Crown molding is not the innate renovation idea that many of us think of. Crown molding is the angled trim which lines where the ceiling and walls meet and this adds a great value to the home and increase the overall aesthetic appeal of the rooms. The process of crown molding is relatively simple and requires some carefully cut angles and patience for installation.
Function of crown molding
Crown molding was actually originally installed for practical reasons. Later, it became a decorative element in a room. The reasons for trims and molding of the ceiling are to cover the gaps where different building materials comes together. There is always a space where walls and ceiling intersects, so it thoughtful of someone to place a piece of wood to cover the crack.
Crown molding clean up the space where walls and ceiling meet. Over the period of time, crown molding became more elegant work. When crown molding is done in the right way, it lift the space, drawing the eyes up to make the ceiling feel higher. It even distracts the eye from cobwebs or peeling paints!
Materials used for crown molding
We can actually keep experimenting with different materials. It you think that you need a change in the design after installing; it can be remodeled after a couple of years.
Plaster: There are different types of materials that can be used for crown molding. Crown molding is traditionally made of plaster. The plaster molds can be used to repeat the pattern is much easier than that done with wood. One can check the catalogs for the designs that work best of your space and buy the plaster molding onsite. The best part is, the old plaster crown can also be restored by having a mold made of the pattern and new pieces crafted from it to replace the damaged sections.
Wood: Wood is also a good option for crown molding. It is easier to install and maintain. There is less issues of cracking.
Composite: Composite such as polyurethane foam, extruded polystyrene, vinyl or PVC is also used to make crown molding. It is far easier to install composite crown molding which is light weight, flexible and impervious to moisture and insects. Once it is painted, it is extremely hard to recognize the material.
There are different ways to determine the exact proportion that fit the size of any room, ceiling height and more. One needs to understand the rules before starting to play around with the crown molding idea.
It is an opportunity to be creative. An elaborate crown might be a fun trick in a tiny room, drawing the eye up to distract from the fact that the room is very small. A heavy crown in a small room will feel oppressive. In general, a low ceiling should not rule out the crown molding idea. If a simple style of crown molding is used, it draws the eye up and makes the ceiling appear taller. Simple styling is best as complex ones can be distractive.
Cost for crown molding
It is difficult to estimate the price. The least expensive are the crown molding made of composite. There are different types wooden crown moldings available in the market for different price. Plaster is the most expensive as the labor and level of details is high in plaster work. There are different styles of crown molding available where some are fancier than others. Some of the options are Greek revival, classic colonial or art and crafts. It gives the room a sleek and elegant look.
Painting crown molding
Color of the paint used in crown molding makes a real difference in how high the ceiling feels. Generally, painting the crown molding the same color as that of the wall can lift up the ceiling. The crown molding can be painted with the color of ceiling or with a shade that is different from that of wall or ceiling.
Removing crown molding
Removing the crown molding might reveal the imperfections in the construction. It is difficult and might be expensive to detail a room without any molding to hide those little defects that naturally occur. Uninstalling the crown molding depends on when the molding was installed. For example, in taking out the plaster molding from centuries ago, is more complicated and expensive to repair the mess left behind and if is just a molding somebody added much recently to groove up the place is pretty simple job.