Installation Guide

Installation & Finishing Guide
Glue this piece in behind your header to create a pattern
that fl ows from the face of the moulding around to the wall.
Note on many patterns such as chair rails this piece will be
quite small, so use care when cutting.
How Do I Splice a Moulding?
To span longer lengths, you may have to splice mouldings.
Mitre the joining ends at 45° angles from front to back.
(Fig.5) One member will overlap the other in a scarf joint,
creating a vertical face seam in the fi nished installation. It is
advisable to join moulding pieces over wall stud (Fig.6) for
additional strength.
Climatizing your mouldings.
It is advisable that you “climatize” your mouldings prior to
installation. Mouldings that are made of natural materials in-
cluding MDF and other manufactured products can absorb
moisture from many sources such as a damp garage fl oor.
The result of this can be that your mouldings can shrink after
installation leaving gaps that need to be dealt with. A good
solution to this is to “climatize” your mouldings by stacking
them in the room environment which they are going to be
installed in for at least 48 hours prior to installation. Ideally
the mouldings should be separated to allow air to circulate.
How Do I Install a Moulding?
Install the moulding piece by piece, working your way
around the room, leaving the nail heads exposed to allow
for any repositioning. Avoid nailing the last 2 to 3 inches
of each piece to avoid splitting. In some cases you may
need to predrill your moulding before installation. Nail in
the curved or cove part of the moulding to better hide the
nail holes. Nail mouldings into wood studs or jambs. When
nailing by hand, any good quality fi nishing nail properly
countersunk will work well.
What Are Crown Mouldings?
Crowns usually run along the wall at the ceiling, (Fig.7)
softening the transition from wall to ceiling while adding a
distinctive look and charm to most rooms. Crowns bridge
the corners by sitting fl at against both the wall and ceil-
ing at the same time. (Fig.7.1) Crowns are available in a
wide range of profi les and sizes. They can be combined
with other profi les such as baseboards to create the look of
custom millwork without the cost. Crowns may also be used
in mantel and wall trim build-ups.
How To Cut A Crown?
As described, crowns do not lie
fl ush against the wall. Cutting cor-
rect 45° mitres is critical. Clamp two
blocks of wood to the mitre box to
hold the moulding in place at the
angle at which it will be installed.
Once blocks are in place, insert
moulding prior to cutting, face out
and upside down (Fig.8). Then cut
your 45° angles with a fi ne tooth saw. To fl at cut crown
mouldings with a compound mitre saw refer to the owner’s
manual that came with your saw.
How To Splice A Crown?
To span longer lengths, you may
have to splice your crowns. Set
your mouldings in a mitre box or
compound mitre saw as described
in previous section. Mitre the joining
ends at 45° angles from front to
back. One piece will overlap the
other in a scarf joint. (Fig.9),
creating a vertical face seam in the
fi nished installation.
How To Cope A Crown?
Trim the moulding in a mitre box at a 45° angle. The ex-
posed profi le serves as a guideline for the coping saw. To
establish a cutting line, highlight profi le shape by marking
along front edge of profi le with pencil. Cut along the line at
a 45° angle. (Fig.10.) The adjoining piece of moulding is
cut at a 90° angle and butts fl ush into the corner (Fig.11).
What Do I Need
to Finish the Job?
HANDY TIP
When installing crown moulding a helpful tip is to put up
a backing which can be made from cut down 2x4 or any
inexpensive wood. You should leave a small gap between
the crown and the backing to allow for uneven walls and
ceilings. The backing saves you searching for studs and
makes for an easier installation. (See Fig. 7.1 on
previous page)