How to Do Crown Molding

Crown molding is the most difficult trim to hang, because of the inherent confusion in trying to cut compound angles when it goes around outside corners or tucks into inside corners. Crown molding by definition sits out from the top of the wall, leaning forward at an angle so it can span the horizontal inside corner where the wall meets the ceiling. So when you make corner cuts, you have to take into account not just the angle of the vertical corner, but also the horizontal angle of the board. This is why compound miter saws were invented. They make the task easier, but it still requires some mental heavy-lifting.

Things You'll Need

• Enough ceiling molding to trim the room
• Tape measure
• Pencil
• Compound miter saw
• Electric trim nailer

Instructions

1. Measure from your first outside corner to the left, and pick a piece of trim longer than that measurement.

2. Set the swivel on your miter saw to 45 degrees clockwise (your left, as you face the blade). Tilt the blade 45 degrees left.

3. Lay your piece on the saw, on the right side of the blade (from your perspective). Lay it flat, face up, with the top edge of the molding facing you and the bottom edge facing the fence. Make the cut.

4. Cut the right-hand side of the corner, swivel the blade counterclockwise (to your right) to 45 degrees, but still tilting to the left. Put the new molding piece in the same position as before, on the right side of the blade, except position it so that the top edge of the trim is facing the saw fence instead of the bottom edge. Make the cut.

5. Measure and cut the other ends of each of the two outside corner pieces as needed to fit on their walls, measuring from the shortest inside part of the miter on the back of each piece. Hold the pieces up in the horizontal corners where the wall meets the ceiling, so that the width of the trim spans and covers that line. Butt the two miter cuts against each other at the outside vertical corner. Affix to the walls with your trim nailer.

6. Cut your inside corners following the same procedures, with these variations: For the right-hand side of the inside corner, swivel the miter blade 45 degrees counterclockwise (to your right), tilt the blade 45 degrees to your left, and set the piece face-up on the left side of the blade with the top of the trim against the saw fence. For the left-hand side, rotate the miter 45 degrees to you left, keeping the tilt to the left, and set the piece so that the bottom edge (rather than the top) is against the fence.

7. Affix the inside corner pieces to the wall in the same fashion as the outside corner pieces, except when you make your measurements on the back of the trim, go from the mitered line at the long point rather than the shortest part.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear eye protection when using a miter saw.

References

• Making compound miters.