Cove molding creates a softer appearance and adds interest to a room.
A cove ceiling is a ceiling that features curved molding in between the walls and ceiling. The addition of cove molding - also called crown molding - eliminates the sharp angles of walls that directly meet the ceiling and creates a softer, more gentle and rounded appearance. Professionals create a cove ceiling by installing curved mesh and plastering over it, but this can be difficult to repair if the plaster begins to degrade. When creating your own cove ceiling, prefabricated ready-to-install cove molding makes the project much more straight forward.
Instructions
1. Measure the length of each wall in the room to establish how much prefabricated the project requires. Allow an extra 6 inches at each corner for cutting the joints. Write down the measurements.
2. Move furniture away from the walls, remove any pictures and cover the floor under the area where you will be working with a dust sheet. Prepare the surface by removing any loose paint. Use a medium-grade sandpaper to scour gloss paint, or if the surface is wallpapered, remove the wallpaper about 1/4 inch inside the area where the cove molding will be positioned.
3. Cut each piece of to the required length according to your measurements. Allow an extra 1 1/4 inch to each length. Cut a 45 degree miter on the end of the first piece. The corners of the room will require an internal miter cut, outside area such as the corner of a chimney breast will require an external miter cut. Cut a miter on the end of the second piece and position them in place to ensure they meet neatly. In older buildings, you may have to adjust the angle of the miter to allow for aging and bowing. Continue until all the pieces are cut and ready to install.
4. Position each piece of cove molding in place and use a pencil to draw a guideline on the wall at the bottom edge of the molding. Set the molding to one side, and place masonry nails along the pencil line, approximately every 10 inches, to support the molding.
5. Refer to the manufacturer's guidelines for which type of adhesive is recommended for the type of cove molding you have purchased. Use a wide filling knife to apply the adhesive to the back of the first pieces of molding. Position it in place so it is resting on the masonry nails and push the molding into the seam between wall and ceiling. Position the next piece, ensuring you apply adhesive to the seam in between the two pieces of molding as well.
6. Allow the adhesive to set overnight, then remove the masonry nails and paint the finished cove molding.
Tags: cove molding, cove ceiling, masonry nails, Allow extra,