Use these tips to make sure your crown molding project beautifully displays your distinctive style.

No matter what type of crown molding you choose, crown molding installation helps to create the tone for the entire room. Crown molding installation draws the eye upward. It adds the dressing to a room much like jewelry to an outfit. Youll find several styles from which to make your choices. No matter what your artistic dcor, youre sure to find molding that will suit your style perfectly.

Crown Molding Installation is a do-it- yourself project, requiring pre-planning as well as careful measurements, calculations, and cutting.

Crown Molding Installation

Here are a few tips to make crown molding installation projects flow smoothly.

Choosing your design. As you choose the design youll use for your crown molding installation project keep these facts in mind.

1. Elaborate molding accents smooth surfaces.
2. Smooth molding accents textured surfaces.
3. Keep your molding to proportion. Large moldings tend to overpower a small space. For the average 8ft. high ceiling the standard 3 to 4 inch molding typically works best.

Choosing the Materials. It is important to choose the correct grade of materials depending on whether youll be painting or staining your crown molding.

The most common paint grade materials include: pine, MDF (medium density fiberboard), and poplar. For many MDF has become the favorite. Its available in a variety of sizes and profiles. It is relatively stable and resists expansion and contraction die to temperature and humidity changes. Paint grade materials can be caulked to hide minor flaws at joints.

Stain grade materials are generally made from hardwood. Since caulking is not an option, this type of crown molding installation requires very accurate cutting. Oak, mahogany, and ash are common choices. Proper measurements and sawing are necessary for a professional looking finished project.

Identify Imperfections. Before you begin the actual install of your crown molding installation, it is important to identify high and low spots on the wall and ceiling. These spots can make a big difference in the actual length and cut of the molding you need. Older home will have some sag in the ceiling and/or a few waves in the walls. One relatively easy way to deal with these imperfections is to skim-coat the ceiling and walls with joint compound or plaster after the molding has been installed. In this instance, you just leave the gaps and let the skim coat fill it.

Cutting the Crown Molding. Accurately cutting your molding is the most difficult part of crown molding installation. Aside from the accurate measurements, another tip for accurate cuts is to always keep track of which edge is the top of the molding. Always try to visualize how the molding will sit once it is nailed into place.