As its name suggests, crown molding serves as an ornamental capping to walls, cabinets, and built-in furniture. Crown molding also used as a decorative support for horizontal architectural elements like decorative ledges and shelves. Adding decorative crown molding to the relatively simple room provides a certain character that the room would not have otherwise. Many complex looking crown molding profiles consist of the series of simple moldings installed together to achieve a finished appearance. Crown moldings are also used in combination with other moldings to add details to the fireplace mantels and shelves.
The Crown Molding Installation Procedure
Depending on the style you will choose, a crown molding will bring about a Mission or Victorian look. With the style aside, there is always a temptation to have your molding mitered (created on a 45 degree angle cut). If you have a room that has a perfect square, then you will have little to worry about. Even then, it is not easy to find a perfectly squared room. The dry season will increase the gaps as the wood will shrink due to dryness and putty will do little in helping you fill the gaps and for this reason, you will need molding. Here we look at the procedure for crown molding installation
Step one will require you to measure the room to be crown molded. Use a tape measure to do this. Then, get a stud finder and use it to locate the studs on the walls, then mark the position of studs preferably using a faint pencil. Ensure that you make the marks on areas that the molding will not get to.
Get the molding and place it against your framing square. Then, check the difference between the framing square corner and the molding face. Then using a miter saw, cut a piece of wood which you will use to cover the difference between the molding face and the square corner.
Get the cut wood piece and place it on the ceiling close to the walls and create a line. Get to the wall that is directly opposite to your door and measure it.
With you holding the molding onto the wall, make marks for the stud’s locations on the molding very close to its outer edges.
Create two holes, the size of the nails you will use to finish your project. Place your crown molding and drive into the wall on the pre-drilled holes at an angle. Your pre- drilled holes will ensure that your molding is not split when installing. Alternatively, you can nail your molding at an angle to prevent it from splitting.
Get to the adjacent wall and measure it. Then cut a molding that is a few inches longer then hold it onto the wall. Then use your framing square to create a 45-degree angle to the point of your previously installed molding. When creating the angles, be sure to start from the bottom going upwards. You do not have to create a perfect 45 degree angle. This is just a guideline to show you the direction to place your crown molding.
Get your molding and lay it on the miter ensuring that the molding bottom is flat on the miter case. Then, get the miter and turn it in the direction of the line you had previously drawn. Then close the edge of the molding cut it using a coping saw.
Get the molding edges and place them together. File or sand high spots on the coped edge. With the joints placed together, get rip of the uncoped end by cutting it off.
Finally, put the molding into its pace and nail it to the ceiling and walls with no gaps between.
