Tuesday, 24 March 2015
Crown Molding Options
One of the best ways to improve the appearance of your home is to install crown moldings, which are trims that are applied to finished edges of walls, cabinets, pilasters and cornices. Because crown moldings add formality and depth otherwise plain-looking walls or cabinets, they increase the value of your house.
With so many materials from which to choose, it can be confusing if you don’t know which type of crown molding is best for your rooms. If you’re considering crown molding for your home, here what's available regarding materials and sizes.
Types of Materials
These are some of the most common materials used in constructing crown moldings:
- Wood—This is the crown molding that’s mostly widely used. Woods for crown moldings can be oak, mahogany, pine and other species of wood. For a rustic effect, use pine moldings. A downside of wood crown moldings is that they’re affected by humidity and temperature changes, causing it to shrink, expand or crack.
- Plaster—Because plaster moldings are custom-made, they require professional installation. An advantage of this type of material is that unusual designs can be sculptured from it. It also holds up well under humidity and temperature fluctuations. On a negative note, it’s more expensive than other materials.
- Foam and plastic—These materials cost less than wood or decorated plaster. There are also “peel-and-stick” foam and plastic options which are exceptionally easy to install.
- Vinyl
- Aluminum
- Polyurethane
- MDF (medium-density) fiberboard—This material consists of man-made resin and wood fibers.
Common Myths
Some homeowners think that that crown moldings can’t be any color but white. On the contrary, you can stain or paint them to match whatever color scheme that goes with your room.
Another misconception is that crown moldings shouldn't be used in kids’ playrooms and bedrooms because they’re not strong enough to withstand the wear-and-tear of children’s activities. For kids’ rooms, choose high-density polyurethane moldings as they’re exceptionally durable, especially where children play.
Size Considerations
When selecting a size for your crown moldings, consider ceiling height. For example, if you have a standard eight-foot ceiling, don’t install a large size because molding that’s too wide can overpower a small room, making it look ever smaller than it actually is.
Eight-foot ceilings generally should have a molding that ranges between 3” and 5.25” wide. Ceilings that are 9’ to 10’ high should have somewhat wider molding because if the molding is too small, it will appear insignificant compared to the room. Therefore, 9’ to 10’ ceilings need molding that ranges from 5.25” to 7” wide.
Be consistent in size. In other words, use the same crown molding size for every floor in your home.
The crown molding professionals at Original Richard can install crown moldings. Serving Southern California and Orange County , we're also are known for providing other high quality home improvements, such as custom painting, dry wall, stucco and sand blasting, recessed lights, general remodeling and other services. Please contact us.