What do i nail crown molding to

No sanding required if you smooth it before it cures completely. Paintable in an hour. Nailing a base is an excellent idea. For filling holes I use caulk, easy enough to do when caulking the molding and any misbehaving angles.

Buck Buck 2 2 gold badges 8 8 silver badges 10 10 bronze badges. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google. Sign up using Facebook. Sign up using Email and Password. Post as a guest Name. Email Required, but never shown. Featured on Meta. Now live: A fully responsive profile. Version labels for answers. Related 8. Hot Network Questions. If a crown molding piece is not long enough to reach corner to corner, use angled overlapping scarf joints to connect section pieces.

Apply wood glue at the edge of the first installed piece, then nail, glue, or use both methods to secure the new piece. Press tightly to secure. To fill seams and nail holes, use caulk or a wood-appropriate putty or filler.

Try latex caulk or wood putty for crown molding that will be painted. Use a matching or stainable wood filler when the installation leaves the wood exposed. Drywall mud is an option but may not be as flexible and expandable as some other options. Leave fillers one day and check for any shrinkage. Use additional fill for any shrinkage areas. Let all adhesive and fill dry thoroughly before painting or staining the crown molding.

Nails are measured in gauges; the higher the gauge, the thinner the nail. Crown molding nails are typically 16, 18, or 23 gauge, depending on the use. A 2-inch nail length provides a good fastening option for most crown molding projects. You may want to use a 1-inch brad for corners. A nail gun nailer will speed up the installation process. Nailers come in pneumatic compressor powered or cordless fuel cell with battery versions.

For cordless versions, be sure the nailer comes with the battery, that you have a compatible battery, or that you order the correct battery and charger. I prefer this type of joint over a miter joint because wall corners are rarely perfectly 90 degrees.

A coped joint, in which a piece of crown is tailored to fit an adjacent profile's curves, makes a tight-fitting seam even if the inside corner is out of square--as many are.

I cut the first length of crown with a square end, pushed it tight into the corner and nailed it in place. Then, I cut a compound-angle miter into the end of the mating length of crown 1.

Next, I used a coping saw to back-cut the molding along its contoured profile 2. The idea is to saw away enough wood to allow the coped cut to fit tight against the profile of the first piece of crown.

After cutting, the coped piece needed a little fine-tuning before it fit snugly. I smoothed the coped joint with rat-tail, half-round and flat files, as well as a wood dowel wrapped in grit sandpaper 3. Outside wall corners are seldom perfectly square, so simply cutting both crown pieces to 45 degrees usually won't cause them to meet snugly at the corner.

A technique that I've used for years measures perfect outside miter joints, regardless of the wall angle. I hold two overlapping inch-long 1 x 4s against the ceiling at the corner. I trace both edges of the bottom board onto the top board 4 , then draw a diagonal line to connect the two marks.

Then I stack the 1 x 4s on the miter-saw table, adjust the saw blade angle to match the diagonal line and cut the 1 x 4s 5. I test-fit the 1 x 4s by holding them against the outside corner and checking the seam.

Well, you have come to the right place. In this post, we review all of the most effective crown molding nailing techniques. Nail crown molding by hand or with a finish pneumatic nailer through solid wood material. To accomplish this, follow these general steps. Keep reading the rest of this post for detailed directions on accomplishing each of the above steps. We include directions on how to nail crown molding directly to framing and a technique for adding a profile piece of backing wood behind the molding.

We also answer a few related questions. All told, we cover everything you need to know for nailing off the crown molding. Most people prefer nailing crown molding directly to the framing.

This technique requires no additional wood other than the molding itself and relies on the solid construction already present in your home. This step aims to determine where the framing of your wall and ceiling are behind the wall cladding. Usually, wall cladding is drywall but can also be wood paneling or other nailable material. The framing lumber makes for an excellent location to affix the crown molding.

Find framing with stud finders, the tap technique, or test holes. These strategies are designed to find three types of framing that occur around the top edge of your interior walls. The studs run up and down inside the wall. The rafters run across the ceiling. And the top plate runs along the ceiling on top of the studs. Any of these three framing classifications work for nailing off the crown molding. Click here for a stud finder from Amazon. The easiest way to locate the framing is by using a stud finder.

These devices measure density and will beep and shine a light on the wall whenever they are brought over framing.