Installing Built-Up
Crown Molding
with Tucker Windover

Learn to make elegant crown molding by combining profiles into a stacked profile that creates a big impact. This members-only series includes:

Trade secrets from finish carpentry professional, Tucker Windover.
Tips on how to design custom crown with off-the-shelf profiles.
Install techniques that ensure perfectly fit inside and outside corners

* membership required

Browse the entire episode line-up

Built-up Crown for a Big Impact

An impressive crown molding profile, or cornice, is an easy way to add defining character to a room.

	Introduction (Now Playing) Get an overview of the steps involved when taking on a new crown molding installation.
	Creating Mockups Learn the basic elements of design, including how to orient the crown and how to incorporate off the shelf profiles.
	Making the Jigs Jigs save time and increase accuracy when installing crown molding. Learn to use cutting, coping, and marking jigs.
	Coping Inside Corners Learn this time-tested method for coping that is faster and produces better results than simple mitered corners.
	Crown Molding Installation Straight lines and tight joints are the hallmarks of a professional job. Learn professional techniques for a fast and seamless install.

Tucker Windover

Arlington, Massachusettes

Tucker started his association with wood as a furniture builder. Back then, it was all about using only hand tools to get the job done. That was probably an advantage because the little cabin he used as a shop in Vermont lacked any electricity. Eventually he powered up and now runs a finish-carpentry business in the Boston area. He also finds the time to contribute frequently to Fine Homebuilding. When Tucker needs a break, he grabs his fly rod and heads to Maine in search of rising trout.

In this video workshop on installing crown molding, Tucker begins by focusing on design. He shows off a range of crown molding profiles from the simplest -- a single-piece crown that is a common and easy to install -- to more elaborate profiles that combine four or five pieces into one. While we chose to install a more elaborate crown molding profile for this video workshop, the basic principles discussed can be applied to most crown molding installations.

You'll also see how to build and use simple-to-make jigs that not only save time but will increase the accuracy of your work, including a jig for marking the layout on the wall, for cutting the crown at the proper angel, and a jig for holding the piece while coping inside corner joints.

Show Your Work in the Gallery

Have you installed crown or cornice that you are especially proud of? Share your work and see what others are doing in our Readers’ Gallery. Upload pictures and tag them with "Crown molding".

	The Secret to Coping Crown Molding Cut the crown at the same angle as the projection and the cope will fit every time.			Coping Moldings Whether you're working with flat or crown, achieve a professional-looking joint that stays airtight season after season.
	Mastering Complex Crown Molding A five-, six-, or seven-piece cornice adds sumptuous detail and elegance to a formal room.			Paint-Grade Interior Trim Choosing molding that looks good and finishes well takes more thought than it used to.
	Crown-Molding Fundamentals Backing ripped from 2x4s and a well-planned installation scheme take a lot of the guesswork out of this challenging job.			Installing Crown Moldings Careful layout and accurate miters make installing a two-part trim an easier process.
	Crown Molding Around a Cathedral Ceiling Simple instructions to ensure that your molding will still match when it meets the corners of a vaulted ceiling.