How to Build Up Moldings
- 1). Select 20 moldings from large to small. Some should be coved and others should have dentile, rope, egg, and dart or other types of designs. Include a 1 inch by 4 inch, 1 inch by 6 inch, 1 inch by 8 inch, 1 inch by 10 inch and 1 inch by 12 inch sample boards. Ask your lumber provider to give you samples that are two feet long.
- 2). Tape Kraft paper along a wall. Position a table against the Kraft paper. Use a ruler to mark from the table up the wall in one-inch increments. Label the increments.
- 3). Tape a second piece of Kraft paper to the table adjacent to the wall. Use a ruler to mark from the wall outward 1-inch increments. Label the increments.
- 4). Mark down your objective size based on your ceiling height. Crown molding is estimated at 1 inch per 1 foot of ceiling height. If your ceiling is 8 feet tall, the width of your molding should not exceed 8 inches in total. If your wall molding is 5 inches to the corner, and your ceiling molding is 3 inches to the corner, then your overall measurement is 8 inches.
- 5). Assemble your samples and position them against the Kraft wall. The table and wall create a corner that replicates the ceiling and wall. Many crown molding applications exceed seven pieces. Arrange the plain wood in union with the decorative moldings keeping in mind that you can build up surfaces and that moldings do not need to tuck into the corner. Use the plain wood to push the expensive wood into the position you prefer.
- 6). Arrange the plain wood in union with the decorative moldings keeping in mind that you can build up surfaces and that moldings do not need to tuck into the corner. Many crown moldings have false backs or internal boxes made of plain wood. Use the plain wood to push the expensive wood into the position you prefer. Use your Kraft paper markings to track the size of your arrangements.
