures a snug, consistent fit and allows you to access the area underneath the trim if necessary.

Quarter-Round

As the name indicates, a quarter-round molding will appear to be one-quarter of a full circle, with both flat faces the same width when viewed from the end. The length that the quarter-round protrudes from the wall is the same as its height.

Another way to think of quarter-round molding is to imagine a round dowel. From the end, the dowel is cut into four pie pieces. Each resulting piece would be a quarter-round.

Shoe Molding

Shoe molding is not as rounded as quarter-round molding. Its reduced protrusion affords a bit more flooring room and gives the trim a more finished look as it appears to hug the baseboard.

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Types of Quarter-Round and Shoe Molding

Molding can be made from wood, MDF, and synthetics like foam, plastic, and rubber. Wood is the most commonly used material and can be the most expensive depending on the wood type. Depending on the material, they are stored as long, rigid strips or flexible spools

Long, Rigid Strips

Materials like wood, MDF, and polystyrene are rigid and sold in long, thin, plank-like strips. Shoe molding and quarter-round trim moldings start as long round dowels that are then rip-cut and milled into their respective shapes. 

They are stocked in long lengths and racked vertically at the home improvement store or lumber center. This extra-long length works well, so you can use full-length pieces to cover most walls.

  • Wood: Pine is a common softwood used for trim. It can be clear-coated, stained, or painted, giving a warm rustic look. It's the least expensive wood species, averaging about $1.50 per linear foot. Oak is the most common hardwood used; it has a distinctive grain and can be clear-coated, painted, or stained for a deeper, richer wood tone. It costs about $3 to $5 per linear square foot. Maple, cherry, and mahogany are the most expensive wood species used for baseboard molding, averaging $5 to $10 per linear foot.
  • MDF (medium-density fiberboard): A composite material made from wood by-products, it often comes pre-primed, ready for installation and painting, if necessary. It is inexpensive, about $1 per linear foot.
  • Polystyrene: Polystyrene is the lightest and least dense material, made of styrene polymers or "Styrofoam." It is the cheapest material and does not hold up like other materials. It is also inexpensive, about $1.50 per linear foot.

Flexible Spools

Materials made of rubber and synthetic polymers, such as polyurethane and PVC, are considered "flexible trim." These shoe and quarter-round moldings are thin and flexible, intended to bend and conform to the floor's profile, and can be purchased in spools or coiled, making them easier to carry and unroll to cut to size and tack down.

  • Rubber: Usually made of a high-quality aviation and medical grade rubber material, stable, soft, waterproof, high-temperature resistant, corrosion resistant, and easy to cut. It is the priciest of the flexible molding types, about $5 per linear foot.
  • Polyurethane: This extruded foam material is inexpensive and much lighter than wood. It holds up to changing temperatures, moist environments, and outside locations. However, polyurethane can be damaged easily. It is inexpensive, about $1.50 per linear foot.
  • PVC (polyvinyl chloride): A strong, rigid material that mimics wood's look while ensuring moisture protection. It won't crack or chip but is prone to getting brittle in cold temperatures. It is the least expensive of the flexible molding types, costing about $1 per linear foot.

Pre-Finish the Trim (Optional)

Paint quarter-round or shoe trim before or after installation—there's no right or wrong way. Most carpenters like to finish the long trim pieces before measuring, cutting, and installing them—either by painting or applying stain and varnish. Painting before tacking down is considerably easier than finishing the quarter-round or shoe molding after it is nailed down. Some touch-up work will be needed after the trim is installed, but this can be done with a brush. A downside of pre-finishing is that you may have nail holes you'll need to fill in.

When using wooden molding, make them clean and smooth by giving them a light sanding. Run a tack cloth down the length to remove sawdust. Apply paint or stain as desired.

If staining, make sure to choose a stain-grade hardwood base-shoe or quarter-round molding, preferably the same species of wood as your baseboards or floors. Pine or other softwoods are suitable for painting but do not take stains very well. When handling small molding, wiping on a stain with ​a rag is the easiest method. Once the stain has dried, apply a top-coat varnish, following the manufacturer's directions. Let the finish dry completely before proceeding to installation. 

Shoe molding tools
The Spruce / Margot Cavin

What You'll Need

Equipment / Tools

  • Tack cloth (optional)
  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Power miter saw or handsaw and miter box
  • Brad nailer
  • Hammer
  • Nail set

Materials

  • Quarter-round or shoe molding
  • Finish nails or brads
  • Paint, or stain and varnish (optional)
  • Sandpaper (optional)
  • Wood glue
  • Painter's tape
  • Wood putty (optional)

Instructions

Installing Quarter-Round or Shoe-Molding Trim

You can join shorter pieces to cover a long wall using scarf joints, but most carpenters try to avoid this by using full-length pieces for a smoother look. The following installation steps feature inside and outside miters to join pieces of moldings at the corners. Cut the ends of the moldings at 45 degrees to make the 90-degree corners. This tutorial also demonstrates how to cut and install a return, a small piece that finishes off an exposed end of the trim.

  1. Measure and Mark the First Trim Piece

    Instead of measuring, marking, and cutting all pieces before nailing, it will be easier to avoid mistakes by measuring, cutting, and installing the trim one piece at a time. 

