Interested to hear whether others prefer a helper (even a free one) or not when running crown.
My Father-in-Law keeps asking if I’d like him to come help hold the other end of boards, but to be honest I might prefer not having the help.
MikeVB
Interested to hear whether others prefer a helper (even a free one) or not when running crown.
My Father-in-Law keeps asking if I’d like him to come help hold the other end of boards, but to be honest I might prefer not having the help.
MikeVB
The "She Build" initiative is empowering women in Seattle, WA by ensuring they have safe, healthy homes.
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
Fine Homebuilding
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
© 2024 Active Interest Media. All rights reserved.
Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox
Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.
Start Your Free TrialStart your subscription today and save up to 70%
SubscribeGet complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.
Already a member? Log in
Replies
My brother helped me when I crowned my father's place. He mostly handed me the nail gun and sometimes held an end of crown up for me. I can hang up to 14' peices myself, but an extra pair of hands does help.
Coming to you from beautiful Richmond, Va.
The third hand by fastcap tools. What does Big Cal say? Fastcap rocks.
Who Dares Wins.
I haven't had a big crown job since I got those babies. I'm not sure I'd use 'em. I made a bent metal "guy" that works good holding the other end. Hook with an oversized hole I hook over a nail or partially driven nail. The third hand probably works well, but damn if it keeled over and dented that finely finished wall..........
I've got so many "guys" in my business now you'd laff your #### off, cuz I can still pack 'em all in a small suitcase. Our Christmas party is a pretty big deal.Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
LOL: all those 'guys' in a suitcase at your company party.
The bar filled up, lucky I didn't forget them under the stool.Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
The free help is ok but how do you get rid of them?
I prefer to run crown on my own (all piece work) and not feel obligated to share with someone who is just helping. This rule of thumb changes in direct proportion to the height of the crown from the floor. At 8'-0" I don't need no friends..... at 14'-0" I'll (!) and wash your truck.
Be Constructive
Gord
St.Margaret's Bay NS
Last time I did crown in my old house, I put a finish nail just under my layout line on the wall about every 2-3 feet. Worked like a charm - my longest piece was 14'. That and some scaffolding to get up the 2' or so - I used some old 4G paint puckets upside down with a 2x8 screwed to them.
Luckily my FIL decided he'd rather go fishing.
So, I used my 6d friends to hold up the long pieces, and zoomed right along.
What do you guys charge for running crown in an existing house where you have to leave the saw out in the yard and work around the furniture?
MikeVB
Couch makes a good miter saw stand
I like your style Mad Dog
Couch makes a good miter saw stand
darn hillbilliy's
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I charge an additional $325 per day. Bear in mind that it's not the furniture you're really worried about. It's the expensive china and antiques sitting around the house.
$325 in addition to what? If you don't mind me asking.
Here's what I've got to go up against down here. I called a guy that I buy materials from at the local lumberyard, because I know that he used to trim out houses (2-3 yrs ago) for a local builder. I asked him what the going rate was for crown around here. He said if he was just doing all the trim in a new house he charged them 65 cents a foot. But, if it was just going back in and doing crown or kind of what I described to him he would "charge them out the ####."
Guess what his definition of "charge them out the ####" was - $10 per cut. Made me wonder if that was why he no longer was in the trim business. If I want my hourly rate to be $40 ain't no way I could charge only $10/cut where the saw stayed outside and I went back and forth unless I was doing a damn closet.
I'm also puttying the holes, caulking the crown, and touching up the paint (basically an entire final coat). For all that, even down here in "Cheapassville" I'm thinking $35-40 per cut (or corner).
That's why cost of living is pretty cheap down here, but the new houses are crap.
MikeVB
I bid the job like it's new construction and I can set the saw up in the middle of the house. Then tack on the 325 when I have to cut outside.
$2/linear ft + $25 per junction for paint grade trim
Thanks, I really like that system.
I'd been thinking about something similar after explaining to my wife that it's not the feet that makes crown difficult, but the corners. However, easing through the house with a long piece of trim and then getting it up w/o breaking that little tip off - that's where the lineal feet importance comes in.
Where in middle Tennessee are you? Nashville?
MikeVB