You should start with a long piece and this piece will be square at both ends. Measure your first wall and add 1/16” of an inch and cut to length both ends square. You leave a 1/16” of an inch long so when you push into the wall it will have a snug fit and almost feel like it locks into the wall.

Note that if you leave to long you will really have to force the molding into the wall and damage the sheetrock. There should be no forcing, if you have to force your crown molding in take back to saw and trim a bit off. Now nail along the wall into the studs and along the ceiling into your joist or into your triangle nailers.

Now as we discussed before you should have laid out your room and numbered the walls in the direction you are going to install. Also you should have all your crown molding rough cut with the coping cuts done on the proper side and numbered with the wall for the piece of molding.

So now take your second piece and measure for length again leaving 1/16” of an inch long. This will really lock in the cope for a tight fit. This may take a few cuts to get the right fit. Take your time the last thing you want is to cut a piece to short.

After the second piece is installed take a look at the bottom of the cope and see how in sits in the corner. See how the longest point of the coping cut sits against the first piece of crown molding you installed. By doing this you will understand how to get better measurements for the rest of your pieces.

Now repeat this process as you go around the room as you laid out. Take your time and be methodical as you install. Installing crown molding takes practice to be really fast at it, so don’t expect to be blowing through this the first time you try.

You will get better with each piece you install. If your copes are not fitting perfectly don’t freak out coping cuts on crown molding are difficult. If there are some gaps in your copes they make great painting and staining products to fill those gaps and you will never know they where there.

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