How to Beautify Your Home with Hand Painted Crown Molding
Written by Milan Jara on 1st Jul 2022
Looking for painted crown molding? There are many options for painting this item, but few add as much beauty as hand painting it. Here’s why.
Hand-painted crown molding provides your space with refinement and distinction. But it is not an easy job. There are several tips you should be aware of when creating a painted crown molding. While the result is beautiful, it does require some work to get the look just right.
How to Beautify Your Home Using Painted Crown Molding
You could leave your crown molding in its original shade or stain it. However, there is something beautiful about hand-painting your own crown molding. Applying paint to crown molding can be done in several ways. However, hand-painting it is deemed more beautiful than spraying it.
Choose Your Brush Carefully
The best brushes to utilize when painting crown molding are enamel brushes containing flagged tips/tapered edges or angled sash varnish brushes. Unlike a regular brush, they facilitate paint applications better, contain more of the paint, and provide a smoother finish with fewer visible brush marks.
Angled sash brushes are perfect for any detail work as they allow people to trace a sharper edge, making it easier to paint next to ceilings and walls without leaving a mess behind.
Select the Proper Paint Type, Color, and Sheen for the Material
Some people think that the only type of paint to use for crown molding is flat paint. However, when selecting your paint, you should always choose the proper sheen. Flat paint doesn’t contain the same visual appeal as a high-gloss one.
You can also go with a contrasting, darker shade, analog, or complementary shade, but you need to refrain from using exceptionally bold or dark colors. These colors will generate too much attention to your molding.
You also need to consider what type of material your crown molding is composed of before finding the paint. Different materials respond differently to various paint types.
What Type of Paint Works Best?
The best type of paint for traditional crown molding is acrylic. Paint labeled for trim contains several properties that regular wall paint and ceiling paint will not. Furthermore, acrylic is easy to clean and durable.
When you use acrylic, there are two options: water-based and oil-based. Water-based acrylic paints are also known as either acrylic or latex. Once, oil-based paints were considered the standard regarding the trim. In recent years, environmental concerns have caused them to fall out of favor with homeowners.
The two standards for this paint type are acrylic latex and acrylic-alkyd blends. Acrylic latex contains more acrylic, making it more durable and also more expensive. Acrylic-alkyd blends mimic oil-based paint properties. They are easy to clean like water-based ones.
Why Use a Trim Paint?
Trim paint is a label allowing consumers to easily identify which paint to use. Generally, those marked as trim paint contain the following characteristics:
- Glossy finish
- Consistency helps to avoid sagging
- Reduces visible brush strokes
- Non-yellowing formula (Most homeowners select light or white trims. Since they want to avoid frequent painting, this becomes an important attribute.)
Before placing any paint on your crown molding, be sure that you read the instructions. Some materials will require water-based paint. Anything else may not adhere to the molding properly. Styrofoam is one of these.
Prepare the Crown Molding for Painting (If Necessary)
Not all faux crown molding will require priming. Materials like Styrofoam and polyurethane will not require priming as they often come primed. For other materials, you will need to prime them for these reasons.
Before painting, if any cracks, dents, or nail holes exist, utilize a high-quality wood filler to conduct the necessary repairs. As soon as it is dry, sand your entire crown molding working only in small sections. Run a hand over your surface to locate any imperfections that have gone undetected.
The tiniest gouges, dents, and scratches will show through in the finished coat, so sand the surface until it is free from defects. When you finish, wipe it using a damp rag. If you previously applied a gloss finish, degloss the surface, so the paint properly adheres to it. To do this, lightly sand your surface using fine-grit sandpaper. Apply the deglosser like a TST solution.
If imperfections exist in the joint where the molding and the ceiling/wall meet, prime your molding first and apply the caulk. Smooth it with your fingers for a flawless finish.
Utilize a Primer That is High-Quality (If Needed)
As mentioned, not all crown moldings will require a primer. If it does, use a high-quality wood primer that seals the surface. Use long, even strokes. While beginning a new stroke, it is advisable to brush towards the last stroke applied. Each section should be completed using a light finishing stroke.
Paint the Crown Molding
The final steps involve applying your paint to the crown molding. After the primer is dry, paint your molding using the same technique outlined above. Additional tips include:
- Allow each coat to completely dry according to the time frame outlined on the label.
- If using a light color, apply two coats of your paint to provide good coverage.
- When beginning to paint, cut in the ceiling and roll the paint. Then paint the crown molding. After it has fully dried, cut in each of the walls and roll the paint.
Painting molding involves working overhead, which has its challenges. Yet, the effort is well worth it, knowing that you can fully enjoy the interior for many years to come with beautifully painted crown molding. The simple beauty of a job well done contains its own rewards.
These techniques apply if you choose to hand paint it yourself. There are also hand-painted crown moldings that are ready for sale as well. These pieces provide depth and visual appeal to a room. They come in a variety of styles and finishes that add beauty to any home.
Painted crown molding offers beauty to any room if done properly. All you need to do is be aware of what type of paint can be applied to the material (not all are the same) and paint it using the steps outlined above. You need to know your material first before applying paint. Otherwise, the results could be disastrous.
