How to install quarter round without a nail gun

A nail gun only makes quarter round faster. A hammer, finish nails and a nail set get the same result. You can also skip nails and glue it.

The one rule that never changes: fasten the trim to the baseboard, not the floor. More fastening guides are in the fasteners hub.

Methods compared

Planned bench test: one 12 x 12 ft room timed with each method. Results will be added here when the test is done.

Before you start: fasten to the baseboard, never the floor

Laminate, vinyl plank and many wood floors float. They need a gap at the wall so they can swell and shrink. Quarter round covers that gap. If you nail into the floor, you pin it, and it can buckle or split later.

Bruce's install sheet says to attach quarter round "to the wall, not the floor" with 6d finish nails or construction adhesive. Mohawk's sheet says to nail it into the baseboard. Bruce also says not to force the trim down against the floor. Let it touch, but don't press it hard.

Cut the pieces first

Cut every piece before you fasten any of them. A miter box and a handsaw are all you need.

1. Inside and outside corners: cut each piece at 45 degrees so the two meet in a neat corner. The Home Depot install guide uses 45-degree cuts for all four corners of a room.
2. At door trim: Mohawk ends the run with a 45-degree back cut and a small "return" piece, so the round end doesn't show. A plain square butt cut against the casing also works.
3. Long walls: join two pieces with two 45-degree cuts that overlap. The joint hides better than a square seam.

If your corners aren't square, Mohawk notes that you may need other angles. Cut a test piece from scrap first.

A powered saw is faster for lots of corners. Our corded vs cordless miter saw guide covers that choice.

Method 1: hammer, finish nails and a nail set

This is what the nail gun does, by hand.

Pick the nails

• Length: Mohawk calls for 1-3/4-inch finish nails. Bruce calls for 6d finish nails, which are 2 inches long per Senco's penny chart. Use the longer one when the baseboard is thick. Where you can, aim for the wall's bottom plate or other solid backing, like a nailer board.
• Type: finish nails have a small head that hides under putty. Our nail size penny chart explains the "d" sizes.

Drill pilot holes

Bruce says to predrill every piece "to avoid cracking or splitting." Use a bit a little smaller than the nail. Drill through the quarter round only, at the angle you'll nail.

Nail it in

1. Set the piece in place, tight to the baseboard.
2. Start a nail in each pilot hole. Aim through the trim into the baseboard, slightly down, as Mohawk shows. The nail should not reach the floor.
3. Mohawk spaces nails every 8 inches. Put one near each end so the ends don't lift.
4. Stop when the head is just above the wood. One more swing will dent the trim.
5. Set the nail set's tip on the head and tap it just below the surface.

Finish

Fill each hole with wood putty. Run a thin bead of paintable caulk along the top edge where the trim meets the baseboard. Paint or stain to match.

Method 2: construction adhesive

Glue works well on short runs and on painted baseboard. Bruce lists construction adhesive as an alternative to nails.

1. Wipe dust off the baseboard. Loctite says the adhesive needs clean surfaces.
2. Run a thin bead on the back face of the quarter round, the one that touches the baseboard. Keep it away from the edges so it doesn't squeeze out. Loctite says to keep the bead at least 1/2 inch from the edge on trim. Quarter round is narrow, so use a small bead in the center.
3. Never put glue on the bottom face. Glue on the floor pins it just like a nail.
4. Press the piece in place. Hold it with strips of painter's tape along its length until the glue grabs.
5. Let it cure for as long as the label says before you caulk and paint.

Loctite's own steps use glue to hold the trim and a few nails to "tack" it. That is Method 3.

Method 3: adhesive plus a few nails

On long walls and wavy baseboards, glue alone can let the trim bow out. Glue the piece, then add a hand-driven finish nail at each end and anywhere it lifts. You'll need far fewer nails than with Method 1.

If that didn't work

• The trim split. The pilot hole was too small or too close to the end. Cut a new piece and drill a slightly bigger hole, a little farther from the end.
• Gaps at the corners. The wall corner isn't 90 degrees. Cut scraps a degree or two over and under 45 and test them. Fill small gaps with caulk.
• The trim won't sit flat. The floor or the baseboard is wavy. Add a nail where it lifts, or caulk the gap at the floor in a wet room.
• Glued trim fell off. The paint was glossy or dusty. Scuff it with sandpaper, wipe it, and glue again with a few nails.

When to just buy (or rent) a nail gun

Hand nailing makes sense for one room. For a whole house, a nailer pays off fast.

A brad nailer is a common pick for quarter round, since its thin nails are less likely to split trim. Our brad nailer vs finish nailer guide explains the difference. Our types of nail guns guide covers the rest.

Doing a lot of trim? Our table saw vs miter saw vs chop saw guide shows which saw makes clean miters fastest.

If you're also laying the floor, see how to cut laminate flooring without a saw. Most quarter round is pine, poplar or MDF. Our wood and MDF page covers how each takes nails and glue.

Safety

What you'll need

• Quarter round: 3/4 inch is the most common size
• Miter box and handsaw: Or a miter saw if you have one
• Hammer: A light finish hammer is easier to control
• Finish nails, 1-3/4 to 2 inch: 6d finish nails are 2 inches
• Nail set: Sinks the head below the surface
• Drill and a small bit: For pilot holes
• Construction adhesive and caulk gun: For the glue method
• Painter's tape: Holds glued trim while it sets
• Wood putty and paintable caulk: For holes and the top edge
• Safety glasses: Nails can fly when they bend

Questions people ask

Change log: Nov 6, 2026: Rewritten from the 2023 archive post. Fixed the old advice that mixed up baseboard and quarter round, added the never-nail-the-floor rule, nail sizes from Bruce and Mohawk, pilot holes, the glue method and a method comparison.