How to install crown moulding on uneven ceiling

How to install crown moulding on uneven ceiling - hide wavy ceiling with crown

Рет қаралды 90,605

Күн бұрын

I am working on this whole kitchen remodel and it's time for crown moulding. I decided on crown and light rail moulding to give the cabinets and kitchen in general a much grander look. Since I opted to keep the old kitchen cabinets, I had to come up with ideas to bring in more detail and character to the cabinets and kitchen as a whole.
When it came time for the crown I had to deal with the uneven ceiling. Crown is tricky in the first place, but when you add an uneven ceiling, it's that much harder. I did come up with some tips and tricks to make this job go as smooth as possible and the end results wasn't too bad either.
I hope you find the video helpful and informative for your next project.
If you like the video, give me a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe to my channel, I appreciate the support.
Disclaimer: these videos are for information purposes only. They are not meant to induce action; therefore, you agree and understand that you make your own decisions and absorb all risks associated with said decisions/actions. You further agree to hold True Grit Development, LLC, it’s members and anyone affiliated with True Grit Development, LLC harmless from any damage or loss.
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Пікірлер: 122

@audreybowles6357 2 жыл бұрын

This is great finished work! Thank you for the tip on back filling the uneven areas of the ceiling. I think I may need to skim coat those areas of the ceiling before I measure my crown molding.

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Skim coating may be a good idea depending on what you got going on. Good prep work can make the job go much smoother. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@CBBC435 6 ай бұрын

Thank you! Your gaps are larger than mine, and yet your result looks good. Now I can.

@TrueGritDevelopment 6 ай бұрын

You can do it! Thanks for watching 👊🏼

@stephenmcgeown 3 жыл бұрын

Very good video - I have the exact same problem I need to tackle with my kitchen remodel and I think, all things considered, your method will work best for me. There are alternatives but you showed something that will work for many situations. Thanks for taking the time to make and share this!

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much! Just be mindful of the size of the gap. In general, if the gap is bigger than 1/2”, I would look into alternatives like installing a flat trim piece on the ceiling before the crown. That way the trim piece will fill the gaps and you nail your crown onto it. Once painted, it will all blend in together. Hope I didn’t confuse you. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@stephenmcgeown 3 жыл бұрын

@@TrueGritDevelopment Hey, thanks for the reply! I think I know what you mean. I may need to put something for my nailer to bite into.

@katherinecorrell4817 2 жыл бұрын

You are an excellent teacher!

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Glad you found the video helpful. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@hshar2024 3 жыл бұрын

Great video! Exactly what I was thinking!

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching!

@dustintaylor3662 3 жыл бұрын

Looks good! Thanks for sharing.

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching, I appreciate the support.

@Sakura8494 3 жыл бұрын

I'm so happy I found your video and I wish I had found it sooner 😆 We removed our soffit and our ceiling is so uneven

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Yea soffits are tricky. I bet you had to refinish drywall. Only recommendation is I would run the new drywall beyond the soffit line. The soffits are usually 12” out, which is also the depth of the upper cabinets. To ensure a flat ceiling you want to avoid taping and mudding at the 12” mark if that makes sense. Good luck. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@mp000333 3 жыл бұрын

I got to say I like the idea. Use a grout bag the pipe in your joint compound and then run it down it with your knife. Thanks for the tips.

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Yes, grout bag would make it much easier. Didn’t think about that, great tip! Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@CanadaPlays 5 ай бұрын

Great video!

@TrueGritDevelopment 5 ай бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it 👊🏼

@patriciabookhart2242 Жыл бұрын

OmG! Thanks man. This jus helped me out massive.

@TrueGritDevelopment Жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it! Thanks for watching. Pls like the video and share it 👍🏼

@bjbmarketingllc2071 3 жыл бұрын

Great Job Brother you save me

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching and supporting 👊🏼

@wm2427 3 жыл бұрын

So smart

@MENNY222 Жыл бұрын

Thank you brother. My ceiling is similar to your, but I am going to use the shims in conjunction with backer rod and caulking after cuz my ceiling is textured. I hope it works.

