# 3/4" stair skirt meets 9/16" baseboard



## MD56

Hi All, 

I'm having a hard time figuring out what I should do where my 3/4" thick stair skirt board is going to meet my 9/16 baseboard. When i installed the skirt, I cut it so that it'll be a nice easy butt up between the two, but what i didn't factor for was the different thickness of the two materials. 

It's going to be a little less than a quarter inch difference between the two but even that seems like a pretty hefty reveal, i'm afraid it's going to be too much. 

Any tips for this? 

I was thinking of chanfering the butt edge of the skirt just to bring it down a bit closer, but that might look funny too. I hate the other idea i had which is laying a pretty thick bead of caulk. 

Any advice would be appreciated.


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## Chamfer

I don't really see where it's a problem myself. Most skirt boards are going to be thicker than base. I don't see it any different than butting base to a plinth block or casing with a 1" + thick back band.

If I sound like I'm missing something with your description feel free to speak up.

Got any pictures of the adjoining pieces?


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## Toolman50

*Molding*

I agree with Chamfer, I see nothing wrong with a wainscoting being proud of the baseboard as long as it's all consistent. 
If you don't like the look of this, you have two options:
1. Buy or make a thicker base mold
2. Install another thin mold between the wall and the base. This piece will stick out proud of the wall and base, but it will have a decorative edge to connect the two.


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## Chamfer

Here is how our house is done. This is an outside skirt but the same mindset would apply for an inside skirt coming all the way down a wall and hitting base.






Just get creative with some additional trim along the skirt if your skirts edge ins't decorative already.


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## Steve Neul

You might use a jointer and taper the trim from 3/4" to 9/16".


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## Ghidrah

Knowing the type of BB would help, is it prefabbed ranch, colonial or flat stock or home made? As mentioned above by others, it's common to have an offset between the 2 items, adding depth and character to the interface.


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## MD56

Ghidrah said:


> Knowing the type of BB would help, is it prefabbed ranch, colonial or flat stock or home made? As mentioned above by others, it's common to have an offset between the 2 items, adding depth and character to the interface.



It is a 5-1/4 colonial MDF BB. The skirt is 3/4" maple ply that I ripped down to 12" widths, scribed, cut, and put into place before i laid in my oak treads and risers.

I agree that a little reveal is no big deal, and might actually look nice... but a quarter inch seemed a little happy, and I was afraid it might end up looking like the picture below I found on the net.


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## MD56

Chamfer said:


> Here is how our house is done. This is an outside skirt but the same mindset would apply for an inside skirt coming all the way down a wall and hitting base.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Just get creative with some additional trim along the skirt if your skirts edge ins't decorative already.


That is beautiful, very well done. I am still in the realm of paint grade though, hopefully someday I'll have the huevos to attempt something like that.


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## Ghidrah

Sorry I envisioned your issue at the base of the stairs instead of the top. Does the BB die into the wall or door trim? This will take some effort and reworking the trim.

That's a reversal of the common set-up, usually the apron is taller than the BB, I'd consider getting rid of the 1/4rnd and increasing the height of the apron to equal the BB with a strip of mat. It may take some spackle, sanding and a couple coats of paint to hide the splice. Remove and rework the band molding to meet correctly.

Pad the BB out to meet the apron, if it dies into door trim it will be less conspicuous, if it dies into a corner, it can be hidden by the other side of the corner.


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## MD56

Ghidrah, sorry if I wasnt clear but that's not actually my house. That's just a pic i found online that illustrates how I was afraid it might turn out. 

The BB and the skirt are going to end up at the same height once I add the cap, so that's no big deal. As far as where the BB terminates, it actually hits an outside 90 and then runs another couple of feet into a wall.


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## BigJim

If it is similar to the picture in post # 7, I would chamfer the edge of the skirt board just a little.


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## ecr

Here is a couple options first is stop the skirt under the top step then run your base and return it to the wall. Second is to trim the skirt with a cap and let the base die in to it. Here is a couple sketches.


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## BWSmith

Probably shouldn't respond......oh well.

You've got two things that need to be examined...and this is way beyond stair systems.This problem or issue can occur whenever we have millwork that has to "flush up".IOW's,could be a set of book cases or a set of kitchen cabmets.

Even if I "could" make both members the same thickness,it's still a pain.Had a $$$$$ dollar architect explain to me 30 years ago to...."don't go there".His suggestion was,instead of the futility of trying to get certain members to flush up.....run a dado,or split between the two.

The above is one method....a lesson learned if you will.Another is like a slight of hand.....Take the 3/4 thickness of the stringer and run it to the first corner.Meaning,whatever you're runnin up the stringer,WRT thickness and cap mould....continue that to a convenient 90.

Kinda hard to describe but,when cutting a 90,you can get away with murder.At least compared to when it's flush run.


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## MD56

BWSmith said:


> Probably shouldn't respond......oh well.
> Kinda hard to describe but,when cutting a 90,you can get away with murder.At least compared to when it's flush run.


This might be the way to go. I think the span between the skirt and the 90 is only 2-3ft anyway. I also have a tone of 4/4 stock lying around.


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## MD56

So i had to do another small skirt board over the weekend for the couple of steps that are in our entry way. 

I ended up milling down a nice piece of 4/4 poplar down to 5/8" and then cut out my skirt. At least for this one I wont have any transition issues lol.


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