How to Install Crown Molding

By Joseph Truini, This Old House magazine
Crown Molding Tout

Shopping & Tool Lists

Supplies You Will Need:
1. Crown molding

To get the number of linear feet you need, measure the perimeter of the room, then add 15 to 20 percent for cut-off waste and errors


2. 4d finish nails
3. 6d or 8d finish nails

4. Polyurethane glue

(or yellow carpenter's glue, which cleans up more easily but isn't as strong on the end grain of a miter cut)


5. Wood putty
6. Paint or stain
Tools You Will Need:
1. Power Miter Saw,
rents for $30 to $50 a day
2. Coping Saw,
for shaping inside corners
3. Chalk Line,
to creat a reference line on a wall with an uneven ceiling
4. Hot-Melt Glue Gun,
to glue a temporary fence to the saw
5. Rasp,
for smoothing coped joints
6. Drill/driver,
to predrill nail holes where molding is prone to split
7. Hammer and Nailset,
or rent a pneumatic nail gun and compressor for $30 to $40 a day
Open

Introduction

American new-home buyers have been conditioned to settle for the stripped-down model of Home, Sweet Home—houses lacking in crafted detail, missing, among other things, the gracious moldings that bring a timeless sophistication to any room. Primary among these is crown molding. The good news: Crown molding can be added without a big bill from the lumberyard or clouds of drywall dust.

Installing crown molding, however, is a task that strikes fear in the heart of every amateur carpenter—and even some pros. Because it sits at an angle on the wall, each joint is made of compound angles. Getting it right requires a lot of patience, an aptitude for spatial relations, and a few tricks from an experienced pro.

Steps

Helpful Info:
Skill Builder: Backing Strips for Crown Molding
Article: Building Character
Article: Miter Saws
Ask This Old House: Cutting Crown Molding
Ask This Old House: The Course of Crown