@TrueGritDevelopment Жыл бұрын

Glad you found it helpful. I would suggest installing a 1x cleat onto the ceiling and nailing your crown to that since your ceiling is textured. The 1x cleat will act as your smooth flat surface, does that make sense? BTW I have a video on how to smooth out textured walls/ceilings and I have another video showing you how to cut crown super easy and accurate in case you wanted to check those out. Thanks for watching 👊🏽

@MENNY222 Жыл бұрын

@@TrueGritDevelopment Thank you I will check those out. 🤝

@jacklingenfelter7765 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Thank you! Just what I needed

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Glad to hear it and thanks for watching!

@John33gfed 3 жыл бұрын

Nice work. I have never had a ceiling that was level, they never are frankly. What I started doing is- prior to even hanging wall cabinets now, I run a string line, from end to end. That allows me to ID the major ( major being more than 3/8ths inch) high and low spots. Then I fill with mud and feather/blend that out. When the ceiling is out by 3/4, or 1 inch, it sucks because it becomes a lot of feathering out-- but taking the hour or six (haha, cuz nothing is EVER easy right?), to get the ceiling fairly level, saves you when mounting the crown. Some people leave a one inch gap, and never mount directly to the ceiling--but in my opinion, that's BS, that's what separates craftsmen from the less diligent. Your method of just filling the gap is great.

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

It’s always in the prep work, I like that you spend the time prepping before jumping into a job. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve started a job too eager only to go back and redo for lack of prep work. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@southpawshane7652 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I just bough a doubblewide four bedroom place as my first flipper. I need this place to go from trash to class and i am no pro finnisher. Any tips for jankey uneven flooring?

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

Congrats! Watch my real estate videos, you may find them helpful. Are you stripping the floors down to plywood? What kind of floors we’re dealing with?

@KristiLinauer 2 жыл бұрын

How much of a gap can you have between the top of the crown and the ceiling and have it still look good once backfilled and painted? In other words, there has to be a limit, right? At some point, if the space needing to be backfilled is too large, it’s going to be obvious, right? So what would that be? 1/2 inch? More?

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

Hi, I think 1/2” would probably be the largest I’d like to go. If you have larger gaps, I would maybe consider skim coating before putting up the crown. Hope that answers your question. Thanks for watching 👊🏼

@ortizdisease 3 жыл бұрын

Great video! Question: how do you back fill on stain grade crown?

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! Just to be clear, you have crown that is stained, not painted, correct? You can still use wood filler, but make sure it’s the stainable type. You can pick up a grain tool or make your own and stain the wood filler to match the crown. To make your own simply rip a piece of wood, like a 2x4 or whatever, and stamp the wood filler. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@manifestdestiny8904 2 жыл бұрын

how do you get a clean paint line between ceiling and plastic wood line? Seems like it would be hard to get a clean paint line.

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

You’re painting the full and crown the same color. Cut your paint or use a masking tape on ceiling. Trust me, you will be the only who knows it’s there. Hope this helps. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@chandradunbar7707 3 жыл бұрын

thank you! I have a bathroom ceiling that is very off level.

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

That should be a nice little project! Dry fit the crown first to ensure you don’t have big gaps to back fill. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@about2flip 2 жыл бұрын

I just did this in a kitchen. My question is what paint finish do you use for the section that is back filled? Do I use flat like the ceiling or the same finish I use for the crown molding? Thank you 😊

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

That’s awesome! I would go with same as crown especially if you’re using a colored paint. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@about2flip 2 жыл бұрын

@@TrueGritDevelopment you only use plastic wood on the backfill area correct? Not the whole thing? I used caulk for the smaller gaps. Thank you again.

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

That’s correct 👍🏼

@brianm2152 5 күн бұрын

Nice but I've got prefinished stained moulding. What to do with that? Do you still backfill with sheetrock compound and paint?

