[This is part of my How to Install Crown Molding Series.]
Warning, Offensive Molding Post Ahead. Sort Of.
You know those decorative little boxes with a piece of crown molding glued and stapled (poorly) to the bottom that you can buy at Home Depot or Lowes Home Improvement?
You know the ones, the ones you stick in the corner of your room so you don’t have to miter your crown molding corners?
Yep, those things.
Did you know that they are really designed for the crown molding to be wrapped around them and not butted up to them?
Not wrapping the crown molding around those little boxes — those little boxes that are called finials — is like going to the symphony with only one shoe on.
Your ensemble, sans one of two shoes, is incomplete.
Likewise, not wrapping your crown around your little finial boxes is an incomplete design.
Wrap Your Finials or Don’t Install Crown Molding
I feel so strongly about this that I recommend you not install any crown molding if you are going to use corner blocks without wrapping the crown around them.
I say that because the room just looks unfinished to me.
And besides, it’s really not hard to cut a miter or cope joint for crown molding. This here internet is full, yes full! of great step-by-step videos that show you how to do it.
Make Your Own Final Boxes
I’ve never seen a good-quality finial box that you can buy in a store. So I recommend that you make your own.
All you need to do is make an L-shaped box from MDF-200 (or some other flat-stock) and then attach the two mitered pieces of crown (CM-010 would work) to the bottom.
Some day soon I’ll put together a little tutorial on how to do it.
Learn From the Best, Gary Katz
To help get you started on your road to cutting crown molding, here’s a post by the highly-skilled and all-around great carpenter, Gary Katz: More Coping: 135 Degree Corners.
Now go dust off your miter saw, grab some scrap crown molding and practice, practice practice!
[This is part of my How to Install Crown Molding Series.]
