If you'd like to incorporate architectural elements into your home, installing a ceiling medallion is a simple way to get started. Barbara Buxton, host of Homebodies , explains how to mount a lightweight polyurethane ceiling medallion around a ceiling fan. Materials:
Ceiling medallion
Adhesive compatible with the material of the medallion
Pencil
Tape measure
Small piece of wood to use as a spacer
Finishing nails 2" to 3" long
Drill
Hammer
Nail set
Optional: accent paint, small paint roller and tray
Ceiling medallions are available in a variety of styles. Ours is a two-piece style with a rim that circles the center medallion. Medallions come with a hole cut in the middle for the installation of a light fixture. If you need a larger opening, as is necessary for a ceiling fan, cut it with a jigsaw. When making a customized cut, make sure the hole isn't larger than the canopy of the fixture. - To determine the spacing between the medallion and the rim, lay the rim and the medallion on the floor. The rim comes in several pieces. Circle the medallion with the rim pieces, making sure the rim is equidistant from the medallion all the way around. Cut a piece of wood the length of the distance between the medallion and the rim to use as a spacer when putting the rim pieces on the ceiling (figure A).
- Remove the ceiling fan, making sure that the power is off at the circuit-breaker box. Hold the medallion in place on the ceiling, centering the hole in the medallion over the existing wiring opening in the ceiling. Use a pencil to trace a line on the ceiling around the outside edge of the medallion. Using the spacer, mark a line for the placement of the rim (figure B).
- If desired, paint the area between the medallion and the rim with a coordinating accent paint. In our example, taupe-colored wall paint provides a nice contrast with the white medallion. Use a small paint roller, and apply the paint about 1/2" beyond the drawn lines. The rough edge will be covered by the medallion. Let the paint dry.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions to mount the medallion on the ceiling. We used adhesive and finishing nails to mount our medallion, but some types of glue can melt plastic, so follow the manufacturer's directions. Drill four evenly spaced pilot holes at an inward angle, and place a finishing nail in each hole (figure C). If you're using glue, apply just enough adhesive to the back of the medallion so that the glue doesn't ooze out the sides when the medallion is set in place. Hold the medallion in place on the ceiling, tap in the finishing nails, and recess each nail with a nail set.
- The rim may be assembled before mounting, but if you're working alone you'll need to assemble the rim piece by piece on the ceiling. Drill four pilot holes at an inward angle on each section of rim, and insert a finishing nail in each. Apply a line of adhesive down the middle of the back of one section of the rim and on the ends, where the sections meet. Set the rim piece in place on the ceiling, lining it up with the penciled guideline. Drive the finish nails, and recess each one with a nail set. Continue with the rest of the pieces of the rim, butting each section against the preceding one (figure D).
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Ceiling medallions
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