Real Estate – Report Source

Because it increases property values, crown moldings are one of the most popular upgrades made to any home or building. Rooms in new buildings are often painfully plain because moldings are frequently skimped on to cut construction costs. You can greatly enhance the beauty and warmth of any room by installing window, door, crown and other architectural moldings.

Realtors and home selling experts recommend installing crown molding in an entryway or major room as an inexpensive way to increase buyer interest and get homes sold faster – especially in a slow economy. Crown molding is widely mentioned as one improvement that costs less than the resulting increase in property value.

“When you’re comparing two houses, the one with the crown molding is going to show better.” according to Steve Berges, author of 101 Cost Effective Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home.

According to RealEstate.com’s consumer expert Holly Slaughter, “Trim work can really add interest, depth, and sophistication to your house, and put money back in your pocket at resale.”

If you think crown moulding is too expensive you may be surprised to learn that the less expensive materials can cost as little as sixty cents a foot while rare woods can run six dollars a foot or more.

Adding crown molding to one average sized room can cost as little as $300 to $500 including installation, materials, staining or painting. Installed prices can be as little as $8-$12 per running foot.

Retailers and some installers only stock a very limited selection compared to all the widths, thicknesses and shapes a moulding manufacturer offers. Millwork companies can match existing trim mouldings regardless of when the original was created.

Manufacturers also stock far more wood types, sourcing 100-200 different wood species – and because they are the manufacturer it actually costs less – not more – to buy direct.

There are hundreds of Crown Molding profiles specifying style, shape, width, thickness and height. Available in widths from two to twelve inches, the wider and thicker the more impressive and generally the more costly.

The most popular wood moldings are made from pine, poplar, oak, mahogany and cypress including rare sinker deadhead cypress. While we prefer the warmth and distinction of wood moldings, they are also available in cured polyurethane (flexible plastic), polyvinyl chloride (recycled cellular pvc) and polystyrene (foam).

Installing crown molding is generally best left to an expert unless you are a talented diy-er or carpenter. Cutting crown molding requires understanding angles and cutting them accurately. Complex corners and arches add even more complexity and few rooms are square which can make for some real challenges.

Many installers neglect this important step: be sure to have your mouldings painted, stained or sealed on all sides before installation. Any unsealed surface will be susceptible to damage from moisture that can cause warping or deterioration. Your mouldings will last much longer when sealed prior to being installed.

If you decide to install moulding trim yourself, we recommend buying specific mitre saws, True Angle measuring gauges, and compound mitre charts that make installing crown moulding far easier.

We also highly recommend Wayne Drake’s book Crown Molding and Trim; Install It Like a Pro. His book includes 350+ photos and hundreds of specific examples.

Do you know why historical buildings and old houses look so distinctive compared to new buildings and homes? If you really look you’ll notice the wider or more elaborate moulding trim around the doors, windows and ceilings that are missing in most rooms today. Adding mouldings – and especially crown mouldings – adds warmth and character to any space.

Crown moulding is one of the most widely recommended ways to increase the value and beauty of your home or office. Whether you install it yourself or hire a crown moulding installation expert, consider adding crown moulding to at least one room. When you see the difference it makes you may decide to continue adding interesting architectural mouldings in other rooms.

Frank Wright invites you to read more about buying Crown Mouldings. You can use the same free Architectural Molding search tool Frank does. Architects can download free approved CAD drawings. Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory