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check your local store, for in store pickup
check your local store, for in store pickup
check your local store, for in store pickup
Crown moulding is one of the lowest cost additions you can make to a home that has possibly the greatest impact and highest return on investment. The addition of decorative moulding enables you to transform any ordinary living space bringing it a new life, charm and elegance. The installation of crown moulding can certainly be a do it yourself type of improvement. However, if you’ve decided to take on your own crown moulding installation project there are some guides you should follow to make your job run smoother and avoid material waste.
First, find out what you need for materials.
You will need to determine what type of moulding and how much of it you will need to buy. You will need to measure and mark your walls for the best estimate on materials. Measure each individual wall and round up to the next foot. If any of your walls measure within a few inches of a length of moulding always buy the next size up just to be on the safe side.
Second – create a plan of attack.
We will be installing each piece of moulding in an ordered sequence, so we should do a quick sketch of the room, top view, as if we were looking down to see which wall we start with. Let’s make this a bit easier and start with the wall opposite the door and then number each wall going counterclockwise.
Let’s also set up our guides for installation on the walls. Hold a piece of moulding at each inside and outside corner to mark the position of the bottom edge. Use a chalk line stretched between the two opposite ends to mark the wall for your installation line. Also, locate and mark the position of studs and joists just below the installation line.
Third – install the first length.
Measure your starting wall and cut the first piece of moulding square at both ends using a miter saw. Then align the piece of moulding with your installation line and begin nailing 8d finish nails working from the center out. Make sure that your nails are centered in the moulding between top and bottom.
Fourth – cutting an inside corner joint.
For inside cuts we use a coped cut to ensure that the face of the moulding joins properly. Place the moulding on the saw with the ceiling edge against the table and the bottom edge against the saw fence. Make sure that the saw is set to a 45 degree angle. If you are coping a left side corner swing the saw to the left and right for the right side. You are doing it correctly if the long edge of the moulding is on the back.
To make sure that we will have a joint that fits tightly we will now cope the inside corner joint. Mark the face of the moulding with a pen on the very edge of the miter cut. Set your coping saw at a 5 degree angle and use the pen marked edge as your guide. Hold the piece in place on the wall to make sure your fit is tight.
Note: Before moving to the next step check to see what type of cut the other end of your moulding needs. If it is another inside corner take a measurement from the top edge of the number 1 piece that you have already installed to this corner. Mark the length of this measurement on your coped moulding and use your miter saw to make a square cut. You can now nail up that piece of moulding.
Fifth – cutting an outside corner joint.
To determine the length of your moulding piece if it ends on an outside corner cut two scrap pieces of moulding at opposite 45 degree angles. Join these pieces together and hold them in place at your outside corner. We can now take a measurement from the top edge of your installed starting piece to the edge of the corner piece you are holding in place. Use that length to cut your coped piece of moulding.
Sixth – The installation process
If the opposite end of your next piece of moulding ends on an inside that does not require a coped end, repeat the measuring and cutting you just did in order to but the outside corner joining end. Then measure and cut the opposite end to but the squared end against the wall. If the opposite end of your next piece of moulding does end in a corner that requires a coped cut repeat step four and complete your outside corner.
Lastly, you will work your way around the room in this same way. Cope your inside corners and miter your outside corners. Check your measurements and make your cuts. If you run into problems like excessively uneven walls, ceilings or ceiling heights due to your house settling or shifting consult a professional to avoid any unnecessary cost and aggravation.
There’s one way to ensure that the value of your home increases even during an economic downturn. Many people don’t understand that they can do a kitchen remodel without spending a ton of money. There’s just one key – you have to be creative! Check out these simple ideas to creating a new look for your kitchen on a budget:
~ Choose a theme for your kitchen: Italian, Mexican or traditional. Get a few accessories to carry out this theme.
~ Pick a bright new color for your kitchen. A new coat of paint or installing kitchen cabinets yourself are inexpensive ways to create a new look for a room.
~ Use matching hand towels and pot holders to coordinate with your new theme.
~ Display your collections. If you collect figurines, dishes or glassware use space-saving wall shelves to display your wares. This will give your kitchen that personalized look you want.
~ Repaper you drawers and shelves in a fun color. Every time you pull out a drawer or open up a cabinet you will see a burst of color.
Knowing your plywood thicknesses and UBC ratings, for a better understanding of the project in your head! Thoughts will become things, so do your due diligence.
