Replies

1. 
   Irish95 | Oct 06, 2006 05:19pm | #1

   I cut triangular strips off 2 X 4's, positioned them in the corner, and screwed these to the wall studs with dry wall screws.  Then I finish nailed the crown molding into these strips.  The triangular strips were generally the same dimension as the void created behind the crown molding.  This system worked very well for me.  The crown molding has been up for 2 years and looks great. 

2. 
   nikkiwood | Oct 06, 2006 07:54pm | #2

   I second the suggestion for triangular shaped nailers, sized to fit behind the crown.

   However, if the crown is not large, it will probably stay in place just by nailing into the wall studs.

   ********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

3. 
   JeffHeath | Oct 06, 2006 08:43pm | #3

   Agreed with Nikkiwood

   You can use 2 1/2" finish nails right through the bottom of the crown,  into the studs.

   Jeff

1. 
   justinh | Oct 07, 2006 02:57pm | #4

   For large crown ( over 4" ) I add blocks glue with const. adhes. and shot to the wall and ceiling with trim nails which hold it until the glue tacks up. They are just triangles cut at the spring angle of the crown.  For smaller crown the backer is often unnecessary.  I shoot through the bottom of the moulding into the studs and shoot nails through the top edge at opposing angles through the drywall. 

   The ceiling to crown joint and the wall to crown joint get caulked with a high quality painters caulk which helps hold everything tight and stretches enough to keep gaps from appearing.

   When there are few wall studs and no ceiling joists to nail to I rip a 2x4 at the spring angle of the crown ( 38 ,45, or other degree angle) and size it so that it sits about 1/4"behind the crown. this is nailed to the top plate of the wall and acts as a backer for the crown.  I have to do this occasionally on soffits where lazy framers have left me with nothing to nail to, when I have to hang to a ceiling grid, or when the walls are framed with steel studs.

   Backing the crown with dabs of adhesive is a good idea and I do this often.  They make white const. adhesive that cleans up with water and doesn't run out of a gun like polyurethane that works well in these situations. My concern is with making the job I am doing last and not with future changes to what I have done. 

   Best of luck,

   Justin

4. 
   hammer1 | Oct 07, 2006 03:52pm | #5

   Most crown is only nailed on the bottom. You seldom need any nailing on the top.

   Beat it to fit / Paint it to match
5. 
   Dave45 | Oct 07, 2006 05:12pm | #6

   I put nailing strips on all the walls before I start hanging the crown.  The strips go up quickly and let me nail the crown where ever it needs nailing - rather than just at a stud or joist.

   
1. 
   Cicco | Oct 11, 2006 03:20am | #9

   Great suggestion.  I may not be following though.  How do you use this method for nailing into the ceiling.  I can see how this works for nailing into the side wall.  Can you elaborate for me.

1. 
   nikkiwood | Oct 11, 2006 03:32am | #10

   The point is you don't have to nail into the ceiling with these backer strips -- but you can if you know where the ceiling studs fall.********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

1. 
   Cicco | Oct 13, 2006 03:45am | #13

   What size nails do you recommend.  Nails or staples?

1. 
   nikkiwood | Oct 13, 2006 04:00am | #14

   Which part are you talking about/for the backer strip, I would use 2 1/2" shot with a gun.for the crown, nailing into the backer strip, 1 1/4" should do it -- depending on the size/thinkness of the crown.********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

2. 
   kix | Oct 14, 2006 04:53pm | #15

   I like making the backer as well, also i have gotten into the habit of using corner blocks.  I live in a newer subdividivision and I dont think there is a 90 degree corner in the whole neighboorhood.  The corner blocks take out the angle cutting in the whole project, and add a nice detail, sweet.  I just pick em up at the local H.D. I have found that they are not at every H.D. though, so ask.

   I am getting ready to take on the crown in my new house, I managed to get prolly 150 feet of custom alder crown from a custom home builder friend of mine.

   I do have a question to throw in here, usually I use the MDF crown because it's cheap, and I caulk the seams above and below to smooth the transistion.  Now I am using this beutifully stained alder. 

   What can I do to get the same effect on my stained wood crown as the caulk i use on the white mdf? 

3. 
   nikkiwood | Oct 14, 2006 05:27pm | #16

   As you know, paint grade and stain grade are two quite different animals -- since the latter requires considerably more care and precision in both cutting and installing.I can't ever remember using a caulk where the crown meets the ceiling or the wall, since a caulk (even if you can get a color to match the stain) will accentuate any spaces. There are often "bumps" in the ceilings and walls -- generally where there are butt seams. If these bumps are not too large, you can generally use your block plane on the top or bottom of the crown to get a better fit. If the bumps are too large, then you have to go to a plan "B" -- which would be a 3 piece crown such as discussed earlier in this thread. Several other points: stain/varnish everything before installation, use coped joints on the inside corners, dab some stain on all the cut edges before installation, and use a color matched putty to fill your nail holes (I use Color Putty, which can be intermixed to get the exact color you need). Good luck........... ********************************************************
   "It is what we learn after we think we know it all, that counts."

