Styrofoam Crown Molding: Add a Touch of Personality to your Room
Written by Milan Jara on 27th Jul 2011
I have been involved in the construction of many custom and semi-custom homes over the years and quite a few historical restorations — including my ongoing efforts to renovate my own old farmhouse. I’ve noticed during that time that purchasers and homeowners really perk up and start paying attention when I start talking about possible options and upgrades for their homes. Good framing practices, energy-efficient shingles, and even the easy maintenance features of their windows don’t generate much interest, but as soon as I mention cosmetic possibilities — people sit up and take notice.
Homeowners want an attractive house — one that they can be proud of — but they also desire a home that reflects their personality and is a little bit different from the rest. No one wants to walk into a neighbor’s living or dining room only to discover that it looks just like the one at their house — it’s kind of like showing up at a party and finding someone wearing the same dress you chose to put on.
One of the easiest methods for adding your personality to a room and creating a truly unique look is through the use of interior trim. There are numerous styles and sizes of baseboards, chair-rails, wainscoting, and door and window casings available to select from — in some cases you can even use two or more pieces of trim to really give a baseboard or chair-rail definition and make it stand out.
Styrofoam Crown Molding
However, the trim that may offer the most style options and cause the most oohs and wow.. when guests enter your room would almost have to be crown molding. This versatile trim is available as a single piece or you can customize its appearance by installing 2,3, 4, or even more accessory trims to create a look that’s unique to the room and give it a casual, country, or formal decors.
As impressive and attractive as crown molding can be, its one drawback is that many homeowners don’t think it’s very DIY friendly. Cutting and installing wood crown molding takes skills that may take even an experienced trim carpenter a while to master. However, there is now a product that even a neophyte DIYer can install and it still has the visual impact of wood crown molding.
Styrofoam crown molding can be cut with a utility knife, installed with glue, and its numerous styles and sizes allow you to create the appearance of 3, 4, or even 5 piece wood crown molding with a single piece of styrofoam. The material is light, inexpensive, and easily put in place by a single person.
