and the framework of the structural openings. The ends of the individual horizontal and vertical casing pieces are cut at precise 90° angles and are then tightly butted against the corner blocks. However, the second method is also time-consuming and requires considerable skill and precision to ensure that the corner blocks are perfectly squared and vertically aligned. Misalignment or un-squared corners will result in aesthetically unappealing gaps between the casing pieces and corner blocks. These gaps must also be filled with an appropriate filling compound that has been sanded after it has hardened.
An additional problem encountered when installing decorative casing pieces is that of joining vertical and horizontal casings which have different decorative profiles milled into their edges. One example of such a situation is the joining of a vertical casing piece to a horizontal casing piece installed in a vertical orientation at the juncture of a wall with a floor. In these situations, the decorative profile milled into the linear edge of one casing piece must be traced onto a paper pattern that is then transferred to the receiving edge of a casing piece with a different decorative profile milled into its linear edge. The first decorative profile is then cut into the second decorative profile by means of a coping saw. This process requires considerable skill, precision, time and patience in order to produce tightly fitting joints between adjoining casing pieces.
Because of their decorative properties, casings are also commonly used for installation of aesthetically appealing chair rails, wainscoting and other decorative elements on walls and ceilings. The vertical and horizontal casing pieces used to create such decorative trim work are abutted and joined by means of mitre joints. Consequently, the installation process for casing pieces used for decorative trim work is also time consuming and requires skill, precision and patience to produce tightly fitting squared joints.
There is therefore a need for an improv