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Installing long runs of baseboard saves time. You can buy lengths of baseboard 20 feet long, and you will fewer cuts. However, there is the problem of getting them to your house…either you have to have them delivered or you have to cut them just to get them into a manageable length.
On long walls, the chances are good that you will need two pieces of baseboard to span the distance. You certainly want the area where these pieces meet to be as inconspicuous as possible. If you use a butt joint, you will see it. A butt joint is when you cut two pieces square and just butt them together. You will see a vertical line in the baseboard.
Instead of a butt joint, you can miter the mating ends at a 45-degree angle and lay one piece over the other. It is called a scarf joint and it isn’t a perfect joint, but it isn’t as noticeable as a butt joint. You will cut the pieces on the miter saw at the same angle so that the finished piece basically lays over the raw end of the baseboard. You can use a nail gun and, while pushing the joint closes, nail at an angle to close the joint and hold it in place. It is a good idea to hit a few nails into the surrounding baseboard to prevent any movement.
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