How to Painlessly Install Crown Molding

Crown molding, or cornice, is probably the most important architectural accent used to detail any interior space. Most interior designers today would agree that every room can be improved with the use of crown molding. Crown molding smoothes the transition from the wall to the ceiling and does a wonderful job of defining the architectural style of a room. Crown molding is also used to finish cabinets, built-ins, and fireplaces.

Crown molding will enhance the look of any room and is not that difficult to install. Installing larger, more complex moldings will require a little extra care to match the pattern at joints and corners. You can also build up larger crown moldings by using a number of smaller moldings. Used this way, custom crown molding profiles can be created to suit your tastes. Built up crown molding can also be used to help hide some of the variations in the ceiling and walls.
Follow these simple and easy to understand instructions to enhance the look and feel of any room in your home. Remember, safety is so important when attempting any project. Always follow approved safety practices. Use hearing and eye protection. When you need to use a dust mask or respirator, be sure to use the right one for the job.


Planning

Planning is probably the most commonly neglected part of any job. This is too bad because proper planning is what makes the difference between a quick and efficient installation or massive frustration and numerous interruptions to run to the hardware store. Planning is especially important when installing crown molding.

If your decorative project will include several types of molding, it is recommended that you choose the style and size of crown molding first, as it is the most prominently displayed. Then select the rest of the moldings to match.

Regarding the proper sizing of the crown molding, advice is abundant and many guidelines have been written. Most often the advice directs you to select the size of the crown molding based on the height of your ceiling. However, larger crown moldings have often been used to impressively decorate rooms of more modest proportions. What IS important is to properly scale the casings and other moldings to the size of the crown molding that you wish to use. When choosing crown molding for your interior, feel free to select the size and style that YOU like.

After you have decided on a size and a pattern of crown molding to use, your next step is to determine how much crown molding to purchase. You will need to allow for cutting waste at each joint. One way to do this is to simply measure the perimeter of the room and add a waste factor (usually 10%). The problem with this, however, is that it's not really accurate and it doesn't take into account one very important factor, namely, repeating patterns.

What I like to use is a cut list showing each piece of crown molding for the entire room. This lets me optimize my use of the stock lengths. I also use this information to allow for cutting waste from corners and for pattern repeat. A cut list is also useful to eliminate unnecessary joints by planning all of the joints before ordering the material. Some crown molding is available in more than one length. This can help to eliminate joints and waste. This is also the time to calculate how much adhesive and how many fasteners you will need.

Order Materials

Now that you have completed your planning it's time to order your crown molding. Order your adhesive, fasteners, caulk and any other tools or supplies you might need. Order everything at the same time and save yourself extra trips to the store.

Assemble Materials

Set up a work area as close as possible to the room you are working in and assemble all of your materials. Now is a good time to make sure that you have everything that you will need. If something is missing, stop and go get it now, before you start. Check over the crown molding one last time to ensure that it has not been damaged on the job. If your crown molding has been stored at a temperature significantly different from the room’s normal temperature, then allow 24 hours for the temperatures to equalize (72 hours if you are using wood).

Pre-finishing

If the finish you are going to use is more involved than a coat of flat white paint, you might want to pre-finish your crown molding before installation and then touch it up after it is installed. This is also a good idea if there is any danger of damaging the existing walls during the finishing process.

Layout

Draw a solid line all the way around the room showing the bottom edge of the crown molding. The distance from the ceiling to this line is the height of the crown molding. All ceilings have some unevenness along the joint of the ceiling and the wall. The joint where the crown molding meets the wall is normally more noticeable than the joint at the ceiling, so try to keep this line as straight as possible. Make a second line on the ceiling to mark the projection of the crown molding onto it. Now mark the wall studs and the ceiling joists. Make sure that all of your marks will be visible with the crown molding in place.

Start Installing

Decide which inside corner is going to be the least noticeable in the finished room. This is where you want to start since it is not always possible to get a good match on the pattern with the last piece. Wood moldings are normally coped at inside corners and lapped at straight joints. DO NOT COPE OR LAP POLYURETHANE MOLDINGS.

When installing polyurethane crown molding, miter cut both the inside and the outside corners. Use straight butt joints to join polyurethane molding. Double check the lengths and use your cut list to make sure that you cut the moldings the same way as planned. Otherwise you might run out of material or be forced to make an extra joint.

What you need to remember when cutting crown molding is that it is turned upside down on the saw or miter box. To ensure a tight inside corner, cut the molding a little long and spring it into place (add 1/8 to 1/4 inch for polyurethane or 1/16 inch for wood). Before you apply any adhesive, you should dry fit each piece of crown molding to be sure of a proper fit. If necessary, you can trim any extra with a razor knife, rasp, block plane or sandpaper. Once you are satisfied with the fit, attach the crown molding using coated trim screws or finish nail. Install fasteners into studs where possible.

Polyurethane crown molding with a face measurement over 8 inches will require a 1/4 inch bead of adhesive at the top and bottom in addition to mechanical fasteners. Although it is not required, we recommend the use of adhesive with all polyurethane molding installations. Adhesive is also required at all joints.

Finish up

After the adhesive has dried for 24 hours; fill in all the holes made from the fasteners, caulk the top and the bottom, and then either touch it up or paint it.

Last step: show it off!! Have fun with your project.

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