@TrueGritDevelopment 5 күн бұрын

Yes, but I’ll have a wet rag handy to clean crown right away in the event compound gets on it. Paint the compound to match ceiling.

@TheNYgolfer 5 ай бұрын

Nice job. I prefer to use autobody filler. Lasts forever. Doesn't shrink or crack. Easy to sand and paint. Dries as fast as you want it to by adjusting the amount of hardner you mix in. Of course you can't stain it.

@TrueGritDevelopment 5 ай бұрын

Great tip! Thanks. Never used that before. I’ll keep it in mind.

@chacebryan1559 Жыл бұрын

Do you not have issues with that back fill seam cracking with seasonal temp changes?

@TrueGritDevelopment Жыл бұрын

Not different from any trim really over time. I would caulk it every cpl yrs or as needed I suppose. I have that happen on baseboard and crown. Thanks for watching 👊🏼

@MrSkepticism 3 жыл бұрын

Aw i liked the head cam

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I know some ppl said it was dizzying a bit, so I am glad you found it helpful! Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@John33gfed 3 жыл бұрын

@@TrueGritDevelopment truth is, the longer KZfaqrs are on, they adapt. Some that start with a go pro, end up having full on studios, with professional lighting, audio visual equipment and editing... True Grit is doing a good job so far with his resources.

@MariMari-ny6si 4 ай бұрын

Great work! We used molding caulk just before seeing your video. We filled the larger holes with wood and then the moulding caulk. Will it eventually crack or shrink or is it good?

@TrueGritDevelopment 4 ай бұрын

Once painted it should be good. Of course that depends on how dry it gets in that particular room. Typically exterior caulk will crack more than interior as it’s exposed to the elements. Thanks for watching 👊🏼

@codeinejesus4033 2 жыл бұрын

Great job on this. Im wondering if caulk could also work instead of joint compound?

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! If the gap is less than 1/4” I don’t see why not. I like using the compound because I can mold it flush more so than the caulk. If your gap is narrow enough to run a bead of caulk then go for it. If you don’t like the results, u can always remove it. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@jacobschweitzer2954 8 ай бұрын

What’s the biggest gap you will backfill?

@TrueGritDevelopment 8 ай бұрын

I’d say 1/4”.

@Thomas-hf3dn 2 ай бұрын

So when does wood filler go in

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 ай бұрын

You can use it right away.

@moonman9j9 2 жыл бұрын

What if the walls are wavy? Same idea where you let it span over low spots then fill?

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

I would highly recommend skim coating the wall. Are you installing panels on the wall? What is your concern with the wall being wavy? I am assuming you want to finish it with something otherwise, if it’s slightly wavy, I don’t see why you couldn’t skim coat and paint with flat paint?

@moonman9j9 2 жыл бұрын

@@TrueGritDevelopment Well my main concern is that the customer specified that he does not want wavy crown. I guess I'm going to have to skim coat it.

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

OK, now I understand what you meant. I thought you meant the entire wall top to bottom was wavy or something like that. once you determine where the gaps exist, if they were smaller than a quarter inch then I would just shim the crown and then caulk it. If the gaps are bigger than a quarter inch, then I don’t see why you couldn’t backfill the same way I did for the ceiling. Also, make sure you use good quality caulk to prevent it from drying and splitting down the line. Sorry I was confused with the question initially and thought you were concerned with the entire wall. Hope this answers your question. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@thembamabena6486 3 жыл бұрын

Can I use paintable silicone?

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

I suppose you could, I personally like wood filler. Silicone will need to be re-applied at some point.

@jacksJax 2 жыл бұрын

Wish I would have found this before trying to nail a long strip of crown molding and realizing it looked awful crooked lol! At least now I know the correct way to do it, thanks!

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

Haha…can’t tell you how many times I’ve said the same thing. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@nickmacker5683 2 жыл бұрын

What if you do the whole room? I’m assuming you would find the lowest point/measurement in the entire room?

