How hard is this to put up your self?

If I buy it at Lowes or HD will they cut it for me?

What do I need to install it?

I "attempted" it once. There's a process called "coping" you have to do on the corners that I didn't have the patience to figure out. A little coping saw and a lot of patience and some trial and error and I'm sure you could accomplish the task. If you're looking for quick installation, find someone to knock it out for you.

I've done two rooms in my house. It's not that bad if you have a compound miter saw (I borrowed a friends.) It can be a little tricky making the right angles, and by the time you figure it out you are finished. I ended up making templates of the cuts that I could compare to the saw angle before I actually cut the molding to avoid screw ups. With no experience it took me about two hours to do a room, but I could go much faster now. Keep in mind that your room is not likely to be perfectly square.

For install of the molding to the wall you will want a nail gun. Don't worry about hitting studs. By the time the caulk dries you would have to pry the molding off. Paint the molding before you install and then just touch it up later. Buy molding that is long enough for the length of the wall and you only have to make the corner cuts.

This is one of those jobs that go 4 times faster with two people. I did about 2000 square ft worth in a previous house "for fun" and because my wife got paint all over the ceilings. I did a two piece and while rewarding and very nice looking, quite a pita. If you just have some square rooms to do, no biggie. You will need access to a good compound mitre.

The room has no funny corners or anything funky. It is square with 4 corners. Will Lowes cut it for me if I give them the dimensions?

No they won't for the corners assuming your using angled crown. It requires a compound cut. (two angles per cut) plus you can never tell how the board will lay and fit with its counterparts. You go long and trim as needed is what I do. If you're using those corner cheat blocks, then they would cut it for you I'm sure. Just a straight 90 cut.

Crown moulding is one of the simplest and most elegant mouldings one can install.

That simplicity and elegance is also its greatest detriment; it is frighteningly easy to "do" badly.

This is made worse if a room is just a "simple square" too.

That is because walls are never quite flat all the way along; ceilings never quite meet at 90º angles to the walls; and corners are never quite uniformly 90º either.

Mitre joints are complicated; compound mitre joints are more so, any error doubles and redoubles.

Which is why such joints are "coped." When a joint is coped, one side is run in square to the corner. The other stick of moulding is cut at a 45º angle in plan.

This is done with the moulding "upside down" in the mitre-box or saw, standing it at the angle it will sit upon the wall, a very critical step.

Then, the back edge of that cut is beveled back 45º with a coping or saber saw. This takes a deft touch. And, if you do it wrong, go ahead and lop another 1/2" off the stick and start anew. This coping makes a fine edge where the mouldings will meet. And that edge tends to embrace imperfections, rather than force them into view.

It's not complicated work, but skill shows. It can be well worth hiring this out and paying the $200-225 it might could cost.

The 4 C's of crown moulding..

cut, cope, caulk, curse.

It can be done as a DIY project, but it getting it perfect takes patience.

Most compound miter saws have crown molding marks on them now. It's fairly simple.

Just use prefabbed corner blocks. They are a little pricey, but will make this project so much easier.

I did crown molding in a small square room in the house. I used hammer and nails and a compound miter saw. I had my father-in-law help. We painted the molding before hand, but did not calk after (wasn't needed) Took us most of the day. The room we did shared two walls with rooms that had different height ceilings, so there was no header. We ended up using a table saw to cut blocks like these to drive into studs, then nailed into the blocks.

A tip I picked up on after doing two walls was to use a small scrap piece of wood to make the cuts on. That way you can take it up and down easily to get the cut right (I was continualy makeing small adjustments on the saw to get the cuts to look right (no corner in the room was exactly 90 degrees)). Once you get the angles of your cut right on the scrap piece you can cut the real molding.
A guy I work with used the pre made endpieces so you can make square cuts and don't have to miter or cope anything. He said he did it pretty quickly this way.


[This message has been edited by Quad Dog (edited 3/12/2012 10:05a).]

I bought a crown moulding jig.



I'm happy to loan it out in Houston. Just remember - upside down and backwards.

Divorce in the process when we bought our first house and tried to do it ourselves. Finally hired a handyman to put it up and he was done in an afternoon. Never will do that chit again.

They have another version of crown where all the corners use a pre-shaped piece and there isn't anything but straight cut molding to butt against it. Buy one for each corner then paint and attach to wall, paint the molding and straight cut the ends.

I forgot to post the pics after my Brother-in-law and I finished the project.

We didn't do anything fancy. Just went to Lowes and picked out the trim we wanted and cut it with the compound miter saw. Installed them with a finishing nailer and painters caulk to cover the holes. Spent about $150 on trim and 4 hours of time. It was very easy to do and I think the finished project looks great. Well worth the $$.

The yellow room has been the focal point of a lot of sweat and cursing over the past several months. We stripped the layer of vinyl wall paper and then steamed the layer of 70 year old flower wall paper. Textured the wall then painted. Didn't like the color, primed and repainted then did the trim, then painted the all the trim windows and doors. It looks a million times better and the hard work shows in the room.

Yellow haters gonna hate. It was way better than the bright turquoise my wife picked out the first time around.



Used my phone, the quality isn't super awesome. The lighting is throwing some shadows and reflections off the trim. It looks better than the close ups show.






[This message has been edited by Seven (edited 7/26/2012 6:18p).]

I second the corner block method....did it at my old house in the "man cave" and turned out great.

EnviroAg96, that looks great. So it's just a straight cut keeping room for the corner block?

Beat me to it, use the corner block things. They work even if the corners are not 90 degrees. I think they look fine, especially considering the amount of hassles they save you.

Corner blocks for the win! Makes it 100X easier and adds a nice decorative touch.

Edit: link issues. nm

[This message has been edited by WreckedEm (edited 7/27/2012 2:50p).]

Foam. You'll thank me later.