Plywood grades are determined by a veneer quality on the face and back of each panel. The first letter designates quality of face veneer (best side), while the second letter denotes the surface quality of the back of the panel.The letter “X” indicates the panel was manufactured with scrap wood as the center plies, not “exterior” as is commonly thought. The A-D rating is only good for construction (softwood) plywood, not for hardwood plywoods such as oak or maple.
“A”: Highest grade quality available. Can be defect free or contain small knots, providing they are replaced with wooden plugs (the fillers having a “boat” or an “American football” shape) or repaired with synthetic patch. This grade may contain occasional surface splits that are repaired with synthetic filler. The surface is always sanded and provides for smooth paintable face quality.
“B”: Second highest quality veneer grade. Normally a by-product of downgraded “A” quality veneer. Solid surface, but may contain small diameter knots and narrow surface splits. Normally repaired with wooden plugs or synthetic filler. The surface is normally sanded smooth.
“C”: Considered to be a lower end face quality, but a reasonable choice for general construction purposes. May contain tight knots up to 1½ inches diameter, some open knot holes, some face splits, and discoloration. Some manufactures may repair the defects with synthetic filler. Panels are typically not sanded.
“D”: Considered to be the lowest quality veneer and often used for the back surface for construction grade panels. Allows for several knots, large and small, as well as open knots up to 2½ inches diameter. Open knots, splits, and discoloration are acceptable. “D” grade veneers are neither repaired nor sanded. This grade is not recommended for permanent exposure to weather elements. CDX is the grade for many home construction needs, shear walls are generally built with 3/8″ cdx in which the plywood gives a anti up-lift rating for several applications including replacing wall strength value, as windows and doors take areas in a wall that actually weaken the home structural value. Any DIYer is able to get more local code information in their area, the building or planning department[s] will be happy to assist here.
In our busy lives of living, we all tend to accumulate too much stuff. Therefore storage is always a premium, and storing seasonal items or momentos or whatever we tend to deem, savable things, there is typically not enough usable space to go around. But in most instances under our staircases there is several extra square feet of area to convert into usable space.
![staircase [bookcase] storage](http://www.my-diy-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/thumbnail-21.jpg "staircase [bookcase] storage")
Be creative and succeed in utilizing the space that otherwise tends to go unused, storing and organizing cubicles make more cent’s than anything for the cost involed per the square foot price you will spend on your annual property taxes. A set of full height pullouts that will hide as well as allow easy access of almost any items you can dream of. The return on investment can prove to be advantageous too.
Many builders know how their clients are constantly asking about cabinet storage, well here is the DIY warrior’s greatest tool. The ability to think outside of the box!! And diy your way into the new rich lifestyle of real estate investing that has you thinking away instead of rotting away in front of the boob tube……
Interestingly enough and more often than not the Realtor’s are getting in the way of too many home owners that are upside down in this real estate market. They have found most of the NOD’s that have the lenders { mortgage servicer’s } all up in arms over their ever growing long list of non performing assets. While very few investors have the magic pill that can fix most of these peoples problems, some do know how to execute short sale potential properties, and save the home owners themselves 7 years of misery, as well as, getting the banks closer to doing what they do best, ” lending money “.
One major snafu that’s not working is the way the Realtor goes about this tricky process, causing lengthy negotiations and or no buyers during the home owners time of need. The caveat here lies in understanding exactly what it is that the banks are truly looking for, and securing a huge opportunity for several entities.
When it does go smoothly and a fix and flip might be the exit strategy, a full blown kitchen remodel will take place, Home Depot can employ more help, and the real estate investor has upgraded a home that will create jobs in the consrtuction industry enabling the home to appraise higher and the state can collect more revenue to repair the roads…… etc. etc.
Thats right folks the same 2 part epoxy mix that autobody shops use on cars. In SOCal where some of the new rich reside is also 
where some of the best professional house painting occurs. Magazine model material, custom multi-million dollar homes with the same home improvement center paints the rest of us buy and use on our biggest investments in our IRA plans, the biggest d
ifference though is the prep work being done to create some of the finest home painting on the prestigious west coast.
I only emphasize this painting prep point, because I see the difference. Bondo or whatever brand you buy will change your homes detail of paint grade finish like night and day. Case and base nail holes, vacuum dents, mars and gouges, offset splices and even some miter joints go from nice job to vavoom. Interior spackling never really can give you that it truly is “all one piece look” but bondo does and does not shrink.
![builders level [common excavation use]](http://www.my-diy-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/thumbnail-5.jpg "builders level [common excavation use]")
Funny thing about this new age gizmo, laser levels are very accurate and can be extremely helpful in many area’s of home improvement projects. Being highly unlikely that any home, such as yours, is perfectly level. From the floor up to the ceilings, you will be surprised at exactly how far out of level most homes end up in the final escrow stages or purchasing ready product. Rather than fret though, the old saying is simply ” close enough”, and not to worry because the off kilter numbers in mention here is within a 1/4″ to 3/4″ of an inch, in eight feet. More importantly, there are some types of finish cabinetry work that better be within an 1/8″ inch for styles and margins to appear and function right.
Stanley makes a great laser level that shoots an awesome beam up to 60′ or so and will aide in many outdoor home improvements like a sweeping deck or masonry block wall, where the ends need to equal the whole by the time you adjoin the opposing sides from a distance. The down side is you have to level the laser in place for it to pivot and do its function’s. Which is said here because it can be a difficult and frustrating process. Every make or model of laser levels has good and not so good points to consider, so pick your poison.
![stanley laser [manual pre-leveling]](http://www.my-diy-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/thumbnail-4.jpg "stanley laser [manual pre-leveling]")
The other selection is a 4 AA battery operated laser level tool that is a gem but mostly for indoor usage. The sun tends to supersede the red laser light beam and you cannot make it work past 10 or 12 feet, because you cannot find the laser light to measure or mark, period. But the good feature on some of these is that if placed on a small flt surface [paint bucket] the self leveling adjust before, and then signals when it is ready. When storing from non usage remove the batteries, though.
It’s been 24 hrs since i have reached out to Mr Scott Kraft, a Los Angeles times media reporter. My message was very clear and to the point, in that i wish to donate 100% of the commission proceeds for 1 month, starting yesterday. I expect for him to publish our story and return my phone call and e-message tonight, we want to put a little pressure on all of our E-store affiliates IE., Sears.com/ Amazon.com and Home Depot.com, when they meet our challenge of charitable contributions and building supplies as well as energy efficient lighting fixtures and plumbing supplies.
The building codes are questionable at best but that will not stop the masses from any further advancements. We will build a better tomorrow for the people of Haiti and their families, that have suffered long enough. Our vision here at My-DIY.net is for a brighter future in all the world, pull soldiers from the middle east and put soldiers to work on an island that right now is far worse off than any war zone Mr Obama, let us help each other in this world and end the chaos today.
Stand tall you masses and understand how critical a place these Haitians are in at this very moment, tell a friend/coworker/family member about this action that requires all of us to rise above and shout ” WE CAN DO THIS”. Climb on board with that donation and help make a difference today.
Good evening world. As we can all sit back in the comfort of our homes tonight, there are many out there that have not been quite as fortunate. But my vision and beliefs are that we all can do something to aide those in need. I just left a message for Scott Kraft of the LosAngeles Times news paper, asking him to help circulate our story. Me here, on this world exposed blog, am offering 100% of the affiliate marketing proceeds as a charitable contribution. All of the purchases staring at 7:30 pm pst will be going towards a lump sum dollar amount to the people in dire straights of Haiti. The catastrophic events of the 7.0 earthquake that tore down this place nearly 2 weeks ago has many children and their families literally upside down.
Any of us that want to help, can and will by using anyone of many E-stores via here on this blog site or at MY-DIY.net. When enough of us pitch in we are able to give back a little bit to help make a difference. From Home Depot / Amazon / Bestbuy / Commission Junction or Ebay all of which are my affiliates. I am also asking that everyone of those mentioned here and now stand up and meet us with our purchase power. If Home Depot / Amazon.com / Bestbuy.com / Commission Junction or Ebay.com can hear us roar, they will hear loud and clear that this is a challenge. That’s right, we are calling them to the mat for a no holds barred bout of matching the funds and or materials to donate.
Not only will this be of great service, the 2009 tax benefits can be of credit for all of our next filings on april 15. Lets create a better avenue of building services and appliances. I expect that Mr Kraft will help us with the broader publishing efforts involved but email this to as many friends as possible and lets start today by making a grander difference in this life.
Sincerely,
Craig E. president
MY-DIY.net and MY-DIY-BLOG.com
Upscale Projects best ROI