A Homeowner’s Guide to Crown Molding
Crown molding is an amazing architectural feature that can elevate the value of your living space. If it is done well, it can make your feel more upscale and well-crafted. If you don’t live in an older home with beautiful crown molding, you may feel like your modern home is lacking some architectural details that can make it look distinctive.
There’s a lot you need to know when you’re looking for crown molding for your home. You need to know if your house has the right design for it and what types of crown molding you can choose from.
Even though newer style homes are usually simple and minimalistic, adding these tiny touches and intricate design elements is a great way to personalize them. You’ll also be surprised to know these architectural features aren’t as expensive as they may seem.
In this blog, we’ll take a look at everything you need to know about crown moldings as a homeowner.
What is Crown Molding Typically Made of?
There are several different materials used to make crown moldings nowadays. Traditionally, elaborately detailed features were made of plaster and they are still widely available. While using a plaster mold’s main advantage was that it allowed you to keep repeating a pattern, advancements in modern manufacturing have allowed us to achieve the same effect on many materials.
Modern crown molding is quite amazing because you can now consult catalogs to choose a design that works well for your home and the company you hire can prepare the molding onsite. You may also consider restoring an older plaster crown by getting a mold prepared of the same pattern and use new pieces to replace the damaged areas.
Wood was traditionally the most popular material used for crown molding after plaster. The downside of using plaster is that it’s heavy and expensive. Moreover, wood isn’t considered an ideal choice for places that have temperature variations. This can lead to the installations expanding and shrinking which can cause significant breakage.
Crown molding made out of a composite like vinyl, PVC, or polyurethane happens to be the easiest to install because they are flexible and lightweight. Moreover, they’re impervious to insects and moisture, and often less expensive than their counterparts. These materials are the perfect choice for places that have high levels of humidity.
Benefits of Polyurethane Crown Molding
Polyurethane is often mistaken for Styrofoam or polystyrene but they’re different. They’re both synthetic substances but polyurethane has a higher thermal insulation factor. It’s a thick, foam-like material that comes with all the benefits that wood provides.
However, it’s significantly better and more durable than wood because it doesn’t crack, splinter, or rot. It has a longer lifespan and comes pre-primed and ready to get painted.
Benefits of PVC Crown Molding
PVC crown molding is particularly great for exteriors, bathrooms, or any areas inside your house where moisture is a concern. The plastic polymers in this material aren’t susceptible to rot regardless of how wet it may get. It has a slick surface and it’s ideal for places where a simple profile seems more appropriate.
Creative Uses of Crown Molding
The original purpose of crown moldings was to clean up the space and cover up any cracks where the ceiling and walls meet, but nowadays, it serves as a visual presence that can help lift your living space and make your ceiling feel higher and grand. It’s a great detail that can not only bring out the grandeur of your home but also distract the eye from peeling paint and cobwebs.
Nowadays, crown molding can also be used in other places instead of just the top of the walls, such as:
Entryways
If you want archways and other openings in your house to become focal points, you should definitely consider adding crown molding to them. These are structural elements that serve as the perfect canvas for crown molding.
Mantels
If you want to add details of grandeur to your fireplace, you can consider different styles of crown molding to make it look more vintage according to your taste and preference.
Cabinets
Crown molding can also make upper cabinets in your house look eye-catching in a subtle way. If you feel like your kitchen is too simple, you can try adding some trim to give it some height and make it look more attractive.
Bookshelves
If you’re looking to add the classic look of crown molding in a room, you should also consider using it to enhance a plain bookshelf. Ornate and elaborately crafted crown molding will give it just enough height and dimension, as well as make the bookshelf seem like a more planned element of the room.
Covering Ceiling and Wall Inconsistencies
In addition to hiding the cracks, crown moldings can be used to cover small inconsistencies where the walls and ceiling meet and hide paint and texture irregularities. They’re quite flexible and you can bend the material to cover every corner of the room even if your ceiling is slightly uneven. It can also be added to upper cabinets to give the illusion of a perfectly even ceiling.
Hiding Electrical Wiring/Lighting
If you’ve added new wiring to your house (or looking for a way to add more lights in a room without overdoing it), you’re probably looking for ways to conceal the wires or cables to ensure they don’t take away from the beauty of your living space. Hollow crown moldings are the perfect solution. It’s significantly better and cheaper than cutting out the drywall to conceal additional wiring, with the added benefit of being able to easily access your wiring after the fact. This includes all kinds of cable, audio, and communication wires. You don’t have to poke holes in your walls when you can simply hide the wiring in your crown molding.
Trends and Styles of Crown Molding
The great thing about crown moldings is that there are many catalogs available that provide different designs targeting various styles of architecture, giving a homeowner plenty of options to choose from.
You can find anything from Classic Colonial to Greek Revival depending on your preference. If you have always been a fan of historical architecture, you can easily find the right architectural features to enhance your home. But if you want your home to look sleek and modern, you can also opt for crown molding that’s still just as elegant but with less detail.
Right now, there are many trends in crown molding that it’s getting harder to keep track of them. Manufacturers are experimenting with different materials to ensure they’re offering something for everyone.
Regardless of the style and type of crown molding, you end up choosing and where you install it, you can rest assured that it will transform your home and make it look more grown-up and classier.
Benefits of Crown Molding
Let’s take a look at some reasons why crown molding is the perfect addition to your home.
1. Increases Your Home Value
If it’s done right, crown molding can add an interesting touch to any room and give it an elegant look that will definitely increase the value of your home. You should make sure you’ve chosen a crown molding that perfectly matches the style of your home’s architecture. Clean and sleek lines go better with modern styles whereas ornate styles go with more traditional architecture.
2. Comes with a Range of Styles to Fit Your Home
Contrary to popular belief, modern homes can also benefit in various ways from crown molding. You are free to customize modern crown moldings and paint them to match the style and personality of your home.
You’re free to experiment with different styles in different rooms of the house as long as they work together and serve a purpose. You should also play with colors to make your space feel more unique.
3. Adds an Elegant Finishing Touch to a Room
No matter the type and style of crown molding you opt for, it will definitely enhance your home and show your attention to detail. If you’re looking to sell your home, it will create a great first impression on prospective buyers and show them how much you care for the space.
Since the historical use of crown molding carries a history of elegance, installing crown molding in a home is a great symbol of opulence. You’ll be surprised how a simple addition like this can polish off your house and impress visitors.
4. Has Numerous Widths That Work with Any Type of Architecture
Even if your home has lower ceilings, that doesn’t mean you should compromise on stylish architectural additions like crown moldings. Modern crown moldings are available in many different widths, sizes, and styles that go perfectly with lower ceilings. They will not make your space feel smaller as long as you’re going with the right choice of trim and pattern.
Why You Should Choose Crown-Molding.com
Needless to say, as a homeowner, you want to make sure that purchasing and installing crown molding in your living space is as simple as possible. With the help of Crown-Molding, a Veteran-owned Business, you can find the best style for your home. Our factory-primed materials and variety of molding options will allow you to customize and personalize every room of your house with simple installation and easy maintenance.
We have a large selection of crown moldings and there’s something for everyone, including dentil molding, exterior vinyl shutters, fiberglass columns, and a lot more. So, what are you waiting for? Get in touch with us now and let us help you improve your home with a few simple additions!