Crown Molding & Cathedral Ceilings

[Jeff Beecher]

I am modernizing our home, and putting crown molding throughout. In my great room, I have a 3:12 pitch cathedral ceiling. Any tips on how to make the transition?

[Ben Hatcher]

Jeff,
I don't know of a good formula. Here's a picture of what you're aiming for. I would cut some scrap wood, lay it against the wall and mark the points where the edges intesect.

[Richard Wolf]

Ben's solution does not work with sprung crown molding. I have seen some really good finish carpenters put up crown on vaulted ceilings, but it will require some creative thinking. Basically molding can only change one direction at a time even with a compound cut and you are trying to change two directions.

Richard

[Jason Roehl]

Richard's right. The only way to do it and make the profile continuous is to have an intermediate wedge-shaped piece, point at the top, flat at the bottom. On one side of the wedge, it would be mitered to go from the cathedral plane to the wall plane, and on the other side, it would be mitered to go around the wall-wall intersection. This wedge will be on the wall with the cathedral ceiling.

[David DeCristoforo]

Go into a round room and sit in the corner. If you can figure out how to do that, you might be just the person to figure out how to transition crown from a straight level run into a sloping ceiling with only one miter. It's stumped at least twenty generations so far...

[phil harold]

here is another solution
http://www.garymkatz.com/TrimTechniq..._pendents.html
http://www.shareaproject.com/pages/i...i,7278,00.html

[James Henderson]

I used PerfectCuts (www.perfectcuts.com) to calculate the angles for the transition pieces in my master bedroom, which slopes at 3:12 (104) degrees also. You make the cuts on the flat on your miter saw. Worked well for me - worth the twelve dollars to save me the trouble of figuring out the trig.

Assuming the spring angle on your moulding is 45 degrees, your transition pieces would need to be:
Miter Bevel
35.26 30
4.96 4.94

The arch of the ceiling will be
10.0 9.85

Jim

[Bob Wingard]

Go to Lowe's .. get this book .. read it thoroughly .. follow it religiously .. you will get some great compliments on your "impossible" solution to your problem. These guys make understanding & DOING compound miter cuts a fairly simple process. Youdon't ABSOLUTELY need their precision TRU-ANGLE tools, but they are handy, and as reasonable as anything lse out there that will do the same job.

Don't be intimidated .. it's all in the numbers ..

[David DeCristoforo]

"...get this book..."

...um... what book?

[Lit Jones]

I did this in my last house's living room. Instead of following the ceiling line, I created a level plane shelf slightly below the top of the wall all the around the room. Then I created a nice built-up crown detail from the wall to this shelf. I even ran rope lighting up there so that it up-lit the ceiling nicely. It definitely made the room feel and look more formal. I've lost the pics, sadly.

[Richard Wolf]

David, I'm sure this is the book that Bob was referring to;
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?actio...043&lpage=none

It is a excellent, easy to read and follow book.

Richard

[Chip Lindley]

For all those who try to figure compound angles with crown moulding, you are working TOO HARD! Make a jig for whatever saw you are using to cut the crown (CSMS, RAS, handsaw miter box, etc) which tilts the top edge at the angle which it will be attached between wall and ceiling. The jig dials in that angle and negates the need to figure compound angles. 1/2 of the corner intersecting angle must be figured (45deg + or -) for inside or outside corners. (no wall corner is perfectly square) In the case of fitting crown to inside/outside corners, the stock will be held vertically against the fence.

OR in the case of a vaulted ceiling where both pieces of moulding will intersect in the same plane, the stock will be laid flat with the top (ceiling) edge against the fence. Pieces are mitered at 1/2 the angle of intersection.

Don't use TRIG when you can make Geometry suffice! Even a 10" chopsaw or RAS should handle larger crown (5" crown, about 3-1/2" rise) for a finish cut, if the end is roughly precut. For crown over about 5", yer jus' gonna havta GET A BIGGER SAW!

[David DeCristoforo]

"...I'm sure this is the book..."

Ahh... yes. I've seen that. But if you look at the illustration of the crown molding transition between a wall and slopped ceiling, you can clearly see that a third piece of molding is required. You have already pointed this out. There is no way to do it with one miter!

[Chip Lindley]

David, I was assuming (from Ben's drawing) that the moulding was changing from horizontal to pitched, in the same plane. IF the crown is at an inside corner, and also changing to the pitch of the cathedral ceiling, a "decorative" corner plinth block would best be used.

[David DeCristoforo]

"... I was assuming ..."

I am "wit" you. But as I read the OP's question, he is talking bout an inside corner, transitioning into a vaulted ceiling. Ben's drawing assumes a flat wall with no corner which is a completely different condition. The "problem" is that you have to "turn the corner" before you can "go up the hill" so to speak...