Crown Molding Is An Easy Way To Add Character To Your Home
Installing crown molding is an easy way to add some character to your home. It is relatively easy to do, especially if your room is rectangular and has perfect 90 degree angles. But how many of us are that lucky? Not me, that’s for sure. Over the years we have gotten better at cutting the angles, and by we I mean my husband. My role in hanging crown molding is to stand on the ladder at the opposite end of the room and help hold it up in place.
When we bought our first house we were on a very tight budget. We had never owned a house before. And the only tools we owned were a hammer and some wrenches and screwdrivers. We did all the crown molding in that house with a a handsaw, a miter box, and coping saw. It was tedious. It took us years to complete.
When we moved to our second fixer-upper house we had more money and one of the first things we bought was a miter saw. It is amazing how having the proper tools can make a job easier. I’d advise anyone who is going to be installing crown molding to buy a miter saw. Even if it means you have to eat Raman noodles for a month to do so.
We have used solid wood and MDF and have had some problems with shrinkage and expansion when the weather changes. Recently I was reading at This Old House about other types of materials that crown molding is being made from.
Plaster, though gorgeous and detailed, is way above the needs of the average home and equally above the ability level of the average DIYer.
Polyurethane is surprisingly less expensive than solid wood and comes in detailing that has previously only been available in plaster. Of course it is only appropriate for painted applications.
PVC will not warp or rot and is perfect for applications where moisture is a concern. It is not available in intricate profiles and painting its shiny surface is difficult.
A new one to me is Polystyrene, or foam, that is perfect for people who have no diy capabilities and don’t mind that up close it resembles a coffee cup. But really how closely do you examine crown molding when it is all the way up there touching the ceiling? It requires no special tools and installs with caulk.
No matter what product you chose to install, the addition of crown molding is a quick and relatively inexpensive way to add some character to your home.
