Step 4: Attach the Base.

attaching the base for a columned room divider
Photo: Ryan Benyi
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Fasten the base to the floor by toenailing deck screws through the exposed end of the base and the shims, as shown. Screw through the other end of the base and into the wall. Then score the shims and snap them off.

Tip: Slide the shims from the inside of the base outward so that the screws will catch the meatier ends. This also makes it easier to snap off the exposed, thinner ends of the shims.
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    Tools List

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    • 100-foot tape measure
      Tape measure
    • straightedge guide
      Straightedge
    • bar clamp
      Clamps
    • circular saw
      Circular saw
    • caulk gun
      Caulk gun
    • drill
      Drill/driver
    • Countersink bit
      Countersink bit
    • four-foot level
      4-foot level
    • pneumatic brad nailer
      Pneumatic brad nailer and air compressor
    • combination square
      Combination square
    • miter saw
      Miter saw

    Shopping List

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    ¾-inch medium-density fiberboard (MDF)
    Get three 4-by-8-foot sheets for an 8½-foot ceiling.

    2x8 lumber to build the base

    Shims

    Solid crown molding to trim the capital and the cabinet top

    Baseboard molding

    ½-inch and ¾-inch quarter-round molding
    for the base cap and shoe molding

    1½-inch MDF screws to assemble the boxes

    2½-inch deck screws to install the base and the blocking

    1¼-inch brad nails

    Construction adhesive

    Wood filler and paintable caulk

    Primer and paint