I am about to install crown molding in my house but I have never done
that before. I think I got the cutting part down but I am not sure
about the installation part. Any one has ideas about what the best way
to install them? Is it better to nail it from the corners in or from
the center out? On the mitered corners will nails be enough or should I
glue the corners as well (regular wood glue is good for that)?
If anyone can help I will appreciate it.

Thanks.

I am about to install crown molding in my house but I have never done
that before. I think I got the cutting part down but I am not sure
about the installation part. Any one has ideas about what the best way
to install them? Is it better to nail it from the corners in or from
the center out? On the mitered corners will nails be enough or should
I
glue the corners as well (regular wood glue is good for that)?
If anyone can help I will appreciate it.

I assume you're using coped joints on the inside corners. Nail it in
the center, and leave the butt end with a little give. When you join
the butt end with a new coped piece on the inside corners, you'll be
able to marry the 2 pieces if the butt end has a little give.

I will not be coping the inside corners. I will be using a regular
miter cut.

"Silk" wrote in message
oups.com...
I will not be coping the inside corners. I will be using a regular
miter cut.


Using mitered inside corners for CM is an amateur's mistake. You'll get
far better results if you learn to cut a coped joint. It will take
about an hour investment.

Marrying a coped joint is actually a lot easier than getting a mitered
joint to fit, and that joint won't open up on you over time. They are
also more forgiving and adjustable if you corners aren't square and
plumb. Coped joints also give you more structural integrity.

If you're not convinced by now.....

"Buck Turgidson" wrote in message
I will not be coping the inside corners. I will be using a regular
miter cut.

Using mitered inside corners for CM is an amateur's mistake. You'll get
far better results if you learn to cut a coped joint. It will take
about an hour investment.

He's right Silk. A small cost for a coping saw (type of hand jigsaw) and
you'll be able to make crown molding corner joints that look great. When
people come into your home and see the crown molding, the corners are the
first thing they will look at. And it is a very small investment of your
time to learn how to do it properly. There's a number of small tricks you
can use to speed up the process like scribing with compass.

Take some time and a few lengths of scrap, and learn to cope the
molding joints. It's frustrating practice at first (you'll probably
ruin several feet), but the final product is well worth the effort.

1. Cope the inside joints (mitering is fine for outside joints).
2. No need to glue the corners if they're properly cut. You *might*
have to use a bit of putty to fill in any gaps (assuming you're
painting afterward).
3. Get another person to assist you in holding the molding up for a
test fit. Then it won't matter so much about center-out/corners-in
nailing. Just make sure you know exactly where your wall studs and
ceiling joists are -- they are your friends!

I put up crown molding in my daughter's room last year (first molding
project), and though it was VERY frustrating at first, I was pretty
comfortable with the process by the end. Good luck! (Buy several
extra feet of molding and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE your coping!).

Silk wrote:
I am about to install crown molding in my house but I have never done
that before. I think I got the cutting part down but I am not sure
about the installation part. Any one has ideas about what the best way
to install them? Is it better to nail it from the corners in or from
the center out? On the mitered corners will nails be enough or should I
glue the corners as well (regular wood glue is good for that)?
If anyone can help I will appreciate it.

Thanks.

I'll third that emotion. Learning to cope isn't all that difficult and
you'll (the OP) be proud of your work. Mitered joints will open up.

Dave

Upscale wrote:

"Buck Turgidson" wrote in message

I will not be coping the inside corners. I will be using a regular
miter cut.


Using mitered inside corners for CM is an amateur's mistake. You'll get
far better results if you learn to cut a coped joint. It will take
about an hour investment.


He's right Silk. A small cost for a coping saw (type of hand jigsaw) and
you'll be able to make crown molding corner joints that look great. When
people come into your home and see the crown molding, the corners are the
first thing they will look at. And it is a very small investment of your
time to learn how to do it properly. There's a number of small tricks you
can use to speed up the process like scribing with compass.

Ah, but what some don't tell you about coping is the importance of the
coping saw blade. Go to a real hardware store
and get a coping saw blade from Vermont American. They have a narrow very
high tooth count blade that is great for coping. Metal cutting blade, and
mount
so cuts on down stroke.

