Q: My spouse and his good friend invested various hrs hoping to set up crown molding in our nursery. They eventually gave up due to the fact they could not get the corners appropriate. How can they end the position, so our nursery will appear fit for a king?
A: Inform your spouse that putting in crown molding is child’s participate in compared to fatherhood. Nevertheless, having the molding to glimpse suitable is exact function that demands tolerance and perseverance. All in all, it’s excellent apply for shortly-to-be moms and dads.
An critical device for this work is a electric power miter box noticed, which cuts corners immediately and cleanly. A reduced-conclusion 10-inch model sells for close to $160 or you can rent just one for about $25 for each working day. (An even improved alternative is a compound miter box saw, which cuts two angles at the same time.)
If you pick a ability miter box saw, you will possible have to clamp a greater fence on it thanks to the peak of the molding. Also, the career is extra forgiving if you strategy to paint the molding considering the fact that you can hide flaws effortlessly with wooden putty and caulk. If you strategy to stain and varnish the wood, the match have to be correct. Any flaws, specially the corners, will be apparent.
The very first issue to do is get a stud finder and go about the room with a pencil marking the spot of the wall studs and ceiling joists. Make the marks about 5 inches from the major of the ceiling on either side of the corner.
Future, use a carpenter’s sq. and hold a piece of molding in the square and evaluate where by the molding will be on the wall and the ceiling. Make a template from these measurements by nailing two parts of wooden jointly to type an L.
Keep the template in the corner of the ceiling, and mark horizontal lines on the ceiling and the wall where ever you earlier marked the destinations of the studs. You now have the exact spot of exactly where the molding will be positioned and nailed.
With crown molding, you really don’t get started in a single corner of the place and work your way close to. You will want to in shape the exterior corners 1st. Due to the fact these are the most obvious, you want these to be as near to ideal as achievable. And, due to the fact you will only see the front edge, I advise you overcut the miter by 1 degree. There will be a slight hole in the back (wherever nobody will see), but it will help pull the front edge tight.
Predrill a pilot gap for a 4d nail at the edge to keep a limited joint as soon as the molding has been secured. The nail will go from 1 piece of molding into the other, at the corner, to continue to keep the corner secured.
Due to the fact drywall corners are almost never correctly sq., you will will need to keep the corner pieces collectively and examine the in shape numerous occasions. You will need to have to shave modest quantities from the ends to get the in shape just right.
The moment the corner seems fantastic, use a 3/30-second-inch bit to predrill holes by the molding at the area of the studs, and secure the molding to the wall with 6d complete nails. Once the two pieces of molding that form the exterior corner are secured, generate the 4d nail via the corner to maintain the corner joint limited.
After the outside corners are finished, shift to the inside corners. You can be considerably much less specific with saw cuts on the within corners for the reason that you will not be making use of mitered cuts. Rather, you will use a technique named “coping.” This includes cutting an precise outline of the molding in the conclude of the mating piece. Fortuitously, it’s much easier than it appears.
Start off by chopping the molding as if you were being heading to miter the inside of corner be confident to leave the piece a few inches very long. The mitered reduce will leave the actual profile in the finish of the molding. All you have to do is follow the line on the confront of the molding making use of a coping noticed (much less than $20).
Angle the observed back about 30 levels to get rid of any excess wooden, and then use a wooden file to get a sharp edge. Take a look at the in good shape against another piece of molding, and make changes, if required. The concluded in good shape will be seamless.
It may consider you 30 minutes of earning adjustments to get the corner to glimpse proper. Just rest and just take your time, for the reason that that is the big difference among newbie and specialist-hunting results.
At the time the in shape is ideal, nail it up. Incidentally, you will discover that on some partitions you will not have a ceiling joist to nail the molding into because they will run parallel to the wall you are working on. So get imaginative.
You can test applying a 10d complete nail strike into the center of the molding and into the top plates of the wall (you will have to countersink the head and very carefully fill the gap to conceal it). You also can use design adhesive on the top rated of the molding (use 4d nails to hold it in position until finally the adhesive totally hardens). And lastly, you can nail an angled piece of wood (called a cant strip) to the ceiling corner powering the molding, and then nail the molding to the cant strip.
At last, caulk the gaps in between the edges of the molding and the walls.
Use a paintable silicone caulk (about $10 a tube), and paint it the very same color as your walls.
Mike Klimek is a licensed contractor and owner of Las Vegas Handyman. Issues may well be despatched by e mail to [email protected]. Or, mail to 4710 W. Dewey Generate, No. 100, Las Vegas, NV 89118. His web tackle is www.handymanoflasvegas.com.
