Ive Moved Into A Place With Crown Molding Can I Get Rid Of It
Fans of modern architecture often want to dispense with molding altogether. Molding is there for a reason, Dixon reminds us. It can be difficult and very expensive to detail a room without any molding to hide those little defects that naturally occur, such as cracking around the ceiling and windows. Be aware that removing it might reveal imperfections in the construction.
Do Crown Moldings Increase The Value Of A Home
If you are looking for a quick-fix solution that makes your home value shoot way up, without a real investment on your part, crown moldings are not your answer. However, if you are ready to make a reasonable investment to get quality moldings installed well, then yes, they will increase the value of your home.
Like most things in your home, quality matters when you are talking about crown moldings. If you purchase the cheapest moldings from the nearest big-box home improvement store, you are not going to impress a knowledgeable realtor or home-buyer. Likewise, if the moldings are installed in a hackneyed, less-than-professional manner, they will not add any value.
The key to increasing your home value with crown moldings is to get elegant, high-quality moldings, and to make sure they are installed in a professional way. That way, you will be able to enjoy the classy addition to your rooms, and you will see an improvement in the marketability of your home when you go to sell it.
What Are The Other Benefits Of Crown Molding
The original purpose still holds true: They clean up the space where walls and ceiling meet. But crown has become much more than that. When its done right, crown molding helps lift the space, drawing your eye up to make the ceiling feel higher, says Dixon. Its a lovely bit of detail that can bring out the faded grandeur in an old house while also hiding all sorts of sinseven distracting the eye from cobwebs or peeling paint.
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How Do I Choose What Type Of Crown Molding To Use
We asked Dixon how to know what size and type of crown molding to use where, but there are whole bibles to determine the exact proportions that fit the size of the room, ceiling height, and more, he says. The thing is, you need to understand the rules before you can start playing around with them, he adds.
But there are still opportunities to be creative. For example, an elaborate crown might be a fun trick in a tiny powder room, drawing the eye up to distract from the fact that the room is very small. But usually, a heavy crown in a small room will only feel oppressive.
In general, low ceilings shouldnt rule out crown moldings. If you do something very simple and it draws your eye up, it can make the ceiling appear taller. I encourage people to keep it simple ornate is just a distraction.
Dixon also prefers to see molding of the appropriate era. If youre in a simple fifties-style apartment, you dont want Louis XV gilded molding, he tactfully suggests.
Affordable Crown Molding Alternatives
Recreate the look of a fancy and well-crafted crown molding without spending too much by trying out these simple and affordable crown molding alternatives. Find the best low-cost option that’s perfect for the ceiling height and style of your home.
Crown molding may be the architectural detail thats missing in your home. Its that decorative trim that uplifts a home interior to a more upscale and elegant touch as seen in most classy old houses.
While there is plenty of style or size of crown molding to choose from, installing them can take a lot of time, effort, and money. Some homeowners are also afraid to commit to a molding should they have a change of preferences later on and opt for a contemporary look instead.
So if youre still wondering if this is the right style for your home, check out our list of crown molding alternatives below for more ideas.
Source: Home Depot
This thin molding is incredibly easy to handle by yourself and you wont have to worry about having another person on hand to help you work with it. You can easily lift and hold this thinner molding in place by yourself without getting very tired, which will help to speed up the installation process. It is incredibly easy to install this light molding. You can either use very small finishing nails to hold it into place or even opt for the hot glue to install the molding where you want it to be.
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Examples Of Crown Molding In A Sentence
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These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘crown molding.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Types Of Crown Molding
Crown molding only refers to the molding installed where the top of a wall meets the ceiling. Each style has its own use, although molds can be mixed to create the style you desire.
- Crown generally unites the wall and the ceiling. Its so called because it is the builders crowning achievement.
- Cove a molding with a concave shape which can go nearly anywhereat the ceiling/wall corner or the floor/wall corner. Its still crown molding, but a plainer version.
