Our house did not have any crown moulding when we moved into it. The house was a flip, so there was very little character added to the house and hardly any detail. Both of which I am a huge fan. For me, the basics of character and a lived in home starts with some crown moulding. My goal by the time we are finished with this house is to have crown moulding in every room in our house. We’ve got some work to do!
Before we started our office project, Matt and I had installed crown moulding in one room in our house - the living room. It looks good, but it was hard. And there was a lot of cussing involved. So we were hesitant to tackle our next crown moulding project, but I was determined. We were going to make crown moulding happen.
I also really wanted to have crown moulding in this room because I think it makes such a difference in looking like the room is put together. This is what our room looked like before crown moulding. Although there is a lot missing from this room, the walls definitely look like something is missing without crown moulding.
This time I did a lot of research before and stumbled across a Kreg Crown Pro to help cut crown moulding. This helps with angles and ensures you are cutting the moulding the right way. This tool is great because it measures the angle of the crown moulding, measures the angle of the wall, and helps guide the cuts. This is what the tool looks like:
So my instructions are going to include how to do this with the Kreg tool. After installing crown moulding with this tool and without this tool, I definitely recommend using this tool to hang your crown moulding. It makes the process so much easier.
How to Install Crown Moulding
Tools Needed
Crown Moulding (I used crown molding that was 2.5 inches wide to match the rest of the crown molding)
1. Make sure the Kreg Crown moulding tool is set up. It does require a bit of set up when you first open the box, but it isn't terrible.
2. Measure the angle of your crown molding and set the crown moulding tool to the right angle. This will help with the angle of your cuts. The Kreg tool comes with a measurement tool to measure the angle of your crown moulding.
3. Measure the angle of the room. This is done using the same tool that is in the picture above. I mapped mine out by drawing a picture of the room and noting which items are going to be left/right and inside/outside cuts. Inside cuts are the inner corners of the room and the outside cuts are the outer corners of the room. This can get confusing when you are in the middle of it, so I need to have this on paper to remind me of what I am doing before I start.
4. Now you can start cutting your crown moulding. I love using the Kreg tool for this step because there are helpful pictures that show you what the angle of the miter saw needs to look like, where the Kreg tool needs to be placed, and is a constant reminder that most things in crown molding are cut backwards. Very confusing I know. Based on the cut you are making and what the Kreg tool says, you can start cutting your angles. Pro tip: make sure your angles fit together before hanging them or you may have to redo them.
5. Begin hanging your crown moulding using the finish nailer. You will want to insert the nails in a opposite angles that look like a "X" to ensure the moulding is secure to the wall.
6. Once all your moulding is up, then you can punch in the nails that are sticking out with the nail punch and hammer.
7. Cover your nail holes with wood filler, let dry, and sand until smooth.
8. Fill the space between the moulding, wall, and ceiling using the caulk and caulk gun. Let dry.
9. Paint the crown moulding the color of your choice. I choose Pure White by Sherwin Williams because the rest of the moulding in my house is that color. You can also touch up the wall paint if needed. It is always needed in my projects. Look at how good this moulding looks painted!
And there you go! A DIY project that looks like a professional did it. Some pro tips if you are going to try this for yourself:
Use the Kreg tool. It will make your life so much easier.
Do not do this alone. Grab your BFF or SO, and have them help you.
Be patient. This can be frustrating and you may have to redo a couple things, but it pays off in the end.
This room is still way under construction, but check out how great this crown moulding looks with the grey and blue walls. This is going to be an awesome room!
