Crown moldings are one of the most effective ways of lending a sense of completeness, polish and sophistication to a room. But, many homeowners fall into the trap of thinking that this finish will integrate seamlessly and easily into any given space. This is not so. Other homeowners falsely believe that owning both a saw and a nail gun is sufficient for installing crown moldings. While interior designers largely back the value of this timeless finish, crown moldings deserve to be both installed and selected carefully. Thus it is quite important that homeowners take the time to ask a series of measured questions before installing crown moldings within their own space.
1. What Function Do I Want Crown Moldings to Fulfill?
Although crown moldings are versatile finishes, which work in a wide number of homes, you will need to thoroughly consider what kind of function you want crown moldings to fulfill in your space. Your answer to this question will largely dictate how and where you install crown moldings in your home.
Let us say that you want to implement crown moldings in an effort to make a small room appear larger. Although this might seem counterintuitive, thicker crown moldings in a lighter color will help to achieve this aim. By placing these crown moldings flush against your ceiling in the form of a border, you effectively create a sense of vertical space. Maybe you will determine that you want to use crown moldings in order to reinforce the classic American aesthetic you have going in your room. If this is the case, you will want to install crown moldings as a border around your doors and floorboards, and perhaps even midway through your wall. In short, knowing what you want from your crown moldings is critical to installing them in the most effective manner possible.
2. How Do I Cut Crown Moldings?
Contrary to popular opinion, cutting crown moldings properly (and evenly) is not as simple as it may seem. There is a wealth of information available on the web as well as in literature on how to properly cut and install crown moldings, however. Doing so will involve a number of straight cuts as well as angular ones—at their corners—in order to seamlessly marry one cut of crown molding to the next. Take the requisite time to cut and install your crown moldings. Rushing the process will do nothing but likely ruin materials, and increase your expenses.
3. How do I Know If I Need Help?
As with many things in life, it can be difficult to know whether or not external help is required. If do-it-yourself videos and manuals are reading a bit like gibberish, do not hesitate to call a contractor to help. However, make sure you do so in an intelligent manner. Be sure that your contractor is not concerned with extending the project and turning it into something of a different magnitude than what you are picturing. Another word of advice on selecting the correct contractor is to choose someone with a proven track-record. Even if a person has had ample success installing countertops and flooring, this does not mean that he or she is equipped to install crown moldings. Although most general contractors should have some sense of how to complete this project, you will want to verify that they have installed crown moldings in the past. In short, calling in a general contractor to install your crown molding is advised if home improvements prove overly complex or confusing.
4. What Sort of Style Should I be Aiming For?
The answer to this question is fairly simple: the style that best suits your personal design tastes! Because crown moldings are both versatile and plentiful, there is something for everyone. If you are a traditionalist, Colonial Georgian moldings are an excellent option. Latticed crown moldings—which are reminiscent of the ornate designs you might find on a wooden garden door—are perfect for people with a flair for the Victorian. Before going out and purchasing a large order of crown moldings, take stock of your room’s overall aesthetic. This is especially important for people who appreciate many different styles and design principles. Doing so will enable you to create a beautiful finish that is consistent with the rest of your space.
Crown moldings are a wonderful finish that homeowners all over America use to their advantage. Before stocking up on crown molding, and plunging headlong into the installation process, it is important that you take pause and consider what you want to do with it, and how you want to achieve this end. You may realize that you need help installing your crown moldings, and turn to a general contractor. Regardless, crown moldings are one of the most effective ways of adding polish to a room: But only when selected and installed with care.