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

You got it. If you find a big discrepancy all around, I would consider coping the corners to avoid having to perfectly match your 45 cuts, which won’t happen if your ceilings are uneven. Thanks for watching and supporting ✊🏼

@nickmacker5683 2 жыл бұрын

@@TrueGritDevelopment yeah, coping was the plan all along. It’s a two piece crown. The first piece is going up good with miters. Crown piece will be a dif story

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

Great! Good luck with the project 👍🏼

@edatt.7264 Жыл бұрын

do you sand joint compound before you use the wood filler?

@tg2631 11 ай бұрын

Video very helpful but it would be even better if you had good video and presentation more organized. What i need to know is, to get an even crown moulding line on a very uneven ceiling, do I measure from the lowest part where the crown moulding meets the ceiling?

@TrueGritDevelopment 11 ай бұрын

I hear u, would love to have a camera person. So I cover that in the video where I draw the level line. From that line measure the shortest distance and that’s where you want to start your crown. It’s the shortest (lowest, if that’s how you’re seeing it) from the level line to ceiling. Hope that helps.

@stykstykman7354 Жыл бұрын

Wouldnt it be better to level that part of the cieling instead?

@TrueGritDevelopment Жыл бұрын

You can certainly do that. I guess it comes down to whether you have the skill to feather in your mud and wanting to do the extra step. Thanks for watching 👊🏽

@ragoff Жыл бұрын

Small scaffold is useful. Folding Chairs not so much

@TrueGritDevelopment Жыл бұрын

I have to agree on that.

@zephyr1408 3 ай бұрын

Use an 8D finish nail as your partner at the other end ?

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 ай бұрын

Good tip, thanks 🙏🏼

@zephyr1408 2 ай бұрын

@@TrueGritDevelopment I am a finish carpenter & I actually seen it on “Inside Carpentry” YT Channel Spencer Lewis. I started using it a couple yrs ago and I was amazed how good it performed and how cheap the extra labor cost ?

@rla1000 3 жыл бұрын

Hint - set the camera up somewhere stationary, apparently you have it attached to your head, herky jerky and annoying to follow

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Agree, I have to work on that. I do like showing the details though, with a strapped camera I am able to show you POV, but yes, the movement is bad sometimes. Thanks for watching and supporting, much appreciated.

@Southpaw07 3 жыл бұрын

Excellent details Thank you for sharing, but your video moves around a lot and makes me feel a little dizzy.

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for watching and supporting. I am sorry, I strap my camera on, so I can show POV detail of the work, but I agree. I think I am going to have to position my camera on a tripod as close to the work as possible. Once I am on a project I keep moving and I move fast lol.

@everettjiles4464 3 жыл бұрын

good video, but take the cam off your head, I almost thru-up from motion sickness.

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

I know dude! I almost got dizzy watching it myself! I want to show the detail in the work. I see many videos on KZfaq where you can’t figure out what’s going on cause camera is too far or at a bad angle. I am gonna have to use a tripod going forward. Thanks for watching and Supporting ✊🏼

@cymaticsbass5066 Жыл бұрын

Massive gaps filled with putty and caulk.. Master caulker...

@TrueGritDevelopment Жыл бұрын

You can skim coat ceiling as alternative, but that is not guaranteed to be level either. Any tips?

@noelversten5891 6 ай бұрын

Yeah but is it moulding, or molding?

@TrueGritDevelopment 6 ай бұрын

Haha…Lowes has it as Moulding, so I’ll go with the pros.

