How to setup Styrofoam Crown Molding

How to setup Styrofoam Crown Molding

Crown molding is one of the most underestimated (and easy) home remodel projects you can undertake to growth the character of a room. Cove molding adds style and character to a room, and shows that belief has been taken to specifically make a home more aesthetically comfortable. They heighten a room by radiating light that would otherwise just die in a dark projection - brightening up the room as a whole. It also (sometimes subconsciously) increases the perceived comfort of a room by softening the sharp corners where the wall and ceiling intercept. It is vital to know the details of how to crown molding to have all pre-planned so that you can get the cornice molding installed as swiftly and painlessly as possible.

Material

Sandpaper

There are many different materials when selecting crown molding, each having it's own advantages and weaknesses. Wood crown trim is the most coarse and has been colse to for centuries. Unfortunately, it is hard to make uniform and tends to crack in the first year or two after being installed, requiring repairs. Plaster moldings are astonishing and installed on upper end homes, but are heavy and typically need a skilled trade man to install.

There is a new molding technology out there that uses expanded polystyrene (Eps/Styrofoam) - coated with a combination plaster of Paris / drywall compound. Coated Styrofoam cornices are more bendable than wood, and simpler to join and make seamless - so you do not need to touch them up after a year or two. These Styrofoam crown moldings give the look of precious plaster cornices, but at a small quantum of the weight. Because of the light weight, they are far easier to setup than either - using only drywall compound, you can press them into place and leave them. They will be the focus of this article.

Preparing

You want to ensure you do not have any urgent occasions planned colse to this renovation. Most (more often, all in my experience) projects end up taking 50-100% longer to desist than the home owner is forecasting. Installing Styrofoam crown molding colse to the room is no exception. To organize how much crown molding is needed, quantum the length of the walls where the Styrofoam crown molding will be located - from projection to corner. There are 2 ways of knowing the number of pieces of molding will be required - the first is to add 10% to the total number (e.g. 12' x 15' x 12' x 15' = 54' + 10% = 59.4' = 60')... And the second is to divide each wall by the length of each molding piece (e.g. For 8-foot molding lengths: 12' / 8' = 1.5 pieces, which you would round to 2, & 15' / 8' = 1.8 pieces which you would round to 2, therefore 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 = 8 [8' pieces]). The second formula is guaranteed to ensure you have sufficient and do not risk running short, but as you can see - with either case, you are purchasing 8 pieces (for this example).

You want to be positive that you have a dry, ventilated room to store your molding.

Being positive that you have the right tools will make the whole process far simpler as well. Make sure you have:

1. Dirt/Grease Free Towel (to clean walls)

2. Drywall combination and putty knife

3. Miter box + Saw (so that you can cut the right angle, smoothly)

4. Step ladder (high sufficient so you can honestly reach the ceiling)

How To Cut Styrofoam Crown Molding

Always corollary good protection procedures - use gloves to deal with materials, protective eye wear when dust can get into your eyes, and a respirator mask when sanding and patching. Ensure you wear some "vintage" clothes that you do not mind bring dirty.

Always move furniture away from the walls and shield them, so that you have clear access to your working area and your furniture does not come to be messy. Clean the projection of your ceiling and wall where the Styrofoam cornice will be located from loose particles by wiping it with a moist cloth, and allow it to dry before installing the cornice.

I hear (and say) this so often that it is fully cliche - but it must be said - "Measure twice, cut once"! This applies to Styrofoam cornices without exception! On the day you are installing crown molding, make sure to quantum all again. This will keep you from destroying a piece of trim because you cut it incorrectly.

It's best to start your Styrofoam crown molding facility behind the entry to the room, so that the most graphic quantum is positive to have the fewest number of touch-ups. When you get to a corner, you will need to use your miter box to cut the molding at a 45 degree angle. To use the miter box, assure that the ceiling edge of the crown molding is along the lowest of the box, and the wall edge of the molding is along the side of the box opposite from you (so that, it is upside-down). Put the two ends of the pieces into the projection prior to adhering in place to ensure a allowable fit.

No projection is ever 90 degrees unfortunately, and you will have to play with sandpaper or fill with drywall combination to join the two pieces together properly.

How To setup Crown Molding

Using your drywall compound, apply a generous number to the molding along the ceiling and wall palpate sides. Determined move into place with the molding and press the cornice against the ceiling and wall simultaneously. Drywall combination will ooze out a little - use your cloth to wipe it clean. At this point, the drywall combination should be able to hold the Styrofoam crown molding on it's own, and you can let go. If you want extra protection to ensure the molding stays in place, you can use a small nail at 1-foot from each end, as these penetrations can be honestly filled using the drywall combination when removed while the touch up stage. Apply drywall combination to the ends of moldings before butting them up against one another, cleaning the drywall combination as it squeezes out when pressed together. Leave the trim in place to cure for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, you can re-finish the Styrofoam crown molding using drywall compound, and plane out any bumps using a fine-grit sandpaper. Because molding looks different depending on lighting (natural -vs- interior lights) you may want to return to the room a few times while the touch-up day to see all the different light settings you will be using.

Finished!

Move all your furniture back into place, then make a frappuccino (or martini) and sit back and enjoy the enhanced mood of your room!

How to setup Styrofoam Crown Molding

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