Crown molding is trending. Whether made of wood or plastic, aluminum or tin, crown molding is now seen in a lot of newer homes. That’s prompting many Cary and Apex homeowners to add crown molding to their spaces.
The right crown molding material and height can transform your room, making it seem more elegant, shorter, or even taller. A tin molding might help ease the transition between your tin ceiling and white walls. Wood strips can hide problem areas, and hollow crown molding made of plastic can be used to hide wiring. This customizable feature can even be used to hold upward lighting, which adds a lovely, soft glow to your home.
Choosing Crown Molding
Your home doesn’t have to have 12-foot ceilings to make a crown molding work. You can install it in nearly any room. But keep these decorating guidelines in mind:
The general rule is one inch of width for each foot of ceiling height — if your ceilings are 10 feet or higher. But eight inches of molding would make a room with eight-foot ceilings look small. In those cases try no more than four inches of molding.
Very detailed crown moldings should be balanced with less-overwhelming decor in the room. For example, don’t mix a busy crown molding with intricate patterned wallpaper.
Installing Crown Molding
While it may be a hot home item, many people find it tricky to install crown molding themselves. Specific measurements and cuts are required to make it fit just right. Here are some handy tips for your do-it-yourselfers:
Measure twice, cut once. This applies to all projects, but especially with crown molding. Measure the length of the walls in your room, writing down each measurement on a sketch of the room. If you have any outside corners in the room, add an extra four inches. This will accommodate the extra molding that extends into the room. When you have your measurements, add an extra 10 percent to allow for waste.
Angles are the trickiest part with molding. If your room is square, then inside 90-degree corners require 45-degree cuts for the molding pieces on each side. But if the corner is shallower, for decorative effect, you’ll need to know the exact angle and divide it in two.
A little adhesive will help you use fewer nails and provide support while you install. Just be sure not to use so much that it squeezes out.
Or you can do it the less stressful way. Give us a call at Holly Springs Builders 919-346-0678. We would love to install crown molding in whatever room you would like. We will even help you decide what style would give you the feel in the rooms you are looking at!
