Choosing your crown molding depends on a few factors. First is the style of your house, if you are installing in a colonial style house you would want to use a style suitable for that style house. Generally speaking the more formal the room the more detail you should use in the style. Formal dining rooms could use a large multi piece detailed crown molding where as in den a one piece crown molding is all you should use.

Ceiling height is also a big factor in choosing your molding. If you have 8’ to 9’ ceiling you could use multi piece wide molding. If you have an older home with low ceilings a one piece 3 5/8” wide molding is for you. This is to make sure you clear the trim around the top of you doors and windows. You want to have a space at least 2” above the tops of any windows or doors casings.

Crown molding can consist of one piece of molding or several pieces molding put together. Depending on how much money and time you want to spend on your crown molding project should dictate what you use.

One of the most commonly used styles is a 2 piece detail consisting of a piece of 3 ½” colonial baseboard turned upside down on the bottom with a piece of 4 ½” colonial crown on top. This is a very nice style to use on a room with 7’ 10” or higher ceiling height. Also this is will be available at any home center or lumber yard and won’t break the bank. In rooms with lower ceiling heights a 1 piece crown 3 ½” to 4 ½” wide is the
way to go.

If you are going to paint your crown molding then buy pre primed molding if possible. If staining your crown molding than you will be buying what the call “clear” stock. This means your molding should have no knots and be clean looking for the best staining results.

Pre primed molding will cost you less than clear for pre primed is finger jointed from smaller pieces making one large piece and clear has to come from one solid piece. Weather you paint or stain depends on what your home has for trim finishes already. If everything in the room you are installing your crown molding is painted than you will want to paint the new molding also and vise versa.

There are pros and cons for every crown molding style. If you use fancy detail molding than the cost and time to install will be much greater, but the class and elegance added to the room will be greater also. There really are no cons on using a simple design 1 or 2 piece molding; any molding you add to a room will enhance the look of the room. Plus material will cost less and installation will be faster.