Also check out Amazon tools:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...?v=glance&s=hi
{watch out for line wrap.)
Vermont American 48579 6-3/8" x 32 TPI Coping Saw Blade 2 Pack

Oh, and one last suggestion, which I am sure you know and I am only
reminding
you about, take room measurements WHERE THE CM IS BEING INSTALLED. Don't
assume the measurement at waist high is the same as the ceiling. And use
the exact same measuring tape you measured the room to also measure the cuts
on the wood. Trust me, too short by 1/8 inch is noticeable in CM, and your
error will be visited upon more than once over the years by she who never
forgets.

Phil

"David" wrote in message
...
I'll third that emotion. Learning to cope isn't all that difficult and
you'll (the OP) be proud of your work. Mitered joints will open up.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I will give coping a second thought. I
talked to a few people who told me to stay away from coping since
it's simply too much problems and that's why I decided to miter my
corners. I see that there is a different view on this issue here.

On 13 Jun 2005 11:09:15 -0700, "Silk" wrote:

I am about to install crown molding in my house but I have never done
that before. I think I got the cutting part down but I am not sure
about the installation part. Any one has ideas about what the best way
to install them? Is it better to nail it from the corners in or from
the center out? On the mitered corners will nails be enough or should I
glue the corners as well (regular wood glue is good for that)?
If anyone can help I will appreciate it.

Everyone has given you good advice and I agree with the suggestion to
cope the inside corners. For some reason (being right handed) I find
it easier to cope the left end of my pieces. So I will work around
the room from left to right and will have only one cope from the other
direction if the room is a simple square If the room has an outside
corner, I will probably end there because I can hold the coped piece
up and mark the outside corners from each direction.
Starting to nail from the middle and leaving the ends loose is a great
suggestion and allows you to move the piece up or down in the corner
if needed. I always glue and nail the outside corners. Depending on
how big the crown is, you may be able to nail near the middle of the
crown and hit the top plate of your wall. Nailing near the bottom
will allow you to hit the wall studs. Nailing through the top of the
crown will let you hit the joists or trusses on the two walls where
you have them.

Mike O.

"Oriole1" wrote in message
oups.com...
1. Cope the inside joints (mitering is fine for outside joints).
2. No need to glue the corners if they're properly cut. You *might*
have to use a bit of putty to fill in any gaps (assuming you're
painting afterward).
3. Get another person to assist you in holding the molding up for a
test fit. Then it won't matter so much about center-out/corners-in
nailing. Just make sure you know exactly where your wall studs and
ceiling joists are -- they are your friends!

So, what did you do for the ceiling joist that ran parallel to the wall?

Darrell

What do those "few people" do for a living or a hobby??

Dave

Silk wrote:

Thanks for all the advice guys. I will give coping a second thought. I
talked to a few people who told me to stay away from coping since
it's simply too much problems and that's why I decided to miter my
corners. I see that there is a different view on this issue here.

On 13 Jun 2005 11:39:03 -0700, "Silk" wrote:

I will not be coping the inside corners. I will be using a regular
miter cut.

Bear in mind that a "regular miter cut" for crown molding is not what
you may think it is if you've never done it before- you can't just lay
it flat and cut a 45" angle. You need a compund miter saw, and it
won't be as good as coping in any case.

Last night on DYI show with David Thiel he had a way cool jig setup for
doing crown molding so you don't get confused when installing them....here's
a link for it...makes doing crown molding easier

http://www.diynet.com/diy/hi_tools/a...387707,00.html

Tina

"Mike" wrote in message
...
On 13 Jun 2005 11:09:15 -0700, "Silk" wrote:

I am about to install crown molding in my house but I have never done
that before. I think I got the cutting part down but I am not sure
about the installation part. Any one has ideas about what the best way
to install them? Is it better to nail it from the corners in or from
the center out? On the mitered corners will nails be enough or should I
glue the corners as well (regular wood glue is good for that)?
If anyone can help I will appreciate it.

