On Crown Molding

Adding sculptured wood trim such as crown molding, door casing and baseboard can add a rich look to your home. And if you do-it-yourself the cost can be minimal.

Crown molding is the sculptured wood trim that is normally applied to the wall at or near the point where the walls meet the ceiling. In wide widths it can be difficult to install because exact cuts must be made to insure clean con­nections at inside and outside corners.  The positive impact that crown mold­ing can have on the appearance of a room is unbelievable. A light colored ceiling, crown molding finished to match the door trim and low-key wallpaper from there down are as beautiful a combination today as they were over a hundred years ago. Victorian, traditional or contemporary crown mold adds a luxurious look.

What makes the installation of crown mold easiest is the right tool. And the right tool in this case is an electric miter saw. The saw must be large enough to cut completely through the molding at a 45-degree angle. For example, a 14-inch miter saw is required to cut 5 inch crown molding. And a 10-inch saw is used for 3 inch molding. The forty-dollar saw-rental fee can save hundreds of dollars in grief. Professional looking cuts are at best difficult to do with a hand-miter or coping saw.

Place the crown molding into the electric miter bottom-edge up. Besides pro­ducing the cut at the proper angle, doing so forces the saw blade to cut into the face of the molding resulting in reduced chance of chipping at the face of the cut.

Place a small piece of molding onto the saw table insuring that the two back surfaces of the molding are square with the two saw table surfaces. Then, use a pencil to mark a line onto the base and back of the saw table along both edges of the molding (top and bottom). The pencil marks are used as guides to insure that each piece to be cut is placed into the saw in exactly the same position. Make sure to purchase high quality molding. Warped or twisted mate­rial is almost impossible to cut properly.

The next step is to prepare the walls for installation.

First, use a measuring tape and a straight edge to draw a pencil line on the wall where the base of the crown mold will be. A second line can be drawn onto the ceiling where the top edge will connect, but is not absolutely necessary. It is also wise to locate and mark the wall studs and ceiling framing. The damage that is done by penetrating the wallboard to find these wood members can be done in the area to be covered by the molding. A very light pencil mark can be made outside the area to be covered by the molding for quick easy attachment.

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