How to install crown molding.

Miter Box and hand saw. Some miter boxes come equipped with pegs or clamps to help hold the molding in place. Since we will not be making any angled miter cuts just straight cuts or "butt" cuts we can lay the molding flat on the miter box instead of trying to cut the crown molding in place.

Your going to need a cordless drill. If you do not a cordless drill and if your budget is slim you can choose to buy a corded one that's less expensive! Your also going to need some 1/8 of an inch drill bit.

A decent sized hammer for nailing and backing nails out should you need to.

These are 16d bright finishing nails 3 1/2 inches long. They have a brad head that is cupped for easy concealment

Nail set, you will need this to set the nails into the crown molding.

You will need a stud finder to find the wall studs. You can purchase an inexpensive stud finder or If you don't have a stud finder you can always try finding at least one stud on each wall, normally studs can be found beside receptacles and at window and door casings. Try to go about six inches from the ceiling and use a nail to gently pierce the drywall until you find the stud, then repeat until you think you have the approximate center of the stud, then attach a nail, hook your tape measure to the nail and mark every 16 inches.
.You can also try find the ceiling joists if you wish but I think the long 3 1/2 inch finishing nails in the wall studs are sufficient to hold a small piece of crown molding in place.

Interior walls.

After the installation you will need a caulking gun and some white latex caulk with silicone. You will need to caulk where the crown molding meets the wall and where the crown molding meets the ceiling. Also pick up some light weight spackling for the nail holes.

Attach the crown molding corner blocks at each corner. Hold each block in position and then use the drill to pre drill holes making sure to angle the drill towards the corner of the wall and ceiling. Fasten your blocks in place using two nails.. Pre drilling makes it easier to nail everything in place and will ensure that the corner blocks and crown molding do not crack when you nail.

(C) After you have installed the corner blocks measure from the inside of one corner block to the other, and then subtract 1/8 of an inch, (this will help make sure that you don't have to force in the crown molding into position), should you need to trim another 1/8 of an inch or so, do because you can always apply a line of caulk to fill any gap later.

(D) Once you have cut the crown molding to length hold it in the correct position on the wall using the lines you made earlier with your template as a guideline (your obviously going to need a hand at this stage). Now drill holes at the marked stud positions on the wall, ensuring that you drill in the direction shown in the picture (if you notice it's also the fattest part of the crown moulding). Repeat for each piece.

(E) Hammer and nail each piece in place with the finishing nails. When nailing you should stop at about a 1/4 to 1/8 of an inch away from the surface of the crown molding and start using your nail set, this will set the nail back into the wood and help prevent you from making any dents on the molding.

(F) Once you have installed each piece you should caulk where the crown molding meets the ceiling and the wall also fill any nail holes with lightweight spackling. Wait 24 hrs for the caulk to cure and then lightly sand the molding then use a tack rag or damp cloth to remove any dust then give it two coats of paint.