The final step actually may require two steps depending on the age of your crown molding. If your molding has been there a while, it may have been painted several times. The painter may have painted over any silicone caulk that is there. If you\u2019re okay with this unfinished look, simply lay painter\u2019s tape underneath the caulk so you can paint over it as well. If it had been properly sealed and the caulk looks good, lay the painter\u2019s tape over the caulk. This will require a bit more accuracy since it will be slightly uneven. If the caulk is awful-looking, consider taking a utility knife and pliers to pull out the caulk. If this is the case, put tape where the caulk will be laid afterwards. Be sure to tape both the ceiling edge and the wall edge of the molding.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\nPainting Crown Molding<\/h2>\n By now, you\u2019ve set down your drop cloth and stirred your paint. So, let\u2019s get painting! Many home renovation stores sell small buckets to put the paint into for while you\u2019re doing trim work. Pick one of these up (I\u2019ve even been known to use a disposable cup). Use a small angled brush with tapered ends for getting the small areas of the molding. Many of these are short handles for control of the painting process. Some stores even sell detailing brushes for molding that are small and rounded to get between all filigree detailing.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s always best to do two coats of paint than one thick coat. Painting one coat will cause dripping, streaking, and take longer to dry and cure. Two coats, with drying allowed between each coat, provides a smooth, professional finish. If you use latex paint, allow about two to four hours between the coats. For oil-based paint, allow at least 24 hours before putting on the second coat. Be sure to ventilate the room well.<\/p>\n
Clean Up<\/h2>\n Clean up will depend on which paint you decided to use. Latex paint is very easy to clean up. Since it is water-based, you can simply wash the brushes off in a sink using soap and water. Be sure to run the water through the bristles several times until the water runs clear. Be careful with the bristles if you want to reuse the brush for another day.<\/p>\n
If you use oil-based paint, fill two tubs with paint thinner or mineral spirits. Do this in a well-ventilated area, since the fumes are intense. Soak the paint brushes in the first tub of paint thinner for about five minutes. Using nitrile or chemical-resistant gloves (not latex), clean the bristles in the thinner. Afterward, soak the brushes in the other tub and repeat the process. At this point, you should have very little paint coming off the brushes. Lay the brushes out to dry fully. If you allow the paint thinner to sit for 24 hours, the solids will drop to the bottom of the tub. You can pour off the clean thinner back into the bottles to be reused.<\/p>\n
After Painting<\/h2>\n After the painting is when everything will begin to look professional. If you\u2019ve gotten both coats painted, con\u2019t wait quite as long to remove the tape as you did to paint the second coat. While the paint is still tacky, you\u2019ll want to very gently lift off the painter\u2019s tape. If you allow it to dry, you could cause any paint on the tape to pull off paint from the molding. This is a professional painter\u2019s tip to make sure the lines look at clean as possible.<\/p>\n
Finally, you\u2019ll want to lay the caulk in the seams to make the walls, molding, and ceiling look like one, beautiful piece. Use a caulking gun and caulk tube to lay a thin bead of caulk along both the ceiling-side and the wall-side of the molding. Use a putty knife (or your finger) to gently ease the caulk in place and remove excess caulk. This will also make it smooth. Now, you\u2019re all done!<\/p>\n
Paint Disposal<\/h2>\n Okay, so you\u2019re not really done. But you\u2019re almost there. The final step is to get rid of the extra paint. I always keep a small mason jar of the paint in my basement for touchups (over the last six years, I\u2019ve used the set aside paint only once). So, keep some aside if you are concerned you may need a touch up before you choose to repaint. Then, you have to deal with the remaining paint. You don\u2019t want to be one of those paint can hoarders!<\/p>\n
If you used latex paint, this is a bit easier to dispose. If there is less than an inch of paint in the can, simply leave the lid off and allow it to dry completely. If there is more than an inch, pour it into a card board box to dry or mix with kitty litter to help it dry more quickly. Leave the lid off of the can, and throw out the dried can.<\/p>\n
As mentioned before, oil-based paint is a bit trickier. Since it is oil-based, it is considered a hazardous material. This means that the dry-out-and-throw-out method won\u2019t work. Go online or call your waste management company to find a hazardous disposal site that will take the paint and properly dispose of it. Oh, and remember letting the paint thinner rest for 24 hours? Both old paint thinner and the solids (which you should have saved and put into a separate can) must also be taken to a waste disposal center.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I have a decorating secret pleasure that may seem a little dumb: I love crown molding in a room. There is nothing as beautiful to me as the stark contrast of a painted wall with white crown molding and base boards. I mean, that\u2019s why we frame out windows and doors, right? Of course, you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1435,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Paint Crown Molding Like a Pro - Two Make a Home<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n