I’ve installed crown molding before, and I’ve installed mdf (cardboard) moldings before, but this is my first time installing mdf crown molding. And my first time installing crown molding by myself.
I learned a few things, and had a few surprises, but overall the job went surprisingly well, and turned out beautiful. Here is one of the two rooms that get crown molding.
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Another shot of the same room before molding. MDF is medium desity fiberboard, and I don't like it for base or casing, because when it takes a ding, it frays, like cardboard. I did some repairs on a house where the owners son was in a wheelchair, and tore up the casings. Even some of the minor scuffs could not be readily repaired like a wood molding could.
But crown molding is one application that makes sense - it is up at the top of the wall, and shouldn't take any dings or scuffs during the life of the house. At any rate, I purchased it for this job, and thought I'd give it a try.
I hope you glued any scarf joints. I learned my lesson on this job:
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=118341.1
Since you were working alone, how did you hold up the "other" end of the crown?
You know, I started off glueing all my scarf joints. But somewhere along, I forgot about it. So half are, and half aren't. I'm sure I'll find out if there are any problems. You know, I remember that thread of yours...NOW!! =)View Image bakersfieldremodel.com
What's that expression... live and RE-learn?
I started in the corner, this is my first piece up. I tacked it in place, and was surprised that my small finish nails sucked it up tight. I was intending to go back and nail it into the studs, but never did. I did go back with some 2" finish nails, and I'm sure I hit a stud or two along the way, but I didn't check for or worry about stud and joist locations, like I normally do with a wood crown molding.
Being cardboard, very lightweight and flexible, my finish nails into the plaster just sucked it up as tight as could be. So I caulked the edges, puttied the nail holes, and called it good.
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The first two pieces up. This was the first and only outside corner. Outside corners give crown molding definition, and really accentuate it. Inside corners can be touched up with a bit of caulking, but outside corners are critical, they have to be perfect. I was fortunate that this 60-plus year old house had perfectly square corners, and my 45 degree miters fit tight on the first try.
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This is a really cheesy, half-fast way to temp up the end as I worked. But it did the trick. I only had to do this twice. I was using 12' pieces, and they're light enough that anything under 10 foot or so could pretty well be handled from one end. But a full 12' piece was just a little too long to work from one end without something holding up the other end.
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The house doggie was very calm and mild-mannered, didn't bother me a bit.
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This is my cutting station. I stored the mdf on the concrete floor for a few weeks before I got to it, and it absorbed every spec of dirt or dust around it, and it was dirty and stained beyond belief. This stuff, pre-primed, is a dirt and stain magnet. Fortunately, two coats of white paint covered everything, no stains bled through.
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edited to add: The Hitachi grinder laying on the floor was outfitted with a sandpaper disc, for coping the inside corners. It worked way too well - had to be realllly careful not to go past the coping line - it is just cardboard, after all.
Oh yeah, and if you've used MDF you know, the fine dust just hangs in the air, and covers EVERYTHING. But blows out with compressed air just fine, when the job is finished.
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Edited 7/24/2009 3:28 pm by Huck
It was 110 degrees in Los Angeles (Burbank) where this job was located, so I rigged up this shade cover from a painter's tarp. This garage turns into an oven in the afternoon heat.
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The room used to appear as off-white. But now, with the white white crown molding as a contrast, it really appears peach colored.
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When I painted, I masked the walls with this pre-taped plastic curtain from the Big Box store. It comes in a roll, you just unroll it, taping it as you go. Then you pull down like a curtain, and it covers 4' below. They make an 8' one I like even better, but had none in stock. I held the tape to 1/16" below the crown, and just painted over the edge. At the ceiling, I just cut-in carefully.
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I used scarf joints on the straight sections, and had to struggle a bit to get them tight, re-cutting more than once. Some were within a 32nd of an inch, I called 'em good and spackled. When I painted, they showed up, and I was disappointed. But when the paint dried, and the high sheen died down (I used semi-gloss paint), they disappeared, and all was well. There are actually two joints in this picture.
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The master bedroom. The first piece is on the right, and the second piece on the left. I didn't nail the right side of the first piece up, until the mating piece went up as I worked my way around the room. I wished I hadn't made the joint over the bed, as I was too lazy to move the bed, and ended up fighting with the last piece. It would have been better to make the joint to the right or left of the bed, or to move the bed.
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The room was like 11 feet on the short dimension so I did it in one piece, here's my completely unrecommended deadman in use again.
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This is the one joint that wasn't a scarf. I ran the molding up to the register with a square cut on each side. Then I pieced a small piece the size of the register inbetween, just caulking but not nailing it in place. So if they have to remove the register, they can score the joint with a utility knife, and the crown molding comes out. I probably should have moved the register.
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Looks good. Thanks for sharing. I glue an 8" rip of 3/4" ply and pin it behind the scarf joints. Keeps the joint from opening up.Chuck Slive, work, build, ...better with wood
I glue an 8" rip of 3/4" ply and pin it behind the scarf joints. Keeps the joint from opening up.
You know, that's one reason I post my jobs here. I know I'm gonna get called out on some of my oversights and goof-ups, but I also know my next job will be better because of it! Thanks for that, I will file that for future reference.View Image bakersfieldremodel.com
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Here's the plastic masking curtain as it unrolls on the wall.
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The homeowner (my mom - she turns 92 today!) loves her new crown molding, and can't stop raving about it. And 'tho I wish it were otherwise, she paid me for it - at a time when I REALLY needed it! Gotta love Mom! I'm gonna do some extra unpaid work on the front of the house, just because she's my mom.
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I'm adding a round gable vent here, and a decorative trim band at the base of the gable, beween the siding and the stucco. Got the gable vent cut in and installed, back next week to finish.View ImageView Image bakersfieldremodel.com
Very nice. I think people would be shocked to know the amount of mdf material tacked to their mcmansions. You used it for what it was designed for. very functional. stinky
people would be shocked to know the amount of mdf material tacked to their mcmansions
I know. Cardboard doors, baseboard, casing. Plastic trim and fencing. Our forebears in the construction industry are probably turning in their graves!View Image bakersfieldremodel.com