How to Install Plastic Crown Molding
Crown molding is a piece of trim that is placed where the top of a wall meets the ceiling. It is used as a decorative accent and comes in many materials, such as wood, pressed foam, plaster and plastic. Plastic molding has a number of advantages. It can be cheaper than wood molding; it comes in a variety of colors and doesn’t need to be painted, although you can paint it. It comes in a variety of designs. It sometimes comes with installation pieces such as nails and screws that are already applied to the location on the molding where it needs to be installed. It’s harder to damage and scrape than wood. You can install plastic crown molding if you are handy around the house. It can add beauty and added value to your home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Plastic crown molding
- Retractable tape measure
- Power saw
- Carbide-tipped saw blade
- Router
- Carbide-tipped router bits
- Orbital sander
- 100-grit sandpaper
- Ladder
- Stud finder
- Pencil
- Power drill and screw driver bits
- Stainless steel screws or screws that came with molding
- Paintable caulk or filler for plastic
- Miter box and saw
- Interior latex trim paint
- Paint brush
- Painter’s tape
- Safety goggles
Instructions
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Cut with your plastic molding with a power saw that you use for wood but use a carbide-tipped, saw blades because steel ones will get dull when cutting the plastic. Use carbide-edged bits when using routers for any decorative edges if you are cutting these as well. Use an orbital sander with 100-grit paper to sand any rough edges; although sanding is not always necessary.
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Locate and mark the wood studs in your wall with a stud finder. Set the trim against the wall in the desired location and drill stainless steel screws through the trim into the wood stud to secure the molding against the wall. Countersink the screws (drill a bit below the trim) and hide the screw heads by filling them using a putty knife and paintable caulk or filler.
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Use a miter box and saw to angle the trim where it meets a corner if your plastic molding didn’t come with mitered pieces. This allows two pieces of molding to fit at a corner. Sand any rough edges. Paint the trim if desired with a latex trim paint. Tape the wall and ceiling adjacent to the trim to protect your wall.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear safety goggles whenever sawing or drilling.
