What Angle Do You Cut a Quarter Round Around a Fireplace?

Mitered Edges

• To ensure that each strip of quarter round molding fits together properly, you must miter the ends of each strip prior to installing it. To make a miter cut, place the strip of molding into a miter box and use a handsaw to cut the end of the strip at a 45-degree angle; two 45-degree cuts, when pressed together, make the 90-degree angle formed by the corners of the hearth and the fireplace surround. You can also make these cuts with a power miter saw if you have one available.

Considerations

• After making mitered cuts on two strips of quarter round molding, press the two pieces of molding together against the base of the fireplace to check the fit. Not all mitered cuts are perfect. Correcting small gaps and imperfections before you begin attaching the molding saves you the time and effort of having to pry up your new molding or cover each seam with wood putty. Miter saws lend themselves well to fine-tuning mitered cuts. If perfect seams are a must yet you do not own a miter saw, consider renting one.

Coped Edges

• Perfect mitered cuts won't fit together perfectly over a corner that's off-center. Improve the appearance of quarter round molding in imperfect corners by coping the edges of each strip. While slightly more complicated than creating mitered edges, creating coped edges ensures the best possible fit between adjoining molding strips.

  According to Tim Carter of AsktheBuilder.com, you cope quarter round molding by making a standard 45-degree miter cut on the edge of the molding. Instead of cutting through the molding, however, angle your saw and cut a line through the space where the molding's profile and the 45-degree angle meet. Because the coped edge neatly overlaps the adjacent molding strip, you only need to cope one edge for each corner.

Safety

• Whether you are making your angled cuts with power tools or a simple handsaw, protective eyewear prevents flying wood chips from injuring your eyes. If you are using a miter saw to make mitered or coped cuts, always read the manual thoroughly and ensure that you understand exactly how the equipment works before beginning the project.