Because it increases property values, crown moldings are one of the most popular upgrades made to any home or building. Rooms in new buildings are often painfully plain because moldings are frequently skimped on to cut construction costs. You can greatly enhance the beauty and warmth of any room by installing window, door, crown and other architectural moldings.

Realtors and home selling experts recommend installing crown molding in an entryway or major room as an inexpensive way to increase buyer interest and get homes sold faster – especially in a slow economy. Crown molding is widely mentioned as one improvement that costs less than the resulting increase in property value.

Steve Berges, author of 101 Cost-Effective Ways to Increase the Value of Your Home, says “When you’re comparing two houses, the one with the crown molding is going to show better.”

Holly Slaughter, RealEstate.com’s consumer expert says “Trim work can really add interest, depth, and sophistication to your house, and put money back in your pocket at resale.”

If you think crown moulding is too expensive you may be surprised to learn that the less expensive materials can cost as little as sixty cents a foot while rare woods can run six dollars a foot or more.

Lower cost crown mouldings can be added to an average sized room for a total cost of only $300 to $500 including painting or staining, materials and installation. Total installed prices can range from $8 to $12 per running foot and up.

Retailers and some installers only stock a very limited selection compared to all the widths, thicknesses and shapes a moulding manufacturer offers. Millwork companies can match existing trim mouldings regardless of when the original was created.

Manufacturers also stock far more wood types, sourcing 100-200 different wood species – and because they are the manufacturer it actually costs less – not more – to buy direct.

When you consider the wide selection of styles, shapes, thicknesses and heights there are hundreds of Crown Molding profiles to choose from. Crown moldings can be two to twelve inches wide; the thicker and wider the molding the more impressive they are. Consider taller or wider moldings from less expensive wood or narrower or thinner moldings from the most rare and beautiful woods.

The most popular wood moldings are made from pine, poplar, oak, mahogany and cypress including rare sinker deadhead cypress. While we prefer the warmth and distinction of wood moldings, they are also available in cured polyurethane (flexible plastic), polyvinyl chloride (recycled cellular pvc) and polystyrene (foam).

Unless you are a talented do-it-yourselfer or carpenter, installing crown molding is usually best left to an expert. Few buildings are totally square and one expert says “crown molding has to be cut upside down and backwards” to specific angles. Arches or complex corners can make the job even more complicated.

If you want your moldings to really last, be sure to have them sealed, stained or painted on all sides prior to installation. Though few installers actually do this and many will insist it is not necessary, this step is critical to protect the wood from moisture that can cause warping or deterioration.

There are specialized tools that make installing crown molding easier for talented carpenters and do it yourselfers including compound mitre charts, True Angle measuring gauges, and specific mitre saws.

We also highly recommend Wayne Drake’s book Crown Molding and Trim; Install It Like a Pro. His book includes 350+ photos and hundreds of specific examples.

If you have a favorite historical building or house you remember and admire, have you ever wondered what it was about it that made it special? Look again and you will notice the rooms have wide, thick moldings around the doors, windows. They may feature impressive crown moldings and much wider or fancier baseboards or special moldings like chair rail that was commonly used to protect wallpaper from damage. Moldings turn a plain room into one with charm and warmth.

Crown moulding is one of the most widely recommended ways to increase the value and beauty of your home or office. Whether you install it yourself or hire a crown moulding installation expert, consider adding crown moulding to at least one room. When you see the difference it makes you may decide to continue adding interesting architectural mouldings in other rooms.

Frank Wright invites you to read more about Crown Mouldings. Use the same free Architectural Mouldings search tool Frank does. Architects can download free approved CAD drawings. Click here to get your own unique version of this article with free reprint rights.