Crown moldings provide sculptured elegance to soften the angles where walls meet ceilings. A living-room, hallway, bedroom, or den is transformed from an austere, angular box into a serene, more unified room in which to relax or entertain.

Crown moldings are supplied in 8 foot (2.4 m) lengths. They are made of primed polyurethane, have a density comparable to white pine, and accept any latex or oil-based paint finish.

We recommend the use of Designer Miter Blocks for all crown molding installations. Using the blocks eliminates the need to cut miters, match patterns, and to correct molding alignment at each joint. The External Miter Block can be used to create an elegant self return wherever it is necessary to end a run of crown molding such as when windows or doors extend to ceiling height.

Before applying adhesive to the pieces, it is best to cut and fit the entire room. Start by deciding where to place designer miter blocks. Add divider blocks to your layout so that the distance between any two blocks is less than a full length of molding.

For the best results, blocks and molding lengths should be fixed in place with an adhesive caulk as well as nails or screws into studs and joists. We recommend using a premium paintable, siliconized or super latex, latex adhesive caulk. It will fill any seams left between the molding and the wall or ceiling due to their unevenness and cleans up with water. One 10-1/2 fl oz (300 ml) tube of latex caulk is enough to install about 25 feet (7.6 m) of crown molding.
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Installing bead board wainscoting on your walls is a great way to hide a multitude of problems such as cracked plaster, damaged drywall or just plain old drab walls. It will not only cover the ugly imperfections in the wall, but it will also give them a neat new look. Bead board is lightweight and easy to work with, too.

Materials

- bead board paneling
- paintbrush
- primer
- paint
- broom
- caulking gun with construction adhesive and latex caulk
- wood glue
- measuring tape
- pencil
- scraper
- finishing nails
- hammer
- nail set
- level
- straight edge
- circular saw
- scrap block
- chair rail
- L-shaped corner trim
- quarter-round molding
- miter box and hand saw or miter saw
- safety glasses

Steps:

1. Prep your walls by scraping off any rough edges of paint, plaster, construction adhesive or loose or peeling wallpaper. Recess any nails all the way into the wall, and brush away any debris. Be sure to wear safety glasses while scraping the walls.

2. The height of your bead board you use is up to you; 32″ or 48″ is about average and will prevent waste when cutting individual pieces from the boards. Most boards come in 4′x8′ panels; one panel will provide three 32″ or two 48″ pieces, each 4′ wide. Remember that most but not all bead board panels have vertical beads; consider this when you are making your measurements. After you decide how high you want your board to reach, measure the perimeter of the room. These figures will determine how much board you need to buy.

3. Prime the boards before you begin.
4. Transfer your measurements onto the board and make your cuts. Remember to wear safety glasses. If you cut your bead board with a handsaw, cut with the front facing up. If you use a circular saw, place the board face-down. This will prevent splintering, which can damage the face of the boards. Note that one edge of the board has a bead and one side does not. Keep this in mind when cutting smaller pieces to fit your walls so your pieces will fit together consistently.

5. Dry-fit the pieces in place and check that they are level. The first piece you install should be in an inconspicuous corner.

6. Apply several beads of construction adhesive to the back of the first board.

7. Press the board onto the wall. Tap the board in place using a hammer and a tapping block .

8. Pull the board away from the wall, and hold it for about 30 seconds . Then press the board back into place and secure it with the tapping block. This method will ensure the adhesive holds well.

9. Secure the board further with finishing nails. Recess the nail heads with a nail set.

10. Continue this process around the room until all the pieces are installed. Carefully butt the edges of the boards together for a snug fit.

11. Pre-paint the chair rail and miter the corners using a hand saw and miter box or a miter saw. Remember to wear safety glasses while sawing.

12. Install the chair rail along the top edge of the bead board using construction adhesive. Use wood glue on the corner joints for a tighter fit. Then further secure the chair rail with finishing nails and recess the heads with a nail set.

13. To finish the corners in your room, install L-shaped trim pieces on the outside corners and quarter-round trim on the inside corners . Pre-paint these pieces and install them with construction adhesive and finishing nails.

14. Mask off the walls with painter’s tape and caulk all the gaps and joints.
15. Allow the caulk to dry and apply a final coat of paint to the chair rail, corner pieces and bead board.

How do I determine what size of medallion to use for my room?

The size of the ceiling medallion you select is a function of the size of the chandelier with which it will be used. The rule of thumb for chandeliers is that they should be at least half the width of your dining room table. The ceiling medallion should have about the same diameter as the chandelier. That’s a general guideline, but some variation based on your preference is fine.