   John Wooden 1910-

4. 
   justinh | Oct 15, 2006 05:16am | #17

   Ditto coping.  It makes for a cleaner, and with the right tooling, faster installation.  It is also more forgiving install than mitering assuming that the saw is cutting square and the copes are good.  You do not have to be quite as perfect with your length measurements as you can snap fit the pieces.  I usually cut heavy of whatever measurement my distance meter reads.  Copes also deal with waves in walls better than a miter does. A hump 3 feet away from a corner or the mud build up in the corner can throw off a miter where with a tap on the top or bottom of a cope rolls the moulding a bit and closes the joint.  I usually work alone even when I am working with a crew and coping leaves me with only one corner to deal with.  I start in the middle using a homemade hook the hold up the square cut end if necessary and use a push stick cut to the negative of the crown profile or a least the two vertical flats to push the moulding up into the ceiling and tight ot the wall.  This lets me keep the crown positioned at the correct spring angle.  I don't nail within about 2' of the ends until I am satisfied with the fit.  For smaller mouldings I don't use a backer intead finding studs and joists with a "Stud for Sure" magnet and nailing off. With paint grade crown, coping with a jigsaw and Collins foot, and measuring with a distance meter I am around a square room with no outside corners in about 30 min with joints requiring little or no caulk.

   If you choose to miter an investment in either a Bosch Angle Finder or a Starret Miter Protractor might be a good idea.

   I try not to scribe the top edge of the moulding if I can help it.  Occasionally it is necessary to keep the moulding running staight.  I am usually able to slide in a shim and  or twist the moulding a bit to keep in running in a straight line or the correct spring angle.  Gaps of an 1/8" on walls or ceilings are caulked either by me or the painter for paint grade.  For stain and paint grade either the painter or the taper floats and feathers gaps that are larger with mud. 

   I don't touch the ends of copes with stain and I make sure that for outside corners and scarf joints both sides of the miter get thoroughly covered in glue to prevent a dark line caused by stain creeping around into the end grain.

   Regards,

   Justin

5. 
   Telemike | Oct 15, 2006 07:24am | #18

   I live in an old homegrown house and nothing is even close to straight never mind pump and perpendicular. When I put fir crown molding over on top of the refinished fir kitchen cabinets, I coped as well as I could but the unevenness of the surfaces and the unevenness of my skills left some gaps up to 1/16". I filled the gaps with an old product called "Durham's Water Putty". I mixed it to a paste like thick caulk, then mixed in tube style acrylic artists paints to match the color of the fir cabinets. After a few days, I sanded lightly and used the corner of a folded cloth to put wipe on poly on the filler. If neccessary, I could have used some straight acrylic paint to touch up or grain the filler before the poly. The molding is high well above my normal range of view so perfection is wasted here. I have to get on a stool and look carefully (through the bifocal on my glasses) to see the filler.Durham's is a product that my carpenter grandpa used when I was really little (in the '50's). Anyone know what it is?

6. 
   kix | Oct 15, 2006 05:53pm | #19

   Yeppers I know Durham Water Putty!  I just never thought of using it to make a custom color filler.  Smooth move. 

   I went over to H.D. to get a set of my corner blocks but they wont work with the oversize crown i am using.  So I get to make my own, fine, they can add up to a surprising amount of cash anyways.

    

   I pulled a couple of pics from crown-molding.com to show you what I mean about the corners, now it doesnt really matter if the corner is not a 90, no coping either, maybe a little backcut, but thats it.

   Edited 10/15/2006 11:02 am ET by kix

   
7. 
   kix | Oct 15, 2006 06:14pm | #20

   Heres a couple of others, i am thinking of what they would also look like on larger baseboards as well as chair rails with wainscoting.  Flip em upside down and whatnot.

    

      

    

   
2. 
   Dave45 | Oct 11, 2006 06:27am | #11

   Like Nikkiwood says, I don't nail into the ceiling - or into studs.  I usually nail thru the fat part of the crown and into the backing strip.  This way, I nail where I think a nail is necessary and don't worry about locating studs or joists.

   The strips also help with scarf joints.  A little glue and a couple of carefully placed nails keeps a scarf joint together.

   Someone mentioned a two or three part crown (i.e. flat stock on the wall and/or ceiling followed by the crown).  That's a classy variation on my backer strips in that they give you something to nail to.

3. 
   bigfootnampa | Oct 11, 2006 07:02am | #12

   One way of doing it is to use hollow wall anchors in the base that mounts to the ceiling.  You usually have an inch or more of this base that will be covered when you mount the crown and you can use this area to mount screws with hollow wall anchors behind them.  You can usually cat nail the front edge adequately and a little caulk or glue will provide insurance there.

6. 
   jarhead | Oct 09, 2006 04:32pm | #7

   Something that I do is to use 2 1/2 inch nails and shoot two nails instead of one where I nail. I shoot them at angles toward each other, the heads maybe a half inch to a inch from each other. This way the nails cross behind the trim and actually pinch the sheet rock and prevent the trim from coming loose. What a few extra nails? LOL

                                Semper Fi

1. 
   mowog77 | Oct 09, 2006 09:19pm | #8

   All of the previous suggestions are good, i can't argue with them. However, I had a similar problem and decided to use a two-piece crown instead of a one-piece.

   I put down a base molding on the wall, then the crown on top of the base which makes it look a bit bigger and richer.

   My neighbor did a three-piece crown that looks very nice as well -- this entailed a base molding on both the wall and ceiling, then the crown.

   good luck,

   erik.