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

Steve Roth from Style Solutions shows Bob the crown molding being used in the Modular Mountain Retreat project house. The EPS (extruded polystyrene) moldings are easier to install than traditional wood offerings as they are a generally a single piece. (Ornate wood crown molding is often comprised of multiple profiles joined together.) The EPS moldings are comparable in cost to wood and can be screwed and glued to the wall and each other like wood. But unlike wood homeowners can generally order preformed corners instead of having to miter them on site reducing the time and expertise needed to complete the installation.

Carpenter Bob Ryley visits the project house to install the WindsorONE crown molding in the dining room. The five-piece crown molding assembly requires careful measurements, and a selection of electric- and hand-powered saws for a successful installation.

Brent Hull, of Hull Historical Millwork, is on location to help with the installation of the dining room's crown molding. The WindsorONE millwork selected for this modern Colonial was patterned after traditional molding styles seen in early American architecture. Hull, whose expertise is in preserving historic buildings, shows a selection of reference materials used to design and craft authentic millwork reproductions.

Dress up the rooms in your house with a variety of custom moldings. These moldings are available in many historic profiles. You can add a one piece baseboard molding for a 19th century look. Poplar chair rails and picture moldings add detail and take paint well. And for a more elegant look add a multi-piece crown molding to the ceiling.

Paul Anderson is attaching the pre-finished crown molding around the Wellborn kitchen cabinets. Each section is miter-cut, and then dry-fit to ensure a tight joint before it is secured with nails. Because the molding is pre-finished, there is not a lot of room to play with, so Anderson makes sure that each section is a perfect fit. Finally, he adds the pre-cut dental molding.