How To Install Wood Molding

Very few things can match up to the beauty and durability of wooden moldings. Not only wood stands up efficiently against the abuse of time, it actually improves with age and keeps your décor looking beautiful and new, now and forever. After all, what can match the warmth, beauty and durability of oak, maple, cherry and poplar? Moldings enhance and enrich the beauty of your living or personal space and offer an impeccable feeling of great luxury. If you are game for wooden moldings to go with your décor, exploring options such as embossed moldings, picture frame moldings, architectural moldings and more would be the right choice. Wood moldings can be used to adorn your doors and windows, ceilings, walls etc. If you are willing to use wood moldings for your home and wish to install it all on your own, here is a step-by-step guide for your assistance. All you will need is a tool box, wooden moldings and this stepwise guide to get started. Read on for more.

Tips For Installing Wood Molding

Before you set out on your task of installing wooding moldings to your crapping walls, pilasters, cabinets or the edges of your ceiling, stop to measure the linear footage required to span the distance.
Choosing the right style and finish for your wooden moldings may make all the difference to your new look. It’s best to pick a style that complements with your décor and taste. The finish that you put on your moldings, however, should be purchased and applied, before you start any cutting and fitting.
It’s best to pick up trims that will need as few splices as possible. Lesser the splices, better the look. Once you have fetched your desirable moldings, paint it as per your needs and requirements and allow it to dry completely before use.
Choose a comfortable place as your workstation. You can use a long bench of comfortable height to get started. Cutting the needed angles for the corners of your trim is handled most accurately with a miter saw.
Using a coped joint, get rid of the not-so-square areas of your molding. Run the first piece of crown molding tightly into the corner. Cope-cut the second piece that will form the other leg of the corner angle in the shape of the profile of the molding so that it can butt neatly against the face of the first piece.
Using a miter-box and sharp saw, make cuts on your moldings to enhance its profile. Place the molding in such a manner that it rests upside down over the miter box. Cutting the proper miter will reveal the profile of the molding.
Chip the spare wood down with a coping saw. Refrain from sawing too much wood for only the outermost edge of the coped molding will be seen.
Using a knife, remove all excess material from the surface of the molding. Refrain from using the knife on exposed side of the molding. Check out to see the fit of your molding. Saw the edges if there is a problem with the fit. Remember, it will take several fittings and trimmings to get the cleanest-fitting joint.
It’s best to plan out the edge to be mitered or coped before starting out. You can use scarf joints for best results. Layout the work in such a way that the joins are on top of studs. Save the most visible parts of the job for last, when you've honed your coping skills.
It’s important to determine the location of your beams before installation. Drill pilot holes to keep the molding from splitting.
Join the molding with the help of nails. However, check out for the exact position before you drive the nail in.
You may need to use more nails in the beams that run parallel to the crown molding, with the help of using a 2 x 2 cut, on a 45-degree bevel. Screw it to the wall so that it is in the corner where the ceiling and wall meet. Countersink all nails, using a nail set.
Using counter putty, camouflage all visible nail holes and visible gaps for that perfect finish. Apply the putty and allow it to dry, before you even the surface with sand paper for an unlined appearance.
Close the nail holes and little fill-ins to correspond with the rest of the molding.

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