- Dentil a crown molding style with small, identically shaped squares or rectangles evenly spaced along the molding. Dentils are mostly found in historic homes.
- Batten a flat trim piece designed to hide the join between two pieces of paneling or wall. Other flat pieces are often installed, along with the serviceable batten, to create a design element out of a functional piece.
- Egg and Dart crown molding that has a pattern of what looks like eggs separated by darts.
- Bead and Pearl rows of symmetrical shapes that look like beads or pearls on the crown molding.
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What Is Crown Molding Usually Made Of
Several different materials are used today. Elaborately detailed crown moldings were traditionally made of plaster and still are. Once you have the plaster mold, you can keep repeating the pattern its much harder to do the same with wood, says Dixon. These days you can consult catalogs to find the design that works for your space the company will create the plaster molding onsite. You can also restore an old plaster crown by having a mold made of the pattern, and new pieces crafted from that to replace the damaged sections.
Wood can also be a good material for crown molding, says Dixon. Its easier than plaster to install and maintain, and you dont have as many issues with cracking.
Crown molding made of a compositesuch as polyurethane foam, extruded polystyrene, vinyl, or PVCis by far the easiest to install. These moldings, whose patterns are modeled after traditional plaster styles, are lightweight, flexible, and impervious to moisture and insects. You can get really satisfactory results, and once its painted its very hard to tell the difference, says Dixon.
How To Install Crown Molding: Cut The Molding
Swivel the saw to a 45-degree angle to match the direction of the molding, set the board against the saw at the mark and make the cut.
For scarf joints, do not turn the boards upside down. They will lay flat on the saw. The swiveling part of the saw table stays centered during this cut. Instead, tilt the saw blade to a 45-degree angle and make the cut. The boards should then fit perfectly together.
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Is Crown Moulding A Good Investment
Crown molding is considered a decorative trim. It’s found at the top of walls where the molding meets the ceiling. Builders generally add trim around doors and windows where they meet the drywall. Crown moulding is typically an affordable upgrade that homeowners pay for.
This molding elevates the look of a room from blah to beautiful. As it’s only used at the top of the room , the term crown is used to describe the molding, and thus we have crown molding.
Some people wonder if crown moulding is outdated. It’s not and likely never will be. The molding isn’t something you look at specifically, rather it gives a room height and more dimension which enhances the feeling of a room.
You might find these related articles worth reading:
- Interior Trim Ideas to Spice Up Any Room covers a broad set of decorative trim you can use to update your home.
- Creative Hanging Shoe Storage shows a creative way to use crown molding to add wall storage.
- Not sure you’ll fall in love with these updates? Check out DoyleRenovations.com’s before and after photos where a picture is worth far more than a thousand words.
How To Install Crown Molding In 8 Steps
Theres something about crown molding that makes a room look more elegant and refined. It makes spaces feel less boxy and bland, and, best of all, it can increase the value of your home. If youre ready to transform your space, you dont need to hire a contractor or carpenteryou just need to learn how to install crown molding and then take a trip to the home improvement store. The process may feel complex, but as long as you have the right tools and a plenty of time, you can add an architectural element to your room. Read on to find out how to install crown molding and what tools you need to get the job done right.
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What Is Crown Molding Used For
Crown molding is used mostly for decoration today. In the past, crown molding served to cover cracks between the wall and the ceiling. In modern uses, crown molding appears in places other than the top of the wall, such as:
Oak & Solid Wood Molding Prices
Common wood moldings range from $5 to $12 per linear foot, but youll most likely spend $6 to $9 per linear foot Different types run within different ranges. The following ranges include both materials and labor:
- Common softwood and new growth: under $10 per linear foot. These include pine, maple, poplar and aspen.
- Common hardwoods: $10-$15. Old growth pine, oak and mahogany.
- Exotic hardwoods: $15-$45. Extremely uncommon and often custom made.
Hardwoods like oak and mahogany stain beautifully, and their natural grains add warmth and appeal to any room. Soft woods like pine or aspen can be easier to cut and sand these are an excellent choice if youre planning to paint your molding.
