Crown molding is the “trim” set atop your walls where the interior wall meets the ceiling. Crown molding is almost always decorative and gives the room a nice, finished look once installed. You can purchase different wooden, plastic, painted, or unpainted crown molding designs at any of the big lumber retailers like Lowes or Home Depot. Still, you can also use an online catalog to purchase something you like and have it shipped to you in long lengths.
Once installed with finishing nails, the molding gives excellent contrast and brings the room together, no matter what room you’re finishing up. Caulking crown molding can be a meticulous job, especially in older buildings. New construction may not be as unreasonable and difficult to deal with, but anything that’s been around for a while can be a challenge. The older the building, the more complex the caulking process may be, but it’s one that we would never recommend skipping. Let’s take a look at why…
Unsightly Gaps Ruin the Room!
Temperature and moisture fluctuations over time will make the home warm. The lumber inside old walls expands and contracts significantly as the seasons change or if a home is unlived in for any time. As this happens more and more over time, walls can bow or shift slightly. Ceilings too! Poor construction practices when walls are added or replaced can leave things not quite plumb or level. If you add crown molding to an uneven wall/ceiling combo or try to place it on walls with slight bowing action, you’re going to wind up with some unsightly gaps between the wall and molding where they don’t quite meet up. It doesn’t sound that bad, but when you see it – ooph! Caulking in these small gaps removes the chance of dark shadows at seemingly random points under your molding. If your caulk doesn’t match the color, let it dry and paint it to match with a fine brush.
Some may be thinking, “But what happens if those temperature and humidity fluctuations continue? Won’t it still pull apart from the wall and caulk over time?” Good thinking, but no, it really won’t! Assuming you’re using the right caulk, it will also flex, expand, and contract with the changing temperatures and humidity in the room. It will keep your new crown molding bound to the wall, forever looking like a smooth, solid transition with none of the unsightly gaps that ruin the room’s look and feel.
Professionals Know
It can be a frustrating and tedious job to put up crown molding, use caulk to fix problematic gaps, and then paint the both to make them match and complement the rest of the room. Not only is it frustrating and tedious, but it tends to be time-consuming if you want the job done correctly and to look good.
The professionals at Trico Painting have years of experience with crown molding installation, repair, and caulking. They’ve been dealing with molding in the Roseville, Rocklin, Lincoln, Granite Bay, Folsom, and El Dorado Hills residences and businesses with great success.