Crown molding installation can be made easier with a few tips and tools.
Many homeowners wish that installing crown molding was easy. Several companies even manufacture "easy-to-install" foam crown moldings that require no miter cuts or nails. Many homeowners who love the look of wood crown molding want to know make the process easier. A few tips and tricks can help ease the way.
Positioning
The hardest part of installing crown molding is making the cuts. Most novice crown molding installers try to cut the crown molding as they would cut regular molding. This doesn't work. The crown molding will have gaps and incorrect cuts. To get the right cut on the molding, position the molding correctly on the miter saw. Place the top of the molding on the table of the miter saw. The bottom of the molding will then touch the fence of the miter saw. The molding should look like it has been installed upside down on the saw. Hold the molding in this position whenever you make a cut on the miter saw.
Recruit a Friend
Crown molding can be tricky to install by yourself. This is especially true when you are installing heavy, solid wood crown moldings. One side of the molding inevitably falls down or slips out of place and makes it difficult to properly install. Recruit a friend or partner to hold the molding in place on the wall while you nail it . This one tip can save you a lot of time because you will not have to take down and re-nail the molding if it slides out of place while you try to nail it.
Pneumatic Nail Gun
A pneumatic nail gun saves a lot of time when you are installing any type of molding. The nail gun sinks the finish nails directly into the wood so that you don't need to sink them into place with a nail set. A single push of the trigger is a lot easier than nailing in each nail by hand. The nail gun will also spare pressure on your arms because you won't have to continue holding the molding in place while you slowly nail it into place.
Caulk
Caulk has the ability to fix all kinds of mistakes in crown molding. Use the caulk to fill the gap between the wall and the crown molding or the crown molding and the ceiling. Paintable latex caulks are the easiest to use because they wash up with soap and water and are easily painted to match the wall or molding. Spread a line of caulk along the gap and smooth the gap with your finger. Let the caulk dry per the manufacturer's directions.
Tags: crown molding, crown molding, into place, crown moldings, installing crown