A great number of homeowners are eager to install crown moldings in their homes. After all, crown molding is a cost-effective way of enhancing the elegance and sense of finish in your space. Although installing crown moldings on one’s own seems manageable, this belief is illusory. There are a number of components that homeowners tend to overlook during the installation process; accordingly, it proves wise to have a professional contractor take care of installing your crown moldings. Read on to learn many of the minute and intricate details that a contractor will know how to handle.
Layering
One element of crown moldings that contractors know their way around is how to layer and combine this finish. As a homeowner, you have likely been exposed to layered crown moldings which collectively add a sense of dimension and elegance to a space. But, achieving this finish on your own is tricky to say the least.
A contractor understands several important aspects about layering crown moldings. First and foremost, these professionals have a good sense of what sorts of crown moldings combine well together. If you want a simple, layered look, for instance, they will likely select two different cuts of baseboard molding in combination with one cut of sprung crown molding. The more complicated element that professional contractors understand is where to place these moldings on the wall and how to cut these moldings properly so that they combine seamlessly with one another.
Protecting Your Crown Moldings
When you work with a contractor, he or she will protect the quality of this finish well into the future. But, when you install crown moldings independently, when problems occur in future months you will not have any solutions at the ready.
There are several ways in which a contractor will protect your crown moldings. Firstly, he or she will paint your crown moldings and protect this paint job with a protective veneer. Many homeowners either overlook or skim over this protective step. But, the veneer is so important for maintaining the longevity and look of your moldings. In addition, when you hire a contractor you will be working within the constraints of a contract. A reliable contractor will have no qualms about incorporating a clause that states that he or she will handle any mishaps that may arise in and around this finish. For example, if your moldings begin to pucker or separate from the wall, your contractor will come back and rectify this problem.
Masters Complicated Cuts
The most complicated and complex aspect of installing your crown moldings centers on the cuts that need to be made to their corners. As a homeowner, even if you manage to borrow an electric saw, this does not endow you with the knowledge with which to properly cut these moldings.
A professional contractor understands that cutting crown moldings is analogous to creating large scale puzzle pieces that will create a decorative border around a room. And, a contractor has just the tools and the knowledge to administer precise miter cuts to the wood. These miter cuts are made on an angle such that one piece of moldings blends seamlessly into the next. The most common mishap to occur in DIY crown molding projects is that of having awkward gaps and spaces between cuts of crown molding.
Saves Resources
Homeowners who wish to install crown moldings on their own do so with the best of intentions. But, the reality is that installing this finish without professional knowledge, tools and resources is incredibly time consuming.
Consider the following. You are interested in installing crown moldings but have never done so before. In order to complete this project, you will need to do the following: purchase moldings, research methods for installing them, locate the space on the wall where they can be attached securely, paint them and protect them. When you look at all the steps involved, it becomes blatantly clear that installing crown moldings is a significant project. Moreover, for a novice, this project would take upwards of a week and a half. When you hire a contractor, though, this sort of project can be completed in a day. By hiring a professional contractor, you will likely save hundreds of dollars in materials, as well as a substantial amount of time.
Many homeowners who appreciate the aesthetic of crown moldings will want to install this finish in their own homes. But, doing so is an incredibly ambitious project. Not only will you need to understand how to combine moldings and how to attach them to the wall, but will want to protect them appropriately as well. On the whole, hiring a professional contractor will significantly lessen your load when it comes to this extensive project, producing a high quality, stress-free final product.