Crown molding is one of the most popular upgrades made to any home or building because it increases their value. Contractors frequently eliminate moldings when building to save money, resulting in plain rooms that lack character. Adding crown, door or window architectural moldings can greatly enhance the warmth and beauty of any room.

Experts in real estate often recommend installing crown moldings as a way of increasing visual appeal especially in an entryway or at least one major room. When sales are slow, homes and buildings with enhanced moldings sell faster than plain ones. While some home improvements cost more than they add to a property\’s value, crown molding is frequently mentioned as one upgrade that increases value beyond the cost of installation.

\”When you\’re comparing two houses, the one with the crown molding is going to show better.\” according to Steve Berges, author of 101 Cost Effective Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home.

Holly Slaughter, RealEstate.com\’s consumer expert says \”Trim work can really add interest, depth, and sophistication to your house, and put money back in your pocket at resale.\”

Did you know that crown molding doesn\’t have to be expensive? While six inch crown molding in rare woods can run six dollars a foot or higher, prices for the least expensive woods start as low as only sixty cents a foot.

Lower cost crown mouldings can be added to an average sized room for a total cost of only $300 to $500 including painting or staining, materials and installation. Total installed prices can range from $8 to $12 per running foot and up.

Millwork companies offer vastly more crown molding choices than retail stores and many installers. They can match existing moldings – even in historical buildings of any age.

Some molding manufacturers stock hundreds of different wood species. Did you know that it actually costs less to custom order from the manufacturer?

There are hundreds of Crown Molding profiles specifying style, shape, width, thickness and height. Available in widths from two to twelve inches, the wider and thicker the more impressive and generally the more costly.

We prefer the beauty of wood mouldings and the wide selection of woods used include pine, poplar, oak, mahogany and cypress including sinker deadhead cypress. Crown moulding can also be made from polyvinyl chloride (recycled pvc), polyurethane (flexible plastic) and polystyrene (foam).

Installing crown molding is generally best left to an expert unless you are a talented diy-er or carpenter. Cutting crown molding requires understanding angles and cutting them accurately. Complex corners and arches add even more complexity and few rooms are square which can make for some real challenges.

Many installers neglect this important step: be sure to have your mouldings painted, stained or sealed on all sides before installation. Any unsealed surface will be susceptible to damage from moisture that can cause warping or deterioration. Your mouldings will last much longer when sealed prior to being installed.

If you are talented and want to do your own crown molding installation, there are specialized tools including True Angle measuring gauges, compound mitre charts, and specific mitre saws that make installing crown molding far easier.

We also highly recommend Wayne Drake\’s book Crown Molding and Trim; Install It Like a Pro. His book includes 350+ photos and hundreds of specific examples.

If you have a favorite historical building or house you remember and admire, have you ever wondered what it was about it that made it special? Look again and you will notice the rooms have wide, thick moldings around the doors, windows. They may feature impressive crown moldings and much wider or fancier baseboards or special moldings like chair rail that was commonly used to protect wallpaper from damage. Moldings turn a plain room into one with charm and warmth.

Whether you add it to one room or an entire house, crown molding is one home improvement that enhances not only the value but the beauty of your home or office.

Frank Wright recommends reading more about Crown Molding. Use the same free Architectural Molding search tool Frank does. Architects can download free approved CAD drawings. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service