Spent a whole afternoon just trying to get a custom window trim miter to close up right

It was for a 150-year-old house, so nothing was square. I must have cut that piece eight times before I finally scribed the back edge to the wall. Anyone have a better method for these old, wavy walls?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_linda1mo ago

Ever tried just caulking the gap? I know it feels like cheating, but on a wall that old, a perfect miter might not be the goal. A clean bead of paintable caulk can look way better than a joint you've cut ten times that still shows a hairline crack. Sometimes you have to work with the house, not against it.

uma_martinez1mo ago

What's your rule for when a gap is too big for caulk to look right? Like, at what point does it stop being a clean fix and start looking like you're just filling a canyon? I've seen some jobs where the caulk bead is wider than the trim itself, and it always looks a little sad.

henderson.oscar1mo ago

You said "work with the house, not against it," and that really hits home. But how do you decide when to stop fighting for the perfect cut? Is it just about the age of the trim, or are there other signs you look for that tell you it's caulk time? I've wasted whole afternoons on a single corner that the house just didn't want to give me.