Crown molding draws the eye upward, so make sure you repaint every few years.
If your is faded, cracked or just the wrong color, you can repaint it easily in an hour or so. If the ceiling, walls and molding are all the same color, you might have to freshen up the walls and ceiling at the same time. But if the ceiling and walls are a different color, you could get away with painting just the molding.
Instructions
1. With a damp sponge or cloth, clean the crown molding with water. Allow it to dry for 24 hours.
2. Sand the crown molding lightly with 150-grit sandpaper. Always sand with the grain of the wood, and don't worry about getting all the old paint off; you're just making the surface a little rough so the primer will adhere.
3. Wipe away the sanding dust, using a clean cloth.
4. Apply painter's tape very carefully around the bottom and top edges of the crown molding. Do not get the tape on the molding, just on the walls and the ceiling. You don't want to paint anything but the molding.
5. Lay drop cloths on the floors under the crown molding. Use painter's tape to secure the drop cloths to the baseboards and the floor at least 2 feet out from the wall. If you want, cover the walls with plastic drop cloths, as well, and secure them with painter's tape under the crown molding.
6. Use a 2-inch angled paintbrush to apply primer in short, horizontal strokes across the crown molding. A quality primer will dry as you apply it, so you won't have to wait to paint. If you have a primer that needs more time to dry, wait at least one hour before you paint. Clean the paintbrush thoroughly in a bucket of water, and lay it out to dry.
7. Use the 2-inch angled brush to apply your paint in short, horizontal strokes. Allow paint to dry between coats, and apply at least two coats.
8. Remove the painter's tape carefully. Do this before the paint dries completely, but take your time to avoid smudging the paint. Use a damp sponge to clean up any drips.
9. Leave drop cloths in place, and allow the crown molding to dry for about 24 hours.
Tags: drop cloths, painter tape, crown molding, crown molding, 2-inch angled, before paint, ceiling walls