DIY Network

Crown Molding From "Ask DIY Home Improvement" episode DADH-208

Newly installed crown molding.

Q: (from Elizabeth in Mansfield, GA): I’d like to install crown molding in my living room. Can you show me what my options are and show me how to do it?

A: (from DIY home expert Scott Branscom): Whenever I am rehabbing a home, I love to finish the ceilings off with crown molding...even though it can be one of the most frustrating do-it-yourself projects around. The following are steps for topping off a room with crown molding as performed by our Habitat for Humanity volunteers in our project restoration house.

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Materials:

Coping saw
Power miter saw
Miter saw
Tape measure
Hammer
Nails
Ladder
Paintable caulk
Caulk gun
Crown Molding
Safety glasses

Wood molding can be expensive. You may want to use molding made of MDF. It's a combination of wood and resins. This molding comes pre-primed and ready to paint.

Tip: Don’t use MDF in a kitchen or bathroom. The humidity can cause it to warp.

Steps:

1. The hardest part of installing crown molding is cutting the corners. You can’t do it like any other trim pieces because the molding sits at an angle between the wall and the ceiling (figure A). Using a coping saw (figure B) is the easiest way to cut the corners because a coped joint is tighter than a mitered joint. A coping saw is also good for a beginner. Any gap in a coped cut can be easily concealed with a little bit of caulk.

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

2. Another tool that will make the job easier is a power miter saw (figure C). It’s accurate and makes a cleaner cut than a plastic miter box.

3. Measure the wall for the length of your first piece of molding (figure D). Mark the wall to show the bottom edge of the molding (figure E).

Figure D

Figure E

4. Once you determine the length, take the molding to the saw and cut (figure F). Cut a straight line...a 90-degree cut. You want both ends of the molding to butt against the side walls.

5. Attach the crown by driving nails through the board and into the wall studs. Start in the middle and work your way to the edges. Use a nail set to set the nails and avoid damaging your molding with the hammer (figure G).

6. Cut your next piece of molding to fit an inside corner. Move the miter saw guide to the 45-degree angle point and set the molding into place. The edges need to be pressed firmly against the saw table and the vertical side fence (figure H). This is the first key to a straight cut and a good fit.

Figure F

Figure G

Figure H

7. The second key is not so obvious and can be a bit confusing. The molding is upside down...meaning the edge against the vertical fence is the bottom of the molding and the edge against the table is the top of the molding (think of your table as the ceiling) (figure I).

8. With the molding in the proper position, use a 10-inch saw blade to zip through it, cutting a perfect 45 degree angle (figure J).

Figure I

Figure J

9. It is also important here to make sure you cut the molding angle in the right direction...for an inside corner the bottom of the molding should be longer than the top part of the molding. For an outside corner, the top of the molding will be longer than the bottom.

Figure K

10. When you cope a joint, you scribe the end of one molding to the face of the other. Darken the front edge with a pencil and then use the coping saw to cut as close to the line as you can. You need to hold your thumb against the side of the blade to guide the start of your cut. Start slowly, so you don’t splinter the delicate edge (figure K).

11. Cut at a slight angle. You want to cut off more from the edge of the molding and you don’t need to cut it all at one time. Cut out small pieces to make creating this coped joint easier.

12. What makes a coped joint so great is check the fit against a scrap piece of molding...you’ll see there are still some gaps that need to be trimmed (figure L). You can fix those without wasting a piece of molding. Just use the coping saw to cut off the high points.

13. Once the fit is right, take the molding to the wall. For a long piece, you’ll need some help holding it. Push the end into the corner...making the fit as tight as possible and then attach it to the wall (figure M). Get out the caulk gun to cover up any gaps in the joint. Make sure you’re using paintable caulk.

Figure L

Figure M

14. To finish out the wall, you may need to do it with a small piece of molding...one edge against the molding you just installed and the other edge against the wall.

Figure N

15. To make outside corners, make miter cuts. The outside corners should meet exactly...a caulk gun can’t help you much here (figure N ).

16. For beginners, you may want to paint any crown molding you’ve installed. That’s because you can use caulk and paint to hide any small mistakes. With stained molding, it’s much harder to disguise your inexperience.

Figure O

17. You can skip all those miters and coping cuts all together by using corner blocks (figure O). All you need to do is put the blocks in the corner. You just make straight cuts to the molding. It’s much easier and it looks pretty nice, too.