Window Crown Molding Installation
Knowing how to fit window crown molding will enable you to decorate your windows at a fraction of the price of a contractor. Window moldings, or castings, are available in a wide range of styles and materials and are simple to install with basic carpentry skills. However, window molding's flat whereas crown moldings are curved and mostly used indoors where a wall meets the ceiling. Below are the steps to install a window crown molding.
Find Your Crown Mold
Firstly you have to decide on the kind and type of molding you want to install. They come in Mahogany and Oak, Pine and Poplar, plaster, plastic, and MDF, or Medium High-Density Fiber. Do considerable research before you buy. There are factors to consider like the flexibility of the material in humidity and temperature changes. MDF is least likely to shrink and offers you a wide variety of options. It's also ideal for painting.
Find the Exact Angles
In order to fit your bay window with crown molding, you need to determine the exact angles of the window. These angles are normally built at standard 45-degrees but with many people building their own homes or being owner-builders, the bay window angles might well vary from window to window. One easy way to measure the angle is with an adjustable protractor.
Measuring from point to point, start with your bay window’s back wall, followed by the remaining two walls. You can also use a saw with an adjustable 2-arm template to measure the angles by setting the center winged screw as soon as you find the angle. The template is then put on the miter and the miter levers adjusted and fixed accordingly.
Cut Sample Pieces
Cut your bay window crown molding carefully. Invert your crown molding, bedding your crown molding precisely in your miter saw. It helps to cut two small samples of molding and test the angles to make sure they are perfect before cutting your final pieces. Inverting the molding implies cutting the bottom part of the crown molding first in the miter saw.
Cut the Final Molds
If you have a bay window with a 45-degree angle, set your miter saw to cut on a 22½ degree angle. (With the Magic Miter, follow Step 2. Set the guide and insert your molding.) After cutting your center area molding precisely, proceed to cut the remaining two side pieces.
Cut the Left and Right Pieces
Set the miter on the right and cut at 22½ degrees, thus cutting the left side of your crown molding. This will be the strip for your left bay window area. Measure from the longest point of your cut and mark the long point of your measurement on the other end. Adjust the miter to 45-degrees on the right side. Cut to the long mark. This enables a miter for a return. Cut the return to shape the crown mold’s end. To cut the right side, repeat the process, using the miter’s left-hand settings.
Framing an ordinary window adds elegance and style. Decorative molding for a normal window or door is called casing and is flat. The casing is also used to hide the gap between the window frame and the wall. Casings can be from two to eight inches. Then you can install a sill and apron at the bottom of the window.
