If your house has lots of dull or plain colored walls, you can simply add some appeal to it by using decorative molding. Apart from walls, it can also be used for covering any imperfections that you might have on the ceiling. Decorative moldings are normally made of hardwood strip which you can set-up at the location where your walls meet the ceiling or around doorways. In addition, you can also install them at corner blocks where the pieces of your decorative molding meet that enables you to hide any accidental scars occurred during the cutting activities of the molding. If you have the right tools and a little bit of knowledge, it would be easy for you to install the decorative molding on your own. Below are some tips that you can learn for setting-up your decorative moldings, ways for using them, plus also steps that you should take in order to install them.
To set-up decorative moldings, you need:
- Decorative moldings
- Carpenter’s pencil
- Power drill
- Pneumatic nail gun or hammer
- Nails
- Ladder
- Measuring tape
- Laser level
- Circular saw
Set-up Decorative Moldings
Easy Steps for Setting-up Decorative Moldings
- The first thing that you need to do is to determine the location of the studs in your wall where you decide to install the decorative molding.
- Once you find them, you need to mark the location of the studs in a delicate manner that will enable you to refer to the mark later on as you progress.
- Once you find them, you need to mark the location of the studs in a delicate manner that will enable you to refer to the mark later on as you progress.
- The next step is for you to determine the number of corner divider blocks that you want to use. This will be based on the corners that you have in a particular room.
- Then, you should drill small holes into the corner block before proceeding to install them onto your wall. The holes will be use for inserting nails through it.
It is wise for you to drill the small holes into the corner block in order to minimize the risk of having any splitting or cracks on your corner block if you do it after installing them.
- The corner blocks should be nailed into its respective areas.
- You must ensure that the nails are placed in locations where you decorative moldings will be covering the holes.
- You must ensure that the nails are placed in locations where you decorative moldings will be covering the holes.
- After that, you need to measure the gap between the corner blocks.
- Then, you can cut a piece of the molding and make sure to leave the molding with at least one fourth of an inch longer than the required space between your corner blocks.
- Then, you can cut a piece of the molding and make sure to leave the molding with at least one fourth of an inch longer than the required space between your corner blocks.
- Next, you have to wedge one side of your molding alongside a corner block.
- Gently mark the location of the other sides of your molding which is overstretching the corner block.
- Gently mark the location of the other sides of your molding which is overstretching the corner block.
- Then, you need to take down the molding and cut again based on the markings that you have done earlier as your reference.
- This is for you to get a well-fitting decorative molding that you can place them securely on the wall or ceiling.
- This is for you to get a well-fitting decorative molding that you can place them securely on the wall or ceiling.
- Once you have finished doing the above step, you can proceed to drill small holes into your molding. The small holes that you need to drill should be based on the location of the studs that you have marked in Step 1.
- Small nails will be inserted into these holes later similar to the one you did with your corner blocks.
- Make sure that you insert the nails to all of the studs.
- Small nails will be inserted into these holes later similar to the one you did with your corner blocks.
- The molding should be put in back into place between your corner blocks.
- After that, you need to hammer them with the help from your friend so that he can hold the molding (if the molding is a large piece) up for you while you do the hammering.
- After that, you need to hammer them with the help from your friend so that he can hold the molding (if the molding is a large piece) up for you while you do the hammering.
- For those of you who have a long wall span, it is recommended that you break up two pieces of your decorative molding by another block.
- This block will be installed right in the middle of your wall instead of at the corner.
- The purpose of having extra block is for creating extra support especially if it involves long pieces of hardwood molding.
- This block will be installed right in the middle of your wall instead of at the corner.
You can make use of large moldings in order to frame any of your inexpensive mirrors. If you already have a large framed mirror, you can simply glue a decorative molding on the mirror with a least a few inches within the large mirror’s existing frame.
Always remember that whenever you want to set-up decorative moldings,
- Especially if it is stained decorative molding, the first thing that you need to do is to stain the wood before installing it. This is important because you do not want to smear any stain either on your ceilings or walls.
- Make sure to cover any holes that you could see using wood putty.
- Always protect yourself whenever you are using power tools by wearing safety gear such as goggles and hand gloves.
