Installing Crown Molding

With several sizes and styles of crown molding available, why limit its use to just floors, windows, doors, and ceilings? Install crown molding to frame almost anything or to breathe new life into old cabinets and doors. Here are some crown molding placement and painting tips:

Fireplaces - Like windows and doors, fireplaces present an excellent opportunity for further adornment. Install crown molding to draw visitors' eyes, add a clean touch to where the brick or stone meets the wall, or improve the appearance of a mantel.

Bookcases - Bookcases, or any shelving for that matter, can be transformed into a state of elegance by surrounding shelves with crown molding and adding molding to the top and bottom of the case. For bookcases that are built into the wall, installing crown molding around its border can have a similar effect as molding around a window or door.

Additional Crown Molding Placements

Molding can also be used to:

• Transition walls from wainscoting or beadboard to paint
• Accent panels in cabinets or doors

Painting Crown Molding

Rather than staining, painting crown molding can liven up a dark room and is a quick way to achieve eye-catching results. By painting molding a slightly different color than the ceiling and walls, large walls appear less vast. Painting also helps break apart monochromatic rooms and add some differentiation to rooms and hallways.

Before you install crown molding it is best to sand, prime and paint. This saves a lot of work trying to cut in along the walls or base. If you've already installed crown molding, it is best to tape off the surrounding wall and use a drop cloth since work is being performed overhead, then sand and prime the molding for painting. If the molding has begun to loosen or pull away from the wall, re-secure it using finishing nails against studs (or glue for polystyrene molding), and fill any nail holes and gaps between the wall and the molding with paintable acrylic caulk. Once all paintable surfaces are prepared, apply your chosen paint using a brush, being mindful of drips.

Once your molding is painted, you have created a clear separation between the walls and the ceiling. This presents an opportunity to create more contrast and depth in the room by varying the color of the ceiling or a single wall.

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Install crown molding or paint existing crown molding as part of your next home improvement project and call 1-877-MRHANDYMAN for help from experienced professionals. All work is performed by home improvement professionals with an average of 10 years of experience.