Crown Your Walls (Crown Molding)

Crown Molding can make a big difference to a room, adding a touch of elegance and style. It is not just for formal rooms, it will enhance the beauty of any room or hallway as I have had requests to install it in almost every room of the house except for small closets and the garage. As the pieces of molding start to get installed, I hear nothing but “ohs” and “ahs” from most of my Clients, as they admire their rooms transformation. One thing to note, crown molding looks great, as long as it is installed properly!

Once you have made the decision to add crown molding to your rooms decor, the next decision, would be to determine the Profile and the Size. The Profile is made up of a combination of cuts in the wood by the manufacturer, that are curved and straight. There are a variety of different Profiles and you can even get a custom made Profile from your local Millworks Shop. I recommend keeping it simple and just selecting a profile from your local Building Supply Store. However, if you want something unique and intricate, you can either have your local Millworks Shop create a profile for you, or you can create your own by using a combination of moldings. Creating your own using a combination of moldings can be fun, however, it is more costly and labor intensive.

My recommendation for the Size of the molding to select, should be determined by the height of your walls. If your ceiling height is 8 foot from the floor, I recommend a 3 5/8″ piece of molding. If you have 10 foot ceilings or higher, I recommend a 5 1/4″ piece. The Size of the molding is determined by the length of the profile from tip to tip. I highly recommend using only Wood molding! There are many composite made moldings, MDF and Plastic to name several, and I will not use these types in any of my installations. These composites are not rigid and as a result they will magnify any imperfections that you may have with your ceiling. Most ceilings are not completely flat, a truss may be slightly higher or lower to the truss next to it, or your ceiling beams may have bowed/sagged over time. Due to these composites being more flexible, they will curve around any of these imperfections making the molding noticeably “wavy”. Since wood is rigid, it will not bend as easily around these imperfections keeping the molding “nice and straight”. I also don’t like to use composites because they make a single person installation nearly impossible.

Some other tips for installing Crown Molding: Do not use pre-made blocks for the inside and outside corners. Yes, they make it real easy for the average person to install, however, they also make the room look “cheap”. Rather than using the blocks, hire a professional to have the Crown Molding installed, it will look a lot better and be worth the money spent. Do not rely on the drywall and caulk to hold up your Crown Molding, meaning, don’t randomly shoot finish nails through the crown into the drywall on the walls and ceiling. You will want to ensure that the Crown stays in place by either fastening it to the studs in the wall or installing blocks to the corner of the wall and ceiling. Try not to have any joints, meaning, unless your wall is longer than 16 ft., use only one piece to span the length of the wall. If you have to use multiple pieces, glue the pieces together and sand them vigorously so they look seamless.

The Dog Ate My Door Casing (Replacing Door Casing)

I have been recently asked to give some instruction to replace a piece of door casing that has been damaged by a pet. 

Audrey, I have been there and am still doing that.  The family Boxer (George) keeps locking himself in the Bathroom and as a result, we keep a spare piece of door casing in the garage. 

Tools that you will need:  Hammer, Tape Measure, Sharp Utility Knife, Electric Mitre Saw (option: mitre box & hand saw), Nail Punch, Chisel or Flat Head Screw Driver. 

Materials that you will need: Piece of Door Casing $10.00 (match to existing), Finish Nails $5.00 (have to purchase a box), Tube of Caulk $2.00 (Latex), Caulk Gun $4.00, Wood Filler $4.00

 

1. Using the sharp utility knife you will need to cut the caulk on either side of the casing.  This will help free up the casing from both the wall and the door jamb.  This is a very important step and should not be skipped.  By skipping this step, as you proceed to remove the casing, the caulk can pull part of the painted drywall paper from the drywall board resulting in a drywall repair (that is another blog post).



2. Once the caulk lines are cut, use the Hammer and the Chisel (preferred) or flat head screw driver to remove the casing from the wall and door jamb.  I recommend starting at the very bottom.  To do this insert the head of the Chisel between the casing and the door jamb.  Do not try removing the casing by inserting the Chisel in between the casing and the drywall, due to damaging the drywall.  Use the Hammer to gently tap the Chisel in between the casing and the door jamb.  As the Chisel proceeds between the two, gently pry the casing from the jamb and wall.  As the casing starts to come away from the wall and jamb, work you way up, keeping a close eye on any areas that the caulk was not completely cut away.  When you get to the top of the casing, there is a good chance that the casing was nailed into the header casing.  This is the piece of casing that goes over the top of the door.  If it is nailed, carefully separate the two as to not damage the mitred edge of the header casing. 



3. Break off a piece of the damaged casing and take it to your local Building Supply Store (Lowes, Home Depot, etc.) to match up the profile.  The profile is the shape and width of the casing.  Purchase this piece of casing in either a 7′ or 8′ length.  If your door casing is painted it is always best to purchase a pre-primed piece, this will have a white appearance in the store. 
4. I recommend to Home Improvement Novices when cutting casing, start with the difficult cut first.  In this case, use either the Electric Mitre Saw (if you have one) or a Mitre Box and Saw.  The corner where the side casing and the header casing meet is 90 degrees.  The header casing has already bisected this angle and was previously cut to 45 degrees.  As a result you will need to cut the new side door casing to 45 degrees.  Carefully make the cut.   Now measure from the top of the header door casing to the floor, note the measurement.  Now measure the same measurement on your new casing starting from the tip of the casing that you just mitred.  Mark the measurement.  With your saw make the straight cut (90 degree) that will be the bottom of the casing that goes against the floor.



5. Once you cut the casing put it in place and make sure that it fits properly, mostly ensuring that the two angles (header and side) casing meet closely.  Using the Finish Nails, start from the top and nail the trim to the wall.  DO NOT nail too closely to the edge of the casing as it may/will split the casing.  If you have to nail the casing to the door jamb, use a very small finish nail.  I recommend 4 to 5 finish nails to hold the casing properly in place.  With a Nail Punch and Hammer, drive the finish nails just below the surface of the casing.  If you don’t have a Nail Punch, use a larger nail to accomplish this. 
6. Now that the casing is installed, fill the nail holes with wood filler.  Using the tube of caulk and caulk gun, apply a bead of caulk to both sides of the casing where it meets the drywall and door jamb.  Use your finger to tool the caulk in place and wipe away any excess.  When the wood filler dries, gently sand down any excess to ensure a smooth surface. 



7. Once the caulk is completely dry, paint it!
8. Stand back and admire your work or tear it off and call Iosa Construction to finish it for you. 

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