I’ve noticed while staying in some hotels recently that the molding joinery is almost always miters, while this is understandable on the 3+ piece buildups I’ll see at the Four Seasons, Plaza, Ritz, etc.. I’m wondering why I see this extending even to single piece crowns within suites? The only commercial venue I seem to see the occasional coped joint in is law firms conference rooms, otherwise in most every office buildout the spec is miter. Outside of you guys doing high end residential work does anyone use the coped joint anymore? I always prefer to do it regardless of the forum but maybe that’s just a quirk of mine, outside of the high end residential field it is seems exceedingly uncommon.
One other strange note, been noticing crown set about 1cm to 1inch down from the ceiling recently, never been asked for this application. Is it any issue of aesthetics or is there some practical purpose?
-Ray
Replies
It's all about the coin. Crowns are mitered because any idiot can miter. Coping requires more skill and time. Also on those jobs the moulding arrives prefinished. Coping has a tendancy to splinter or at the very least damage the finish. Mitering is less likely to mar the finish.
Crown is also pulled away from ther ceiling so the installer does not have to deal with the possibility of a lousey sheetrocking or taping job. Also in the future wires (tel, CATV) can be hidden there.
Most people staying in hotels spend very little of their time in the rooms and when they do they are not examining this type of trim. LOL!
BTW, work must be very good if you are spending time at the 4 seasons, Plaza and the Ritz.
F.
I checked it out, no wiring above the mold(I actually stood on the chair to check...bah), I figured it might be because of ceiling irregularity but that shouldn't be the case as much on a likely metal studded ceiling in a 40story cement building the way it is in a truss/joist built wooden home. Haven't stayed at the Plaza recently(just dinner)..but the other places are the rewards of a 2income household with no children, business is on and off compared to last year suprisingly. I know if I was working on a bid for a property of that caliber I'd assume coping was required and that's what suprised me, if I'm in a Denny's with a crown butting onto a tile drop ceiling I'm less suprised at mitered corners(yes they have Denny's with that scheme...suprisingly the crown isn't as bad with tile as I'd have thought).
-Ray
the only time I don't cope is prefinished trim material ... ie ... cab stock.
and even then ... sometimes I do ...
ok ... paint grade ... inside a closet ... then I'll miter ... sometimes.
Jeff
Buck Construction, llc Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
I cope everything but small moldings on glass doors. Usually it's a 3/8x3/8" cove, these can be coped too if neccesary. I have noticed that most carpenters in my area do not cope at all. Even mitered returns on window aprons are not even mitered with returns. They cut a 15 degree angle on the ends and leave it that way. it sort of gives the appearance of a mitered return. Most guys I believe know the correct way, but speed is more important than quality to them.
mike
We cope everything cause I always thought it was easier to get a fit. Now I'm hearing that mitering is? Dang, the guys are gonna be pizzed. Don't worry, we can fix that later!
How often do I cope my joints? I try to do it only once.
Seriously, though, I prefer coping precisely because I can't do a miter very well (nothing square in my house, and I don't have real precision tools -- or hands). It would take me three times as long (and a lot of wasted stock) to get a nice looking miter as it does to get a coped joint to look nice.
let's see,
cut mitre on first piece of crown.
nail in place.
wow, piece of cake.
cut mitre on second piece.
climb ladder, all is well.
nail second piece in place.
son ofa b..... now what ?
i don't see how mitres on inside corners of crown could possibly be quicker than coping. especially if you are coping with a 4" grinder.
carpenter in transition
I nearly always cope because the fit is superior and it stays tight more reliably. I am guessing that the crown that you see installed with a gap at the top is intended as a sort of modern picture molding. It would be handy for changing decors in hotel rooms. in regard to the cope versus miter question the main problem with mitered joints is that they are hard to get a nice fit to begin with (when you nail the pieces the nailing pulls them tighter to the corners than your trial fitting and leaves a gap) and then they tend to open up with the expansion of the wider moldings (like crown) much more than coped joints will. A well coped joint can take the stress of the maids vacuum banging against the base and the weather expanding (or shrinking) the wood with much less degradation of the fit.
Can't resist because no one else picked up on it.
I usually just twist the ends and then light it.
That's how I cope.
Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har!
F.
I was going to say "once a day whether I need it or not" but thought it a little crude. Then you came along and lowered the bar for me.
I never lower the bar. I just step/ stagger right up to it!
Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har! Har!
F