    • If you are beginning with a piece that will fit an outside corner, such as around a post or wall arch, position the molding across the wall and mark the ends with a pencil at the wall intersection. If you are installing base shoe molding, make sure that the long edge of the molding is upright against the wall.
    • Make a light angle mark to show the general direction the miter cut will make—it does not need to be precise. The purpose of the mark is simply a reminder to yourself of the general direction of the 45-degree cut.
    • If you are beginning with a piece of molding that will fit inside corners, measure the entire length of the wall and mark a long piece of molding to these dimensions.

    Tip

    It's OK to cut pieces a little bit long if you're using a power miter saw, which can cleanly shave off a tiny amount of wood. If you're using a handsaw and miter box, getting the length right on the first cut is best because fine adjustments are difficult.

    Mark first trim on baseboard
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  2. Miter-Cut the First Molding Piece

    • Set the handsaw or miter saw blade to 45 degrees.
    • Position the trim piece on the miter box or saw base so the blade touches the pencil mark. Ensure the blade is to the outside edge of the pencil mark, preserving the mark. It is easy to cut too short if you cut through the mark itself. 
    • Make the first cut.
    • Reverse the saw to 45 degrees in the opposite direction, then cut the other end of the trim at an opposite 45-degree angle. 
    Use miter saw to cut board
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  3. Test-Fit the First Piece

    • Position the first cut piece of trim in its wall position and check its length.
    • If it is slightly too long, you can take a thin kerf-cut slice off one end of the molding to make it fit exactly. Do not fasten the first piece, as it needs to be movable until you cut the second piece. 
    Test fit the first cut baseboard
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  4. Cut the Second Piece

    • Measure, mark, and cut the second piece of trim.
    • Cut the angle correctly so the piece will precisely meet the miter angle of the first piece. 
    Cut second baseboard
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  5. Test-Fit the Second Piece

    Set this second trim piece on the floor and check its length and fit with the first piece.

    Skilled carpenters, when faced with corners slightly out of square, adjust the angles of the miter cuts to make the trim pieces fit precisely. For example, if an outside corner is 94 degrees rather than 90 degrees, making the trim miters at 47 degrees will create a perfect fit.

    Tip

    Use waste trim and experiment with getting a perfect fit by cutting different angles.

    Test fit second baseboard
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  6. Nail the First Two Pieces, and Continue

    Position each trim piece and fasten it with a brad nailer or by hand-nailing with a hammer and nail set.

    • To use the brad nailer, calibrate the depth of the nailer using a piece of waste trim on another waste board.
    • Once you know the depth, drive the finish nails or brads about every 18 inches. Hold the nailer close to horizontal but angled slightly downward. Hold the trim tight against the floor and baseboard as you fire the nailer. 
    • If hand-nailing, drive each nail almost flush with the wood surface, then tap it just below the surface with a set and the hammer.
    • Continue measuring, cutting, and nailing trim pieces around the room, one piece at a time.
    Nail baseboard to wall
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  7. Create a Return Piece to Finish the Ends

    A return is a small piece of molding that neatly finishes off the end of a piece of quarter-round or shoe molding where it ends without turning another corner. It's optional, but a nice finishing touch, making your work look more professional since it hides the end grain that would be exposed if you cut the trim off straight on the end. Here's how to do it:

    • For the piece that will terminate in a return, lay down a piece of molding that is several inches longer than the length you need.
    • Mark your cut point on the bottom of the molding, not the top.
    • Lay down a light pencil mark to show your angle.
    • Cut the piece to a 45-degree angle, position it, and glue it into place. 
    Create a return piece for end of baseboard
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  8. Measure and Mark the Return Piece

    A return piece is a very short stub of trim that will fit into the angle at the end of the first piece. Position a second short piece of mitered trim against the wall, with the mitered end matching the miter on the preceding piece.

    Measure and mark return piece
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  9. Cut the Return Piece

    Cutting the tiny piece of return trim can be challenging, especially with a power saw, where the speed of the blade can break the small piece. Instead, make this cut with a manual miter box and saw.

    • First, cut the small return piece at a 90-degree angle across its end.
    • Test-fit the return piece to make sure that it fits.
    • Cut a new return piece.
    Cut return piece
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

  10. Glue the Return Piece

    Nailing a return piece is impractical, as the wood will split when a nail is driven.

    • Apply a tiny dot of wood glue to the mitered edge of the return piece where it meets the first piece. Do not glue the wall side or floor side of the return piece. 
    • Press the return piece in place so the mitered edges meet, and let the pieces sit undisturbed until the glue dries.
    • Tape the pieces with painter's tape to hold them while the glue cures.
    Glue return piece
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin

      

  11. Finish the Installation

    • Even when using a finishing nail gun or brad nailer set to the correct depth, finish nail heads will occasionally protrude from the trim. Pounding the nail head with a hammer will mar the trim. Instead, use a nail set and hammer to lightly tap on the nail heads until they are driven down just below the trim's surface.
    • Remove the painter's tape from any glued return pieces.
    • Touch up the paint or finish on the trim, if necessary.
    • If there are small gaps between the molding pieces where the corners are slightly out of square, you can fill them with matching wood putty. With painted trim, use caulk to fill these gaps. 
    Flatten nails in baseboard
    The Spruce / Margot Cavin