Learn me installing baseboard / casing

I’m replacing the trim in my house but I have some questions. 

1. What size nail should I use for 3.25” x .5” baseboard and casing?

2. Do I use / buy a brad nailer or finish nailer?

3. I will be replacing the trim throughout the house but in stages so buying a nailer and a pancake compressor is probably a good idea. Is it better to buy used name brand stuff or new HF equipment? How problematic are these nailers. 

Note: I could use my garage compressor but I’d need to buy about 150’ of hose which would be about the cost of a small compressor. 

Anyone else been down this road?

Thank!

Painted or stained? Techniques are the same but painted is a bit more forgiving due to being able to caulk imperfect seams. To do is properly you'll need to get a coping saw and learn to use it. Properly coped inside corners are something to be proud of. 

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

Stained!  Butt joints except outside corners.

ive done trim years ago when I helped out at Habitat but I don’t remember what I used and there was plenty of knowledge floating around.

Whatever you do, don't use 3" framing nails and plumber's putty for attaching baseboards. I don't know what the previous owner of our house was smoking, but it was some potent E36 M3.  We have found the strangest repairs in this house. 

You'll want both a Brad and a finnish. Finnish for strength and the Brad for shoe, corners, thinner delicate parts. 

Realize that no home/room is square. With outside corners, start with a 45 and stretch or shrink it using a scrap section of an opposite side. I've used a thin wedge of wood shimmed between the saw and wood to add a degree or to the cut. No miter saw I've ever used is that precise to add or subtract a few degrees on its own.

Door casing is best to start with the top. Cut your 45s and nail it in place. Now you only have one angle to chase at a time, rather than has one change affecting all.

Buy some cheap pieces of trim to practice with. 

In reply to Appleseed :

The 45 then keep slicing a scrap piece to match each corner is the way to do it.

I also found buying a good dual bevel miter saw (so you don't have to flip the boards) and a 96 tooth trim blade (12 inch blade) really helped a lot for me when I retrimmed my previous house.

I used a 15 ga nail gun on it because

1. It's what I had from doing crown
2. I'm used to using 8D finishing nails on basically everything growing up

I hear 16ga is a bit better but I got good results with the 15 ga.

16 ga will do what you need.  There are kits at HD that include a pancake compressor, and three nailers (brad, staple, and finish) for dirt cheap.

I wish they offered this kit when I bought mine.

Its $199, and you'll use it for a million things.  Or you won't.  And you sell it for $125 knowing that the $74 you lost was worth every penny.

If you want to do it by hand, 16 gauge finish nails will do.  Select a length that suits your needs.  If its drywall and 2x4s, then 1.5" nails will do.  Plaster might need more length.

For edges and corners you have some flexibility.  No matter how accurately you cut a corner (inside or outside) there will be a seam.  Give yourself some grace and buy a tube of Alex latex caulk.  Even when I spend the time to cut perfect corners I still use it to fill the seam, just like when you perfectly weld a new quarter panel on to your Miata you still need bondo.  Don't use it to cover up accidents, but use it to finish the last 1% of your 99% perfect cut.

Edit:  skip the Alex caulk part... I didn't realize you were doing natural wood.

In reply to Curtis :

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Porter-Cable-6-Gal-150-PSI-Portable-Electric-Air-Compressor-16-Gauge-Nailer-18-Gauge-Nailer-and-3-8-in-Stapler-Combo-Kit-3-Tool-PCFP12234/203471431

Great! I did not see this. Thanks!

The air tool saves a ridiculous amount of time. 

When I did my house, I was going for a 'craftsman' style look, so I did the doors with a few longer flat pieces on top, and I did 2x2 blocks in the corners for really easy fitting of trim. I'll see if I can find some similar Google pics.

I think it looks great and it makes the cuts waaaay easier. I was doing white paint which goes with the look though.

When measuring trim for a window, measure the inside height of the window frame (that's where you want the inside corner of your trim).

Then measure the width of a piece of trim.

Add the window height and TWICE the trim width. That's the measurement you need for the piece you're going to cut. Mark the piece and cut the longest part of the 45 degree angle to that length. Use this method for all four window pieces.

Once everything is face nailed, I like to put two small nails in each corner from the side. Each nail should go through both trim pieces. These hold the corners tight as the trim shrinks, but it makes it more difficult to remove the trim in the future.

If you are trimming a door frame, use the same measuring formula for the top piece.

For the sides, measure the inside height of the frame and add the width of the trim ONE time.

Before I make the first cut on any door side piece, I like to trim a blade width off the straight end so you have a nice crisp edge to work with.

For long baseboard runs, use kerf joints. Cut each piece with a 45 across its thickness. That way you can overlap them and when they shrink, the gap isn't nearly as noticeable.

If you're using a compressor, use new or dedicated indoor air hose. That 20 year old hose that you've been using under the car will get grease all over your doors, corners and walls.

The air nailers are nice (I have a couple) but lately I have gotten some battery powered ones.  I like them a lot better (no noisy compressor or hose to drag around).  Plus the batteries can be used on my drill and impact wrench.

On the trim you are using 15ga x 2.0 long or 2.5 if using 5/4  works fine

Get an angled finish nailer as they are much easier to get into tight spots

On baseboard make sure you hit the studs top and bottom of the flat vertical every 16 inches so the base doesnt pull away from the wall a stud finder works well for this locate one in each wall and just mark the centerline in pencil lightly on the floor the lay a tape measure down on the floor with a stud mark on the line and simply go down the wall nailing on the stud marks

On an old house you might want to check stud location in a few spots to verify 16 inch on center framing you never know what you might find!

I always glue all mitered joints and side nail tops with brads just have a damp rag with you to wipe off any excess and use just a good wood glue like tite bond (dont use gorilla glue} it expands to much and makes a mess

Like anything else its just practice and patience

I bought a cheap hf pancake compressor, and use a bostitch brad nailer for all this trim type stuff. 

I always prefer painted trim, honestly do not care if I catch a stud with the nails, I just shoot the nails in at an angle. Caulk all the edges and seams, a coat of paint hides any of the visible nails. I usually run 2" nails to get thru the trim, drywall, and maybe catch a stud or the base stud.  if i am attaching quarter round to the baseboard trim, I will run a shorter nail for that. 

+1 on Curtis's recommendation for Alex brand caulk products if needed. I find them easiest to work with compared to other brands I have tried. 

A nice blade for finer cuts on the miter saw is a must! 

I run smaller nailers off my HF pancake compressor.  I've used it for the pneumatic pop riveter too.  It is much handier than running 200' of air hose from the shop, which I have also done.  The HF orange professional line of nailers are worth the extra money over the super cheap line.