Crown molding provides the finishing touch to wall construction in the area where the top of the wall meets the ceiling. This functional and decorative treatment comes in a variety of materials and offers great flexibility when choosing profiles, which are the silhouettes of the molding in cross section. You may choose to keep your look simple with crown molding that has a plain silhouette, or you may pick an ornate finish. The various types of crown molding available ensure that you'll find the type that suits your purposes best.
Wood Crown Molding
Many interior designers appreciate natural wood crown molding for its ability to accept stain and for ease in routing out clear and precise molding patterns. For these reasons you will find wood crown molding a little more expensive than other examples, but there are caveats as well. Natural wood, whether soft pine or a hardwood like mahogany or oak, responds to moisture and temperature in the air and, as a result, can shrink or swell to some degree, depending on the humidity in the room.
Polyurethane Crown Molding
Polyurethane crown molding is durable and escapes the pitfalls of wood or wood composites in that it is not affected by wood insects or the natural wood process of decay. This stability, plus its comparative low cost, makes it an ideal type of crown molding. It is softer than the wood types, requiring a defter handling, but the pattern can be routed as with natural wood, and the material can be easily painted. Some of the more ornate crown moldings are made of polyurethane.
Plaster Crown Molding
Plaster crown molding is often used in conjunction with plaster walls. This material can be molded into the most elaborate of patterns, but it is difficult to install due to its weight and propensity for cracking. The molding must be custom-cast for each individual job, which makes it very expensive to use. Because it can be molded to such a high degree, many homeowners choose this molding despite its drawbacks. It adds elegance and ornate touches to bedrooms and to formal living and dining rooms.
PVC or Polyvinyl Crown Molding
PVC is impervious to the vagaries of humidity, and, as such, is an ideal type of crown molding material for use in outdoor areas such as porches. It is also suited for use in bathrooms, kitchens, mud rooms and laundry rooms where humidity is higher than in other parts of the home. This type of crown molding does not paint well and cannot be formed into intricate silhouettes, so it is used where a simpler finish is desired. Decay is not an issue with this type of material.
Specialty Crown Molding
One of the drawbacks of using a natural wood, composite or polyvinyl material for crown molding is that they do not bend successfully, making them useless where a curved line exists. Flexible crown molding answers this need because it is created to be bendable and can be tailored to non-linear lines. Foam materials make adding molding to a room a simple project because it is lightweight and inexpensive. Shaping the material is also easy because it does not require saws. A knife or a pair of scissors is all you need for fitting the molding into place.
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