Everyone has given you good advice and I agree with the suggestion to
cope the inside corners. For some reason (being right handed) I find
it easier to cope the left end of my pieces. So I will work around
the room from left to right and will have only one cope from the other
direction if the room is a simple square If the room has an outside
corner, I will probably end there because I can hold the coped piece
up and mark the outside corners from each direction.
Starting to nail from the middle and leaving the ends loose is a great
suggestion and allows you to move the piece up or down in the corner
if needed. I always glue and nail the outside corners. Depending on
how big the crown is, you may be able to nail near the middle of the
crown and hit the top plate of your wall. Nailing near the bottom
will allow you to hit the wall studs. Nailing through the top of the
crown will let you hit the joists or trusses on the two walls where
you have them.

Mike O.

I talked to a guy who does that for a living as well as a few guys who
just did it in their home.
They suggested that since I am an amateur (new homeowner so I am new to
all these DIY stuff), I should not try to cope. My understanding from
them is that a good mitered corner looks like a good coped corner. I
played with some scrap until I got the angles right. The main problem
for me was doing outside bull nose cuts, but I got that right by trial
an error.
All the tips I got from you guys are good. If you can think of any more
little secrets of the trade I am willing to learn. As I said I am still
new at this but it is a lot of fun.

The guy who does it for a living is trying to bolster his image, that's
all. I'm not a "pro", but I got "pro" results my first time out with
crown molding. Just practice on scrap! "Amateurs" can cope unless they
have no manual dexterity and no guidance (on site, or from reading text
and illustrations).

Dave

Silk wrote:

I talked to a guy who does that for a living as well as a few guys who
just did it in their home.
They suggested that since I am an amateur (new homeowner so I am new to
all these DIY stuff), I should not try to cope. My understanding from
them is that a good mitered corner looks like a good coped corner. I
played with some scrap until I got the angles right. The main problem
for me was doing outside bull nose cuts, but I got that right by trial
an error.
All the tips I got from you guys are good. If you can think of any more
little secrets of the trade I am willing to learn. As I said I am still
new at this but it is a lot of fun.

additional info: for tools, all you need is a coping saw and round and
flat files. a dremel tool can get away from you. a SMALL plane can
also be used on the straight portions of the profile to adjust the
bevelled edge to clear the adjacent board.

One book that's handy on the subject: Finish Carpentry - best of fine
homebuilding.

Dave

Silk wrote:

I talked to a guy who does that for a living as well as a few guys who
just did it in their home.
They suggested that since I am an amateur (new homeowner so I am new to
all these DIY stuff), I should not try to cope. My understanding from
them is that a good mitered corner looks like a good coped corner. I
played with some scrap until I got the angles right. The main problem
for me was doing outside bull nose cuts, but I got that right by trial
an error.
All the tips I got from you guys are good. If you can think of any more
little secrets of the trade I am willing to learn. As I said I am still
new at this but it is a lot of fun.

All the tips I got from you guys are good. If you can think of any
more
little secrets of the trade I am willing to learn. As I said I am
still
new at this but it is a lot of fun.


Some coping instructions will tell you to cut right on the line with the
saw. I get better results by cutting just shy (e.g. 1/32") of the line,
and then taking a very sharp Stanley knife and trimming up to the line.
Then the resulting profile is very sharp. Otherwise the saw blade can
leave a ragged edge.

If I can, I hang the pieces making up the outside corners first, since I
find them to be more exacting.

If you have a long run and need to splice 2 pieces, read up on scarf
joints.

A couple more things: Take the time to clearly mark your studs and
ceiling members, and try and figure out where your electricity runs.
Hit the former two with nails and avoid the latter.

Also, I like to mark with a pencil along the wall and ceiling every few
feet and at the corners where the CM should lie (the spring angle).
Otherwise it can wander up or down and twist on you a bit if you're not
careful.

"Silk" wrote in news:1118768227.536693.81200
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:


I talked to a guy who does that for a living as well as a few guys who
just did it in their home.

Sure coping is harder than cutting miters. But learning to right a bicycle
is tougher than learning to cut copes.

If you're going to goop the joints with caulk and paint, and if you pick
material less prone to movement and if you live in a house that's fairly
stable, then your mitered joints will probably be just fine.

