Things You Will Need
One way to work around a baseboard heater is to frame around it, using trim that's at least three-quarters-inch thick.
Preparation
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Check your town's building codes to find out how much space you need between the heater and any trim on the wall.
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Remove the heater's end caps and metal housing. In most cases, you won't need any tools.
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Remove the baseboard trim with a pry bar and hammer, and set aside. If you are planning to reuse it, take care not to damage it during the removal.
Framing Around the Heater
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Measure the width and length of the heater.
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Measure the width of the three-quarter-inch -- or larger -- trim that you have chosen.
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Cut one piece of trim to a length equal to the length of the heater, plus twice the width of the trim, using a miter saw. Cut the ends at a 45-degree angle -- the angles will go from the top inward when the trim's installed. For example, if your heater is 5 feet long, and your trim is 6 inches wide, you will cut this piece of trim to 6 feet -- 5 feet plus 12 inches.
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Cut two pieces of trim to a length equal to the height of your heater, plus the width of the trim. Cut one end of each piece at a 45-degree angle -- the angles will go from the outer-top corners inward when they're installed, and they will be opposite each other. Cut the other end at a 45-degree angle. This is for installing the baseboard trim, which will also be cut at a 45-degree angle. For example, if your heater is 8 inches off the floor, and the trim is 6 inches wide, cut the trim to 14 inches.
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Place the end caps on the heater for a correct fit.
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Install the first piece of side trim. Use a couple of beads of construction adhesive, and press the piece into place, next to the end cap, making sure the 45-degree angle at the top angles inward. Finish with paneling nails.
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Install the other piece of side trim in the same manner, again ensuring that the 45-degree angle goes inward, toward the heater and down.
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Install the top piece of the frame in the same manner, fitting the angles into the angles of the side pieces.
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Measure and cut the baseboard trim, ensuring that you cut 45-degree angles where they will join with the side pieces of the frame.
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Replace the metal housing over your baseboard heater.
No-Frame Method
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Prepare the heater, and remove the metal housing.
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Measure the heater without the housing, both length and height.
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Mark a template on the back of your wainscoting panel where the heater will be. Use the heater measurements without the housing.
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Cut the panel accordingly, and fit the panel over the baseboard heater to make sure your cuts are correct.
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Install the panel with small beads of construction adhesive and finishing nails.
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Cut the baseboard to fit just to the end caps of the heater.
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Install the baseboard with construction adhesive and nails.