Crown molding is one of the most popular upgrades made to any home or building because it increases their value. Contractors frequently eliminate moldings when building to save money, resulting in plain rooms that lack character. Adding crown, door or window architectural moldings can greatly enhance the warmth and beauty of any room.
Installing crown moulding is frequently recommended by experts as a way to increase property values. It can greatly shorten the time it takes to close a sale when selling real estate in a down market. Adding mouldings to an entryway or living room can transform a plain house into one that exudes warmth and elegance. Decorative mouldings are one investment that costs less than the increased value of your home or office.
According to the author of 101 Cost Effective Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home, Steve Berges, \”When you\’re comparing two houses, the one with the crown moulding is going to show better.\”
According to RealEstate.com\’s consumer expert Holly Slaughter, \”Trim work can really add interest, depth, and sophistication to your house, and put money back in your pocket at resale.\”
Did you know that crown molding doesn\’t have to be expensive? While six inch crown molding in rare woods can run six dollars a foot or higher, prices for the least expensive woods start as low as only sixty cents a foot.
Adding crown molding to one average sized room can cost as little as $300 to $500 including installation, materials, staining or painting. Installed prices can be as little as $8-$12 per running foot.
Retailers and some installers only stock a very limited selection compared to all the widths, thicknesses and shapes a moulding manufacturer offers. Millwork companies can match existing trim mouldings regardless of when the original was created.
Manufacturers also stock far more wood types, sourcing 100-200 different wood species – and because they are the manufacturer it actually costs less – not more – to buy direct.
There are hundreds of Crown Molding profiles specifying style, shape, width, thickness and height. Available in widths from two to twelve inches, the wider and thicker the more impressive and generally the more costly.
We prefer the beauty of wood mouldings and the wide selection of woods used include pine, poplar, oak, mahogany and cypress including sinker deadhead cypress. Crown moulding can also be made from polyvinyl chloride (recycled pvc), polyurethane (flexible plastic) and polystyrene (foam).
Crown moulding installation is a job for an expert or a talented do it yourselfer. Most rooms do not have true corners and even a simple room requires the installer to be able to cut accurate angles. One popular installer says moulding is cut \”upside down and backwards\”.
Many installers neglect this important step: be sure to have your mouldings painted, stained or sealed on all sides before installation. Any unsealed surface will be susceptible to damage from moisture that can cause warping or deterioration. Your mouldings will last much longer when sealed prior to being installed.
If you decide to install moulding trim yourself, we recommend buying specific mitre saws, True Angle measuring gauges, and compound mitre charts that make installing crown moulding far easier.
Wayne Drake\’s book Crown Molding and Trim, Install It LIke A Pro shows you better ways to cut angles and install crown molding through the use of hundreds of examples and 350+ photos.
If you have a favorite historical building or house you remember and admire, have you ever wondered what it was about it that made it special? Look again and you will notice the rooms have wide, thick moldings around the doors, windows. They may feature impressive crown moldings and much wider or fancier baseboards or special moldings like chair rail that was commonly used to protect wallpaper from damage. Moldings turn a plain room into one with charm and warmth.
Whether you add it to one room or an entire house, crown molding is one home improvement that enhances not only the value but the beauty of your home or office.
Frank Wright gets his answers about Crown Mouldings from Good Millwork, a quality manufacturer of Architectural Moldings selling direct to the public.
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