I need to do CM in my house and I can pass most of the above caveats. My
approach is going to be to give coping a try for a hour or three. If I
still can't get the hang of it, then I'll miter and goop and paint.

Actually your plan won't work long term. seasonal movement will open up
the caulked joints, big time. Even if they look good short term,
they'll look like hell with a season or two.

Dave

Patrick Conroy wrote:

"Silk" wrote in news:1118768227.536693.81200
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com:



I talked to a guy who does that for a living as well as a few guys who
just did it in their home.


Sure coping is harder than cutting miters. But learning to right a bicycle
is tougher than learning to cut copes.

If you're going to goop the joints with caulk and paint, and if you pick
material less prone to movement and if you live in a house that's fairly
stable, then your mitered joints will probably be just fine.

I need to do CM in my house and I can pass most of the above caveats. My
approach is going to be to give coping a try for a hour or three. If I
still can't get the hang of it, then I'll miter and goop and paint.

On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 03:20:26 -0500, Prometheus
wrote:

I will not be coping the inside corners. I will be using a regular
miter cut.

Bear in mind that a "regular miter cut" for crown molding is not what
you may think it is if you've never done it before- you can't just lay
it flat and cut a 45" angle. You need a compund miter saw, and it
won't be as good as coping in any case.

Actually you don't need a compound saw.
As long as your crown is not too big for your mitre saw you can cut it
with the blade straight up and down. You can even cut it with a hand
mitre box if you have the time.
IMHO the easiest way to cut crown (inside corners or outside) is to
place it upside down on your miter saw with the crown laying at the
same angle as it will lay on the wall (except upside down), turn your
saw to a 45 and cut. A left or right outside cut will do the outside
corners and a left or right inside cut for your copes depending on
which direction you are running. Once you get used to cutting crown
this way, you won't need to lean that saw over very often.
Now if the crown is too large for the mitre saw then I will lay it
down and use the compound but I don't have to do that unless the crown
is larger than about 6".

Mike O.

Mike:

Thanks for posting that. I was going to post something like that, but I
couldn't get my brain and fingers to work together to explain what I wanted
to say. A photo would explain it real simple, but putting it to words....

You did good.

Phil

David wrote in
news


Actually your plan won't work long term. seasonal movement will open
up the caulked joints, big time. Even if they look good short term,
they'll look like hell with a season or two.


Agreed - but (a) we live in a low and fairly constant humidity environment
and (b) if I'm going to paint, I'd probably try some non-solid-wood CM
stock.

That should mitigate the problem.

Dave

Patrick Conroy wrote:
David wrote in
news


Actually your plan won't work long term. seasonal movement will open
up the caulked joints, big time. Even if they look good short term,
they'll look like hell with a season or two.



Agreed - but (a) we live in a low and fairly constant humidity environment
and (b) if I'm going to paint, I'd probably try some non-solid-wood CM
stock.

I need to do CM in my house and I can pass most of the above caveats.
My
approach is going to be to give coping a try for a hour or three. If I
still can't get the hang of it, then I'll miter and goop and paint.

Choice of caulk matters. Look for "elastomeric" caulk at "your local
home center".

Is caulking the corners better than spackling? I assumed spackling is
better since you can sand it.

Is caulking the corners better than spackling? I assumed spackling is
better since you can sand it.

I think elastomeric caulk would be much less prone to cracking than
spackling.

This is what I use:

http://www.dap.com/product_details.aspx?product_id=4

You really don't want to spackle the crown molding, especially in the
joints. They WILL crack. Use a good caulk and you can shape it as you
apply it. If done correctly, you should need very little and running your
finger along the joint will set it perfectly.

--
If at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving


"Silk" wrote in message
oups.com...
Is caulking the corners better than spackling? I assumed spackling is
better since you can sand it.

You can buy a jig for that as well and it makes cutting them a piece of
cake.

--
If at first you don't succeed, you're not cut out for skydiving


"Another Phil" NoSpamming@one two three four five.com wrote in message
...
Mike:

Thanks for posting that. I was going to post something like that, but I
couldn't get my brain and fingers to work together to explain what I
wanted
to say. A photo would explain it real simple, but putting it to words....

You did good.

Phil