@Johnsmith69448 2 ай бұрын

Just leave it in some water and it will be molding moulding

@bryanp8010 3 жыл бұрын

Wood filler?! I thought you had some magical voodoo otherwise wood filler or caulk is pretty obvious

@blakehorn229 3 жыл бұрын

Woodfiller can and will crack over time. Crown should be scribed to the ceiling...not have gaps filled with woodfiller or caulk

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching. You can certainly scribe any moulding, but I dare you to make it less noticeable on a 12-14’ run and I double dare you to do it by yourself as in a DIY project, and make that scribe cut conform with your wavy ceiling. There are other ways to install crown and one of those is by back filling. If you saw the entire video, I start by filing in the larger gaps with joint compound, then I come back and use crack and shrink resistant wood filler on the now smaller gaps. I then paint my wood filler, which will further protect it from cracking. Remember, when you scribe a moulding that isn’t flat, it’s increasingly difficult to get a good result And you lose your profile. My videos are only informative & represent my view and experience, not suggesting it’s the only way to do things. However, I hope it helps people get their projects done by learning from me and others in the KZfaq universe.

@Southpaw07 3 жыл бұрын

@@TrueGritDevelopment I agree there is no way a newbie like me can scribe moldings i prefer your method back filling and perhaps finish up with a crack free silicon :)

@John33gfed 3 жыл бұрын

@@Southpaw07 scribing actually isn't too hard. im sure there are plenty of videos on how to scribe. But like this video, true grit shows, its better to make the huge gaps disappear with mud, save the scribing for gaps that are less than 1/8th....if the scribe is done correctly, you will not need the nuisance of using messy, ugly caulk.

@stephenj8576 2 жыл бұрын

You can't scribe down past the upper face of the crown, an 1/8" to 3/16" max but anything more and you have to use the content providers method. It's going to be a compromise any way you look at it.

@cymaticsbass5066 Жыл бұрын

Yeah this video literally taught me nothing. We want to see a person SCRIBE crown. Nail it up... , mark it, take it down... scribe it... Put it back up. What..

@ROADKING-yv6dc Жыл бұрын

Camera is not where you are referring to. 👎

@TrueGritDevelopment Жыл бұрын

Yea, I notice that when I am editing sometimes. I mount the camera on my head lol so sometimes I move out of frame. Thanks for watching anyway.

@volvotruck01 2 жыл бұрын

My shit is so cruked i m lost me and my wife start fitting with words like stupid leave me alone i know then she is i know better bla bla la

@TrueGritDevelopment 2 жыл бұрын

Good luck!

@gallmanconstruction728 3 жыл бұрын

NO No no!!!!!!! You don't level crown moulding! it should be installed as tight as possible to the ceiling and only fill the small gaps with caulking. This looks terrible, and will always look terrible. If the ceiling is that far out, either fix it first or DON"T put crown on to make it more noticeable.

@TrueGritDevelopment 3 жыл бұрын

I agree, only fill small gaps. I was very happy with the way it looked actually, did you not see the end of the video walk through? You have to remember, KZfaq is a resource, one of many. These are DIY videos and we are all here to learn. You suggesting to refinish a ceiling is just another option and honestly b/n the two options I am always going to go with back filling. Your option involves ripping out ceiling drywall, re-mounting new drywall - assuming your joists are level (which they will never be in an old house, so you have to shim your joists), finish the drywall& paint and then install your crown and hope it’s flat/straight. Definitely doable, but not my option if you ask me.

@williamhospodor5246 3 жыл бұрын

You could probably skim coat it flatter without having to shim the foists. What I don’t like is if you have darker colored paint going on the crown and white ceilings what do you paint the filler to? It’s gonna look bad no matter what. If it’s that far out id be skimming or rolling the crown up to it. If caulk can’t fix it, it’s too much.

@arizonacabinetry9468 3 жыл бұрын

@@TrueGritDevelopment I do crown on cabinets and get this all the time. I usually tell customers not to run crown to the ceiling for this reason. However I like this method and how it came out. I don’t use a level but I cut a piece of wood and use it to make sure the crown is straight and uniform. Cheat it up where I can to avoid big gaps and caulk it in . Next day recaulk as it can shrink. I have had ceilings that are out 1 to 1.5 inch off in 48 inches in runs as long as 20 feet. I too draw a level line to check the ceiling prior to install and inform customers of this issue and always suggest to get the ceiling floated by a drywaller. Scribing can only take you so far. Great video