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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!
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