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How to Install Crown Molding

Crown molding adds a touch of elegance to a room. Before installing, make practice cuts to gain confidence.

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How to Install Crown Molding

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" Crown molding at elegance and charm to any room. Making careful measurements is the secret to installing crown molding easily. Here's how first you need to choose a molding that's the right size and style for the room. You may want to bring home some samples to see how they look in place. Next you need to measure the dimensions of the room to calculate the number of Linear feet of crown molding you'll need to complete the project. Add at least 10% of the total linked to allow for waste in practice cuts. There are two key tools you'll need to measure and install crown molding properly. First you're going to need an accurate protractor to measure the angles of the wall. all. Most walls aren't square the corner angles don't come out even so you need to protractor track -- to measure the actual angles. Because of the accuracy needed use a compound miter saw to cut the crown molding. The size of the saw the you'll need will depend on the width of the molding -- you are to install. Attendant A ten-inch will usually come up to a five inch wide molding. You'll need a bigger plate blade a larger molding. There are different ways of setting up to cut molding we will use an easy method called cutting in place. The molding is placed in the miter saw upside down against the fence. The fence of the compound saw represents the wall of the room. The top of the molding rests on the table which represents the ceiling. The -- saw's fence hold the molding so that the edges of the molding lie flat against the fence and the table. The advantage of this method is is that you take the angle you measure with a protector. Let's say it's ninety degrees. And divided in half to set the miter saw angle to make the cut. In this case 45 degrees or half of -- 90. further calculations No further needed. Before you start cutting long lengths of molding it's a good idea to do practice cut to make sure you understand the process. Used Use two foot pieces of scrap molding. To make a practice cut first. To cut the right side of an inside corner you place the molding upside down. With the bottom of the molding firmly against the fence stops. Set the miter for a left hand 45 degree angle. You're Your Your molding on the left side. With the correct angled angle angle side end. To cut the left side of an inside corner. Place the molding upside down. With the bottom firmly against the fence stop set the miter to a right hand 45 degree angle. Your molding is on the right side of the blade with the correct angled cut on the end. Tried Try two pieces in place against the corner and check the fit. The edges should fit tightly if there's a crack you may have to adjust the angle of the cut by a small fraction to get the two sides to fit tightly. For the left side of an outside corner set the miter for a left hand 45 degree cut with the bottom against the fence in position. The molding stock is placed upside down on the right hand side of the blade. For the right side of an outside corner set the miter angle for a right hand 45 degree cut. The molding stock is placed upside down on the left hand side template. of the blade. you understand Once you process you can begin to cut the first inside corner this time using your molding stock. Start by carefully measuring the length of the longest wall. Molding comes in can ten foot lengths. that the molding that you install on walls longer than ten feet will be made up of more than one section. Using the pro tractor protractor measure the angle where the walls meet. Measure and angle an ninety degrees. -- Half of an ankle that 45 degrees so in this case the two pieces of the crown molding will each have a 45 degree angle cut at the end. If the length of the wall is over ten feet long. You'll need to splice together two or more pieces of molding. To cut two ends of the molding together. We use an angled cut called a scarf. To make a scarf set the miter angle to 45 degree angle. Hold the molding to be cut flat against the fence and make a 45 degree angle cut on each end of the molding. Scarfs used to join lengths of molding together are held together and nailed on both sides of the scarf to form a tight joint. After sanding and painting the joint is generally invisible. The molding is nailed to the Joyce with a joist a nail gun. Or hammer and nail. Secure the molding to both the studs in the wall. And the joists in the ceiling. You can find the location of the studs with a stud finder. Ceiling joists will be adjacent to the starts. If you studs. to use a hammer and nails for select a first bit slightly smaller than the eight or ten penny finishing nail you're going to be using depending on the size of your -- Drill holes molding. an angle for each nail used to fasten the molding. This will prevent the molding from splitting when you drive the nails. Nail the molding in place. And set the nail below the surface with the nail -- it. The set. is complete. When the the holes putty paint the molding to match the ceiling. You'll find the -- have a room will and refined look."

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Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. If your home doesn t have the style you wish it had, adding crown molding can help. It can mask any imperfections between the wall and ceiling and add formality, polish and a sense of history, literally crowning the room. Installing crown molding can be a tricky job and probably isn t for beginners. But for those with basic carpentry skills and some patience, it can be a very satisfying do-it-yourself project. Before you start, set up a short scaffolding using sawhorses and planks so you can reach the ceiling and move easily while you work. To avoid wasting expensive molding on mistakes, cut one-foot-long test pieces. Experiment with cutting them to the correct angles and use them as templates: The key is to know which edge is the outside of each cut. Keep it simple by cutting molding in position on the saw using crown stops. Most pros only use a compound miter saw on the outside corners, which are the most visible. For inside corners, use a coping saw. Use real wood molding for this job because manufactured materials will chip if you cope them. Perhaps most important, how do you know which edge is the top of the molding? Look for the ogee, the common element in most crown molding that looks like a wave. It goes closest to the ceiling. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

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Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. You can literally cut corners on jobs like installing crown molding with the ingenious coped joint. Instead of calculating miter and bevel for all the angles in a room, save that for the outside corners, which you see most. For inside corners, you can cope the joint. First, install two parallel walls of crown without calculating any angles; just cut them square to the adjoining walls. Ensure a great fit by cutting those first pieces just slightly too long and springing them into place. After you ve cut the adjoining pieces at a 45-degree angle, coping the joint simply means removing the meat behind the leading edge so it will fit perfectly against the profile of the first piece. First, you mark the leading edge with the side of a pencil so you don t lose it as you re cutting. While a coping saw is the traditional tool to use, if you re having trouble, check that the blade is tight or try reversing it so the teeth face the wrong way. Or, here s a hot tip: Use a 4 1/2-inch handheld grinding tool with a flexible sanding attachment to quickly grind away the back of the joint. To clear any remaining imperfections, attach sandpaper with spray adhesive to a short section of molding, following its contours. Run this along the coped edge to clear any remaining obstacles to the perfect joint. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

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