Question by Johnny J: Is there anything wrong with using baseboard trim as a crown molding substitute?
It just seems to me that using trim usually seen around doors/windows and baseboard would be easier to use and look just as good…anyone have experience with this?
Best answer:
Answer by Louise R
there is nothing wrong with using it.It’s up to your own preference(I asked my husband-he’s a joiner.)
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You can use anything You want
to, I have used seven different moldings to make a crown molding before.
nothing wrong with it…. just don’t call it a crown molding. Technalically it is just molding. But do try to stay with at least a minimum of 3 1/2 inch. with some design. don’t do less and plane… then it will look very cheap
Yes the profile of crown is designed to lay on the angle in the corner of ceiling and wall base is only designed to lay flat to the wall plus both profiles are completely different. 5 1/4 crown is designed to come down only 4 1/8 inch on the wall and out on the ceiling never touching the true corner where wall and ceiling meet.
You can put base 3 3/4 inch down the wall upside down then 3 3/4 inch out on ceiling then 5 1/4 crown in the middle to make it a 3 step crown.
My experience is 27 years as a interior trim carpenter and have installed 1000s of feet of crown.
The door/window trim, and baseboard will work fine, as long as you are laying it flat against the wall. I’ve trimmed out some homes like this, becuase thats what the owner wanted. (And Ive used some to do a ‘build up’ moulding… more on that later)
Most ‘crown’ moulding is made to be attached at an angle between the wall and ceiling…therefore it is edged differently, on the backside, than standard casing.
Here is a standard ‘catalogue’ view, showing the end profile of some crown… these are all pictured as if you were nailing them to the wall on the left of the crown.
http://www.blueoxmill.com/Crown%20Moulding%202b.jpg
Here is another option… use two (or more) pieces of moulding to ‘build up’ the crown. In this cross-section view, you can see how theyve taken 2 pieces to make it look like one really large crown…this was a pretty common method of trimming out homes for a very long time. The advantage to doing it this way, instead of using ‘crown’, is in how you cut it… you only need to make the one mitered angle, not the compound miter that typical crown needs.
http://www.barndoorlumber.com/profiles/door_casings/page1.jpg
Most home building supply stores carry a variety of moulding styles, I’d suggest you take a day and go shopping =)
Have Fun
Nothing “wrong” with it. If it works and doesn’t look cheap then it’s just fine.
You can use it with the proper tools, the proper knowledge of all your angles and if you have a good table saw. It’s going to take a lot of cutting. Good luck.
Fine if you like the look.
Baseboard trim can also be used in combination w/ other moldings to create “custom” profiles .
Best regards