When you take a look at the top of the room and you see areas that jut out from the walls at a right angle to the ceiling, chances are you are looking at crown molding. Most of the houses constructed these days have crown molding in main areas that are likely to hold the attention of guests. But crown molding is not limited to new house alone as many people with older houses now put in crown molding because of how good it looks. There is an elegant look and feel to a room that is done with crown molding. Though the overhead work involved with its installation can be difficult, most people would agree that the end result more than justifies the time and money that goes into its creation. One other reason crown molding has become popular is that it adds to the value of a house, and in the current real estate market, every little bit helps.

What Type of Crown Molding Do I Use?

There are many options of crown molding to choose from. So the first thing you need to figure out is the type of crown molding to use. Whether you want a traditional look or a sophisticated one, there are options for you to choose from to suit your needs.

Crown molding can be very traditional in which case rectangular layered areas predominate or it can be a sloped ceiling that takes advantage of a larger area and a wider room to create a far more artistic design. Cathedral ceilings are very common nowadays in crown molding circles, but for the most part they do a lot better in large rooms with a larger surface area. If you attempt a Cathedral ceiling in a smaller room, the result might be to make the room seems crowded on a consistent basis and that is something that can defeat the entire original purpose of putting in crown molding.

Planning the project

Once you know exactly what type of crown molding you want to use, the project then shifts from the general brainstorming stage to the actual planning stage. The actual planning stage involves getting as much of the material as you need as well as assembling all the tools you are going to need. For the material, you need to know the exact area that you are going to be dealing with. Area in the United States are usually measured in square feet, although smaller areas can sometimes also be measured through square inches. For conversion purposes, there are 144 square inches in one square foot.

Preparation: Preparing for Your Project

When you are doing the measurements, your main goal should be to cut down as much as possible on variation. Things that can cause variation includes bending a tape measure when you are measuring across corners. It is much better to measure a specific length away from each side of the corner and then add the measurements together as less human error is created through that process. Additionally, crown molding is usually nailed to studs in the wall to hold it in place, so another point of preparation you need to make before starting is to find the necessary studs in the walls for your installation. This is best done beforehand by finding the studs (they are usually some multiple of eight inches apart such as 16 or 24 inches) and then using marking tape to denote their position.

Besides wall preparation, molding preparation is also necessary. Specifically, the use of chalk to draw cutting lines against the molding will allow you to make cuts that are more precise when push comes to shove. The old expression is that you should measure twice and cut once and establishing chalk lines after your first measurement will allow you to more accurately check things before you make the final cut. This may seem redundant, but a little inconvenience now certainly beats having to purchase more molding to fix a cutting mistake.

Tools for the Job

Nails are important in crown molding and you need to have at least two kinds for any crown molding job. The 2-inch finishing nail is the mainstay of your nailing fleet because you will be using it to nail the crown to the wall. The outside corners of the crown can be subject to a 1-inch brad nail instead of the 2-inch finishing nail. It is however important to emphasize that using a pneumatic nailer will help achieve the penetration necessary to do a good job for both kinds of nails.

Besides nails, saws will also be necessary for cutting the crown molding. If you want to skip this step you could always get people at the hardware store to cut the molding for you, but that can be expensive. A miter saw cuts the crown molding into the shapes you need. A compound miter saw will help get a more specific cut. Both saws will do the job in the end as long as you follow the correct procedure in terms of making the cuts.

Cutting with the Saw

With the conventional miter saw, your goal should be to prop up the molding you want to cut and then set the angle of the miter that you want before making the actual cut. A conventional miter saw allows you to just lay the molding flat since you can set the blade and the adjustment on a compound saw without having to manually angle it yourself. This is why most professionals prefer using the compound miter saw to make the final cut.

Finally, Painting

You can paint the crown molding either before you install it or once it has been installed. If you choose the latter option, you just need to treat the paint job as any paint job you would do on a partial wall segment. You can use normal carpenter's tape to cordon off the areas containing the molding before painting the molding into the desired color. You alternately have the option of painting it before installation, but considering the cutting, nailing and wear and tear positioning that goes on during the actual installation of the molding, it is best you paint after installing the crown molding.