Because it increases property values, crown moldings are one of the most popular upgrades made to any home or building. Rooms in new buildings are often painfully plain because moldings are frequently skimped on to cut construction costs. You can greatly enhance the beauty and warmth of any room by installing window, door, crown and other architectural moldings.
Experts in real estate often recommend installing crown moldings as a way of increasing visual appeal especially in an entryway or at least one major room. When sales are slow, homes and buildings with enhanced moldings sell faster than plain ones. While some home improvements cost more than they add to a property\’s value, crown molding is frequently mentioned as one upgrade that increases value beyond the cost of installation.
\”When you\’re comparing two houses, the one with the crown molding is going to show better.\” according to Steve Berges, author of 101 Cost Effective Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home.
RealEstate.com\’s consumer expert Holly Slaughter says, \”Trim work can really add interest, depth, and sophistication to your house, and put money back in your pocket at resale.\”
Crown molding is not nearly as expensive as you might imagine. Six inch crown molding in the least expensive woods costs around sixty cents a foot. The most expensive wood moldings can run six dollars a foot or higher.
Lower cost crown mouldings can be added to an average sized room for a total cost of only $300 to $500 including painting or staining, materials and installation. Total installed prices can range from $8 to $12 per running foot and up.
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 of mouldings and millwork trim can source almost 200 different wood species. Best of all it costs less to order crown mouldings directly from the manufacturer than to buy them from retail stores or moulding installers.
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.
While some now use polystyrene (a fancy word for foam), cured polyurethane (aka flexible plastic) and polyvinyl chloride (recycled cellular pvc), the most beautiful moldings are still milled from wood. The most popular wood species are pine, poplar, oak, mahogany, and cypress including the rare sinker deadhead cypress.
Unless you are a talented do-it-yourselfer or carpenter, installing crown molding is usually best left to an expert. Few buildings are totally square and one expert says \”crown molding has to be cut upside down and backwards\” to specific angles. Arches or complex corners can make the job even more complicated.
Be sure to have your new moldings stained, sealed or painted on all surfaces before they\’re installed. Don\’t let anyone talk you out of doing this because any unsealed surface can deteriorate or warp from moisture. Greatly prolong the life of your moldings by insisting all sides be sealed, stained or painted.
There are specialized tools that make installing crown molding easier for talented carpenters and do it yourselfers including compound mitre charts, True Angle measuring gauges, and specific mitre saws.
We also highly recommend Wayne Drake\’s book Crown Molding and Trim; Install It Like a Pro. His book includes 350+ photos and hundreds of specific examples.
Do you know why historical buildings and old houses look so distinctive compared to new buildings and homes? If you really look you\’ll notice the wider or more elaborate moulding trim around the doors, windows and ceilings that are missing in most rooms today. Adding mouldings – and especially crown mouldings – adds warmth and character to any space.
You can surround yourself with that same beauty by adding crown molding to any favorite room. Whether you install it yourself or hire an expert, few home improvements can enhance the look and feel of a room as much.
Frank Wright invites you to read more about buying Crown Molding. You can use the same free Architectural Mouldings search tool Frank does. Architects can download free approved CAD drawings.
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