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Benefits Of Crown Molding
Crown moldings can be used in a number of furniture casings, such as shelves, cabinets, mantelpieces, and as photo frames. There are a number of benefits in using crown molding installations, as they are vastly superior to plain rooms. The most obvious benefits of these installations is of course, beauty. These installations not only look good, but add a sense of elegance to your room as well. Heres looking at other crown molding benefits.
Install Crown Molding Between The Wall And Ceiling
The most popular manner of installing crown molding is to mount it at a 45-degree angle at the point where the ceiling and walls meet. At the corners where the walls meet, the moldings can be joined with mitered joints or with coped joints. A coped crown molding is a sign of true craftsmanship, as this requires considerable skill.
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How To Duplicate Crown
When you can’t find a matching profile at a lumberyard or home center, the easiest way to get a copy of your existing crown is to send a cutoff to a wood millwork shop or a maker of foam or plaster moldings, such as Fypon or Hyde Park. But if a scrap isn’t handy and your crown doesn’t have details like dentils and leaves, make a template using a profile gauge . Press the comb-like device against the crown, then trace the shape onto cardboard, noting which edge is the crown’s face.
Shown: Stainless-steel tracing profile gauge, about $23.50 Lee Valley Tools
Benefit : Imperfections Can Be Covered Up
If you employ unskilled painters for your house, there is a chance they will mess up the partition between the ceiling and the walls, as this is something that requires a lot of skill and patience. These installations remove the paint from the naked eye, and give a sense of elegance to your room. Furthermore, these installations will seamlessly merge your walls and ceilings into one another.
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Establish A Craftsman’s Touch
Inspired by the Arts and Crafts movement, Craftsman style eschewed the ornate decor of the Victorian era and leaned into simplicity, natural materials and handcrafted elements. Here, timeless Craftsman crown molding with its simple square lines and rounded edges tops this midcentury modern dining room.
Diy Or Professional Installation
If youre not at all the DIY type, we suggest you hire a professional woodworker to do this job, because the project has some precise requirements. To add value to your home, crown molding needs to be expertly and flawlessly installed.
This project uses a lot of mathnot just addition and subtraction, but geometry too. Of particular difficulty are the corner anglesinside and outside corners. Many times, the inside angle is on one end of the board and the outside angle on the opposite end. Getting that reversed means your strip of crown molding will not work. Its also challenging to precision-cut the angle at which the crown molding meets the ceiling and the angle where it meets the wall.
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What Rooms Should Have Crown Moulding
Crown moulding is a signature feature that adds elegance and accentuates a rooms architectural features. However, determining where to add crown moulding isnt always as simple as youd think. It all depends on your style, budget, and taste.
If youre planning to install crown moulding in your home, you may be trying to figure out which of your rooms should have it and which rooms shouldnt. Youre in luck! Heres a thorough guide to the most popular rooms for crown moulding, including beautiful design examples for each one.
Go For Local Woodworking Store:
When it comes to install crown molding, it is really important to fit the proportions of your room and existing trim that will remain. Local suppliers that specialize in architectural millwork can provide you with various samples from which you can choose. In some cases, the local suppliers are more like to suggest moldings that are authentic to your homes period and regional style. Important to get a good length to see how it looks in proportion to room size and ceiling height before buying all your materials. Proportion is everything!
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How Much Does Crown Molding Cost
With so many choices available, Dixon says that prices are hard to estimate. The least expensive options are those made of composite Home Depot carries a huge range. As for wood, there are so many types the cost differential can be pretty dramatic. Plaster is always the most expensive, because of the labor and level of detail.
Seven Benefits Of Crown Molding
Crown molding comes with a range of benefits that make it a perfect addition to a home. Some of these benefits include:
With so many benefits, you might want to put the crown molding everywhere you can put it. You just have to know where to buy it.
Where to Buy Crown Molding
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