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Kitchen Cabinet Crown Molding.

calvin | Posted in Construction Techniques on February 19, 2011 06:50am

I’ve recently completed installing some builtup crown to the cabinets in a kitchen remodel.  The cabs and crown are stain prefinished from WoodMode/Brookhaven.  Camera is on the job, but I’ll post a picture sometime here.  2 piece “L-shaped” detail 5″ tall off the top of the cabs, with the ornate crown on that to the ceiling.

My question is one of function, installation and design.  While the drawings and designer called for it to reach the 8 ft ceiling, I’m wondering if that is the best idea.

I think the fact that it’s stained (and dark-way different than the white ceiling) is what brings my question to mind.  Would it not look better to be a couple inches or so short of the ceiling?  While I do believe painted (and not too different a color)  would look better going all the way, I’m not so sure this looks the best with stained.

I scribed the crown’s top several places where the joists above dipped down.  I realize furring the ceiling down and flattening the plane would have been the ideal, it wasn’t done.  Not scribing would have left pretty serious gaps between the crown and ceiling.  It would have called attention to the waves even more than the scribe.

Holding the top of the crown even an inch down would give it a nice crisp “straight” line-what you’d see in furniture.

OR

there should have been another line of flat stock that was scribed with the crown running to that.

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Replies

  1. User avater
    hammer1 | Feb 19, 2011 09:19am | #1

    Ceilings are seldom perfectly flat. I've done some installs where I held the crown down 1/8" or so, you don't really see it.

    1. calvin | Feb 19, 2011 07:21pm | #3

      Thanks.

      You bet they aren't flat..............but, if the wave is gentle you can move some crown a bit to compensate.  Abrupt dip on one joist doesn't cooperate with maple. 

      I'm thinking more like your idea, holding it down at least the dips worth.  The prefinished maple should be stable not being fastened to the ceiling

      or

      I could put dark blocks every 32" behind the crown and pin to that for longer runs.

      Out of all the crown I got with this order, only one was bowed so much you couldn't bend it even if you could measure.  Had to use that for shorts.

      Thanks, I appreciate your opinion.

  2. calvin | Feb 19, 2011 07:17pm | #2

    Dan

    Here's the point I"m trying to make.

    Painted white crown which is usual, against a white ceiling looks just fine hogged out or caulked for the dips in a ceiling.

    To me, the stark dark of cabinet crown against a painted white ceiling looks not so hot when you scribe the crown to the waves.

    I'm asking if it's better to hold it short or to scribe.

    There's no soffits.

    There's no hold it down a foot.

    1. Piffin | Feb 19, 2011 09:20pm | #4

      dun it both ways
      six of one and half dozen of the other

  3. Yersmay1 | Feb 20, 2011 02:31am | #5

    If you want the crown to meet the ceiling, I believe there is another way to attack the problem of a wavy ceiling.  Instead of scribing the crown to fit those waves, install the crown so that it hugs the ceiling as tightly as it can... but keep the crown level and straight.  Then you can float the ceiling where the space between the crown and ceiling is too big.  By 'floating' I mean you apply setting compound on the ceiling in this area to bring the ceiling down to meet the top of the crown.  Bring the setting compound out into the room about a foot, maybe a foot and a half if the gap between ceiling and crown is, say, 1/4 inch.  Feather the setting compound at the edge...  You'll probably want to then put a layer of joint compound on this so it will be easier to sand smooth and really hide this area.   If you have a textured ceiling, this adds another dimension, but it's entirely possible to match the existing with the new floated areas. 

    This is a surprisingly effective way to fix this sort of thing.  Even if you were to put a straight edge over the area you've floated and saw that the ceiling wasn't altogether 'flat', your eye really won't pick that up from simply standing below.  Your eye will be drawn to the consistent and crisp line between the crown and ceiling. 

    One more thing... if your ceiling is already painted, it's generally a good idea to prime the areas you intend to float.  This will insure good adhesion for the setting compound. 

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