Trim carpenters and other professionals often prefer coped joints because they tend to open up less than miters when the wood shrinks during dry weather. Coped joints also accommodate out-of-square wall corners better than miters, which require a 90-degree corner for a perfect fit.

Why do you cope trim?

Trim carpenters and other professionals often prefer coped joints because they tend to open up less than miters when the wood shrinks during dry weather. Coped joints also accommodate out-of-square wall corners better than miters, which require a 90-degree corner for a perfect fit.

Can you cope crown molding?

The best way to cut inside joints on crown molding is to cope them with a coping saw. Simply cutting two 45 degree angles on inside crown molding joints usually results in an unwanted gap between the two pieces of molding. Coping the inside joints solves this problem.