DIY Molding Installation
- 1). Measure the wall where your molding will be installed with a tape measure. Mark the length of the piece you need along the bottom edge of the crown. This bottom line will always be as long as the wall, no matter the size or angle of the crown.
- 2). Position the crown molding on the miter saw with its bottom edge up, against the fence as it will be on the wall. Position the top edge against the table as it will be on the ceiling. Cut outside corners so that the miters angle out and inside corners so that they angle in. Cut right ends with the blade to the left of the mark and vice versa.
- 3). Position the crown with the bottom edge against the wall, with its corners matching up to the wall corners. Push the molding up against the ceiling. Nail through the top and bottom edges with a pin nail gun to fasten the crown to the wall and ceiling. Install one 1 1/2-inch pin nail every 8 inches.
- 4). Apply wood glue to corner miters and use masking tape to hold the pieces together tightly until the glue hardens. Remove the tape.
- 1). Measure the inside edge of the door or window opening. Add 1/2 inch to the length of your molding for horizontal pieces and window sides, where casing will be installed on all four edges. Add 1/4 inch to vertical door casing and window casing that butts up to a sill at the bottom.
- 2). Mark the length onto the inside edge of the casing. Much like the bottom edge of crown, this dimension is constant no matter how wide the casing. Place the casing on the miter saw table flat on its back, with the top against the fence. Cut all miters angling out, since all standard casing corners are outside corners. Line up the blade on the right side of the mark for a right end and vice versa.
- 3). Align the casing 1/4 inch out from the inside edge of the door or window jamb. Nail through the inside edge into the jamb, one nail every 8 inches.
- 1). Measure the length of the wall and mark it along the top edge of the baseboard, which is the constant dimension, as previously outlined in the crown and casing sections.
- 2). Stand baseboard upright with its bottom on the saw table and the back against the fence to make the cuts down through the height of the molding. Align the blade to the right of the mark for a right hand miter and vice versa.
- 3). Nail baseboard along its bottom edge with 2-inch nails to anchor it to the bottom sill of the wall. Use one nail every 8 inches.