What can Crown Moulding Installation do for your home?

Throughout the United States we can find little historic communities and historic Victorian homes that reflect the time, attention to detail, and love of craftsmanship that went into building homes during that period. A common feature in the Victorian Style of home design is the utilization of decorative moulding. Crown moulding is the sculptured trim moulding that is normally applied to the wall where it meets the ceiling. For hundreds of years, the use of decorative moulding has been a mainstay in the building and restoration of homes. Decorative moulding is fairly easy to install if you are a do-it-yourselfer and the elegance that it ads is unparalleled.

In fact, decorative moulding adds charm and vitality to any space. Choosing the right moulding can transform the simplest room into a room full of character and warmth. Charm aside, installing crown moulding happens to be one of the lowest cost investments with the highest dollar return that one can make in home improvement. This is appealing to many people especially in the current economic situation when buying or building a new home may not be the right time.

While a new home may not be in your budget — a home renovation that will ad enjoyment to the home you're living in while increasing your home's value might be ideal,  especially if you're thinking of selling your home down the road. Start with custom decorative moulding if you are interested in updating and upgrading your home or even a room. The addition of custom decorative moulding will help you achieve an elegant, unique and functional space that you will enjoy living in. Even if you decide not to modify door moldings or baseboards, the impact that crown molding alone can have on the appearance of a room is remarkable.

You should select trim and crown molding styles based on the architectural style of your new addition. There are many profile choices; visit your local home and moulding center to get samples of different types of trim profiles. You may want to look into MDF as an alternative as well. MDF is an engineered wood product that comes primed and ready to paint. It's also less likely to expand and contract with the changes in weather as real wood does. Lay out your trim samples in the addition and see how they look in the space, or you can even have a professional moulding service come to your house and provide on site estimates with visual samples for the space. If you don't want a do-it-yourself project this is a great stress free solution. Once you select your desired moulding, you will then be able to experiment with different types of paint and stain for your trim.

Keep in mind, crown mouldings come in various sizes. Let the size of the space and the height of the ceiling determine what crown moulding you choose. For example; crown moldings sized at about 5-1/2 inches wide are often used in rooms with 8-foot ceilings. If you have a space that is substantially larger with higher ceilings then you may want to consider installing a wider crown moulding. The rule of thumb is "the wider the molding, the lower the ceiling will appear."

In larger rooms crown molding can be difficult to install. For crown moulding to be effective it must look nice which means that exact cuts must be made to insure gap free joints. If you are considering installing moulding yourself then having the right tools will make your job much easier. You should have a miter saw large enough to cut completely through the molding. If you're installing 5-inch crown moulding then you would need a 14-inch miter saw. You can check with your local decorative moulding supply center to see which saw will be right for you. You can even rent all the equipment you would need for the job for a small fee that ultimately saves you hundreds on the purchase of new equipment and waste generated by poorly cut materials.

It's always nice to complete your room by finishing it with complimentary baseboards, door and window casings. Baseboards can be installed easily using a simple one-piece molding, or you can create a more substantial appearance by combining the base with a base cap and shoe molding. Door casings that work cohesively with a rooms window casings and crown moulding are a wonderful accent that can create a very dramatic effect by establishing a pleasant transition between rooms.

It's not always necessary to buy a new home to have a new home. By simply adding decorative moulding you can transform your house into a real show piece that is reminiscent of the detail, character, and craftsmanship of the Victorian Homes we all love and adore.