Shoe Molding vs. Quarter Round

What’s the difference between shoe molding and quarter round? Aren’t they essentially the same thing?

Yes and no. Shoe molding and quarter round are like kissing cousins. They’re are almost identical. They can be used interchangeably in some cases, but they have their own specific uses as well, and I’ll explain below.

What is Quarter Round?

Quarter round is exactly as its name implies, one quarter of a round dowel. A 90° angel is cut on the backside with a perfect quarter radius on the showing side. It works great to fill corners or soften any 90° joint between trim and moldings.

Quarter round is the ultimate filler strip because it comes in a variety of sizes for almost any application. Most commonly sizes run from 1/2” to 1” with 3/4” being most popular due to its goldy-locks versatility. Here are some of the most common uses for quarter round:

• Inside corners on wall panels
• Outside corners on trim
• A substitute for shoe molding
• As part of built up moldings (crown molding, cornice, etc.)
• Fireplace mantels
• Column bases

What is Shoe Molding?

Shoe molding is much the same as quarter round, having the same 90° angle on the backside but instead of being a perfect quarter radius its profile is a bit taller than it is wide.

The main use for shoe molding is to run along the intersection of the baseboard and floor. This is what it was designed for, hence the name “shoe” inferring it’s at the foot of the wall.

Both products provide a great way to seal the gap between baseboards and the finish floor. These both also provide a good way to hide un-level floors without the hassle of scribing baseboards to match the finish floor which can be a time intensive process.

Which Should I Use?

For baseboards my first choice is always shoe molding unless some of the reasons I’ll discuss below are present. Shoes molding works best and doesn’t give a feeling of intruding into the space. Most commonly you’ll find shoe molding installed overtop of solid hardwood floors and engineered wood floors. It can be used successfully overtop of tile as well. Anywhere that you have a small gap between the wall and the edge of the finish floor.

Quarter round on the other hand works best if there is a large gap between the edge of the flooring and the walls as is commonly found in floating floors. Sometimes you’re stuck with a floor that has a large gap regardless of the style, and in that case you will need either a thicker baseboard or quarter round.

Can you mix and match throughout a house? It’s best to keep things consistent if at all possible, but sometimes if different rooms have different flooring then using a combination of quarter round and shoe molding may be necessary. However, avoid using both in the same room otherwise you’ll end up with poor fitting joints due to the discrepancies in the size and profile.

Installation Tips

I’ve installed my share of both shoe molding and baseboard and there are some tips I feel everyone needs to know that are often missed when DIYers install their own.

Tip #1 Nail Through the Baseboard Not the Flooring

Most importantly, do NOT nail your shoe molding or quarter round through the flooring. It was designed to be nailed into the baseboard which allows the flooring to expand and contract with conditions.

Using a 18 ga. nailer I prefer to shoot the nails very close to horizontal to make sure I hit the baseboard rather than nailing through the gap between the baseboard and flooring. It’s easier to nail this way for shoe molding than for quarter round.

Tip #2 Caulk the Top Not the Bottom

Once installed, caulk the top joint between your molding and the baseboard, but do not caulk the joint between the molding and the flooring even if you have an uneven flooring material like a natural stone tile.

This will, again, allow for free movement of the flooring and keep the baseboard and shoe molding as one solid unit. I’ve seen caulk squished out from below shoe molding or quarter round when the flooring swells in the summer and it’s not pretty.

Tip #3 Cope Inside Joints

For outside joints you should cut miters, but inside joints perform best with a cope joint. This is because on walls that aren’t a perfect 90º angle (honestly, are there any walls like that?) a cope joint hides the joint better and doesn’t open up like a miter joint can with flooring movement.

If you’re not sure how to cut copes on trim, shoe molding and quarter round are the easiest style to learn on. This post will teach you how any DIYer can learn to cope like a pro.

Tip #4 Avoid MDF

MDF is the cheapest option for any trim and it’s because it’s essentially sawdust glued together. Your floors get a lot of traffic and water exposure which is the mortal enemy of MDF. Floors get wet feet, mops, spills, and children’s showers constantly beating them up and when you install MDF shoe molding it fails early and often.

You end up with moldings that are softer and more prone to damage from traffic. They swell when they get wet or even when humidity levels get too high for long. For most locations solid wood is a much better option. There are also PVC options if you must for wet areas like bathrooms, but wood is my preference for anywhere really.

I hope this gives you a better understanding of shoe molding and quarter round and how to use either successfully in your house. Do you have a preference of which you prefer? Let me know in the comments below.