Get connected with top Marin County real estate agents at MarinDreamHouse.com, the best guide to Marin County real estate and Sausalito homes.
Crown molding is the latest craze in high impact, low investment renos. It adds texture to your walls and the appearance of height by drawing the eye upward. It can also be the first major step in turning an architecturally boring room into an interesting and stimulating space. But should you install it yourself?
Though you can save a bundle by installing your own crown molding, before you invest a bunch of money on materials and end up building nothing more than an expensive bonfire, decide whether or not you're up for the challenge.
What's Your Angle?
Installing crown molding isn't rocket science, but for some of us it might as well be. Getting all the angles right when you're cutting the molding to fit the corners of your home is an exercise in advanced geometry. You'll need to calculate bevel angles, compound angles and spring angles. You'll also have to keep track of inside and outside corners and make it all fit together seamlessly. Does this prospect make your head hurt? Fortunately, there are some great tools on the market that will help you get the job done.
Doing the Math
If you don't care for math, you can buy software that will calculate the cuts you need. Armed with this program and a 360 degree adjustable protractor for measuring the angles around your home, you should be able to get the right cuts fairly painlessly. If you're completely number phobic though - best to call the contractor.
If you're still reading this and your DIY crown molding project sounds like a welcome puzzle, here's a list of some of the handiest tools when it comes to getting the job done.
What You'll Need
- A compound miter saw (the standard cutting tool for most joints, can be rented)
- A 360 degree adjustable protractor
- Software to help calculate the right angles and cuts
- A stud finder to find the right anchor points during installation
- A finishing nail gun to install the cut lengths of molding
And finally, expect to use lots of wood filler, speckle or glue to fill in the gaps when you're done!
- Related Articles
- Related Q&A
- Decorating Interior Design-How To Do It Right
- Tips for a Productive Home Office Interior Design
- How to Decorate your Home - Basic Interior Design Ideas
- Home Staging: Interior Design...To Sell Your Home Fast
- Options for Interior Design and Window Treatments in Tampa
- Interior Design and Interior Decorating - Some Definitions
- Finding Home Decorating Ideas?
- Why We Need Interior Designer?
NOW YOU CAN STAGE YOUR HOME ON-LINE
By: Teri Woods | 04/07/2009On-line Home Staging services are the new rage for home sellers who want to do the job themselves.
Interior Painting
By: Jo Harris | 04/07/2009Interior Painting - Equipments needed and general tips on doing interior painting.
Tips You Need To Know Before Furnishing Your Home Office
By: Lois Roberts | 04/07/2009Due to the state of the economy, family situations, and other contributing factors, more and more people are finding it necessary to work from home. It will definitely be more productive for you to have a designated area in your home for an office.
Large Tapestry: Let your walls do the talking
By: Jude Noronha | 03/07/2009In the medieval era, the large tapestry wall hangings were used by the kings and the nobles for decorating their castles and their mansions. Large religious tapestries were popular in the churches.
Tapestries make Home decor an exciting experience
By: Jude Noronha | 03/07/2009Most of us have experienced that all our worries and tensions vanish as soon as we enter our beautifully decorated homes. Suddenly, our spirits feel uplifted and we become fresh again to taken on the new challenges of life.
Wall Tapestries: Bring life into your home
By: Jude Noronha | 03/07/2009The bare walls of your home can give a monotonous and a drab look to your home decor and make you feel dull. To add beauty to your house, you may opt for wall tapestries.
Advantages of Laminate Flooring
By: Matt | 03/07/2009Laminate flooring combines value and quality. It may not be as pricey as the high-end types of flooring, but it still provides the home with natural-looking durable flooring. Laminate flooring has three layers of materials. The outermost layer is called the shell. It is made up of hard plastic that covers the core. The core is the fiber or hard board that contains the design or the colored part of the flooring. The innermost layer is called the backing. It is the layer that...
Discover the Different Methods Used to Make Mosaics
By: Paul Vlasblom | 03/07/2009Discover Mosaic Art and Learn How Easy it is to Make Your Own. Discover and learn the different methods used to make mosaics.
Is Your House Boring?
By: Jason Sisilli | 25/03/2008 | Interior DesignIf your home isn't one of the lucky ones, and most homes built within the past 40 years aren't, you can add it yourself or with the help of a contractor in very little time.
Pack it in - Tips for Moving to a New Home
By: Jason Sisilli | 06/03/2008 | Real EstateMoving to a new home can be a double-edged sword. While you're gripped with the excitement of embarking on a new adventure and all the perks your new home promises, you also have to work out the logistics of fitting your entire life into a bunch of boxes and hauling them to a new location. But don't worry.
How to Get People to Move Stuff Out of Your House Before You Move
By: Jason Sisilli | 25/02/2008 | Real EstateThough they say that moving to a new home is right up there with death and divorce in terms of stressful life experiences, you don't have to believe everything they say. In fact, there are a number of things you can do to turn the prospect of packing up your home into a great opportunity.
How to Get Out of Packing - Move to Your New Home With Less Stuff
By: Jason Sisilli | 25/02/2008 | Real EstateYou've been dreading it for months. Though you're excited about your new home and the prospect of finally moving into it, you've been trying not to think about the herculean effort it's going to take to pack up the contents of your current home and move it to a new place.
Another 'gold Rush' to California?
By: Jason Sisilli | 11/02/2008 | Real EstateCalifornia is the most populated state in America, and it contains eight out of ten of the most populated cities. But compared to the rest of the nation, hardly any Californian homes were bought or sold last month. Why was this, and what does it mean?
Great Resale Value: the Key Ingredients
By: Jason Sisilli | 17/01/2008 | Real EstateWhen hunting for your dream home, there are many considerations that require a fair amount of attention and energy. Most of them involve your personal preferences- looking for exactly what you want. But, don't get caught up entirely in the relationship between you and your home. Within your decision making process, you should leave ample room for some necessary foresight.
Eichler Homes Inc: the California Modern- Then and Now
By: Jason Sisilli | 17/01/2008 | Real EstateJoseph Eichler was a California developer with a very particular, social vision. As millions of soldiers returned home from World War II, Joseph was determined to create a better living environment for the common man.