Mastering the Precision of Installing Crown Molding on Your Kitchen Cabinets
In short: Installing crown molding on kitchen cabinets requires more than just a saw. To achieve a professional finish, you must bridge the gap between cabinet doors and the ceiling using custom filler pieces. Learn the precise sequence of measuring, cutting, and mounting that transforms standard cabinetry into a polished, custom-built feature.
The process begins by preparing the cabinet surface. General contractor Tom Silva recommends creating filler pieces from 5/4-inch pine, cut to the specific dimensions of your cabinets. These pieces require rabbet cuts to ensure they sit flush against the cabinet top and overlap the doors. Before installation, these strips should be spray-painted to match the cabinet color, preventing any raw wood from showing through. Once ready, the filler is secured using a combination of super glue for immediate hold, wood glue for a permanent bond, and nails or wood screws driven from the inside of the cabinet frame.
Measuring and cutting the molding itself demands careful attention to orientation. Because crown molding is typically cut upside down and backwards against the miter saw fence, it is easy to miscalculate the angle. Silva suggests marking the inside of the molding with an arrow to indicate the direction of the miter cut. To prevent slippage on the saw, you can create temporary stops using small wood blocks and polyurethane glue. When cutting, the miter saw is set to 45 degrees, with the angle reversed for the corresponding 'sister' piece to ensure a clean joint.
For outside corners, the molding pieces are joined using a brad nailer before being mounted to the cabinet. Inside corners require a different approach: the miter angles must be cut in the opposite direction so the molding profile effectively cuts into itself. Once all sections are securely nailed in place, the final steps involve filling nail holes with wood putty and applying caulk where the molding meets the ceiling. Using a fast-drying spray primer—which typically dries in one hour—ensures that the finish remains consistent with the existing cabinetry, completing the transformation.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: How to Hang Crown Molding on Kitchen Cabinets | Ask This Old House
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