Crown moulding which side is up

Hiring a professional will usually save time and eliminate your chance of error. If the room you plan to decorate has rounded walls, hiring a professional is probably the better call.

Depending on what kind of material your molding is made of, the process itself can involve some heavy lifting. Certain plaster and wood molds tend to weigh more than a simple one-piece crown. If you are working with heavy material, hiring a professional will ensure that the job gets done safely without injury.

It is important to consider pricing, as well. Pricing primarily depends on the type of molding you select and how much space you plan to cover but, hiring a professional will inevitably contribute to the bill. If you pay close attention to detail and feel confident in your ability to cut and measure, installing your own crown molding is probably a project you can handle. With a wide range of materials to choose from, it can be difficult knowing which one is most suitable to your home.

There are a number of factors to consider:. Depending on whether you are hiring a professional or tackling the job yourself, you may want to opt for lighter or more flexible material. Materials such as polyurethane foam, for example, are ideal for a person with minimal crown molding experience. If you already have a fireplace that has been framed with crown molding, it might be best to choose the same material and design for the doorway or ceiling.

This will help the room look more elegant and uniform. Do you prefer simple designs, or more intricate patterns? Some materials, such as plaster, are better for sharp detail. Lastly, consider your budget. Prices can vary between materials, and certain materials require professional installation, which will be an added cost as well. Plaster can be cast to display intricate and sharp detail, making it a common choice for crown molding. However, plaster is usually quite heavy, and can crack fairly easily.

Because of its weight, plaster usually requires a professional installation. The cost of labor in addition to the materials can get to be quite pricey. Plaster-covered foam is a great alternative to regular plaster. It is lighter and more flexible, making it more suitable for a DIY installation. The more detailed side is always closer to you on the bottom. Crown moulding is installed in the reverse fashion of base moulding. The deeper grooves go on the bottom, and shallower grooves belong on the top.

Generally, crown moulding extends further down the wall than on the ceiling. The concave cove side goes down, and the convex rounded side goes up. Step 2 Set up your miter saw to cut at a degree angle. The cut on the right will angle to the right. The cut on the left will angle to the left.

Outside corner cuts — they have a long top and a short bottom edge. The cuts on the right will angle left, and the cuts on the left will angle right. Scarf cuts — These cuts are used to join two crown moulding pieces on the wall.

The angle of the cut will be in the direction of both sides. Step 4 Nail or glue the moulding to the wall. How to Make Existing Baseboards Taller. I think the combination of miter and bevel cuts intimidates the average DIYer. Well this article will put all those fears to rest.

The result is a beautiful, seamless installation that you can brag about to all your friends. We used:. Tip: You can use a coping saw and sandpaper to cut inside corners but we chose to use the miter saw instead.

Cutting Corners By far the toughest part of installing crown molding is translating the mental image of a corner into accurate cuts. Ridgid recognizes this and included a handy reference on the side of their miter saw and in the manual that gives you the correct miter and bevel angles.

The easier setup starts with the backside of the molding flat against the miter table and the top edge against the fence:. Make your cuts a little longer, and then carefully trim to size. Tip: Some installers prefer not to miter inside corners. Cutting Scarf Joints Scarf joints have nothing to do with keeping you warm in the winter, but they will help your molding look nice. For long straight runs, two pieces of molding overlap at a scarf joint.

By overlapping the two pieces and not simply butting the ends together, the transition is almost undetectable. Furthermore, if the molding shifts or shrinks, a scarf joint will remain hidden.

Nailing the Crown Molding We secured all the pieces with 16 gauge finish nails through the flat part of the molding. Use the first couple nails to adjust your compressor pressure so that each nail is properly countersunk below the surface of the molding roughly 80 psi. Nail into a stud whenever possible, and use a stud finder to locate them.

As we nailed everything in place, we found it necessary to bend the molding to fit tightly against the ceiling and wall. This is a dangerous game as that can make corners and scarf joints even more difficult. To ensure that everything fit together snug, we would only drive a few nails and then dry fit the next piece.

Fortunately, caulk heals many wounds. I think the crown molding looks pretty good. Have you ever installed crown molding?

What tips can you offer? Did you go the extra mile and cope cut the inside corners? My father-in-law installed crown molding in the living room in our former house. He had never done it before and did a great job. Since we had an outside corner where the crown ended, I suggested we fill the gap with a tiny piece of wood. We then caulked and painted it so it looked solid. It turned out really nice.

On a stained wood job I would cope every time. Also burnish the outside corners. Looks good! I have thought about adding crown to my house, but it would have to go all the way down a hallway, over the stairs like yours did… probably a similar designed split entry ranch but it would also have to go into the kitchen, which includes cabinets with open space above them, not sure how it would look if the crown was there, its only about a foot tall.