Installed by professional finish carpenter, Michael Stiller.
[This is part of my How to Install Crown Molding series.]
It’s been a long time since a professional finish carpenter submitted his work to The Joy of Moldings. And what you are looking at here is the work of just such a pro. His name is Michael Stiller, and he’s under the employ of a general contractor who values fine craftsmanship and excellent design.
If you’ve ever read my posts on how I feel about backlit crown molding in residential homes, then you are about to watch me humbly retreat from my previous stance. Because looking at Michael’s finished design has made me a believer that a lighted crown molding can be a beautiful addition to a properly designed great room.
The design aspect in this room that makes a believer out of me is the room’s geometry. Lighted like it is, it reminds me of the facets of a diamond.
My hat’s off to you, Michael and your employer, for showing us what a properly designed, backlit crown molding combined with superb craftsmanship can do for a great room.
-Ken
Hey Ken,
I discovered your blog after my employer mocked up a four-piece crown on a barrel vaulted ceiling, and expressed that it would have a light installed behind it.
I had no clue at the time how I was going to support the upper crown. I feared the crown — without substantial framing — would twist or cup over time as one side of the crown would be heated by the lights and the opposite side would remain cool.
So I went to Google search, looking to see if anyone had worked on such a task, which is how I found your blog.
The spring angle on the crown molding is 45 degrees. I broke up the install by installing the lower half of the crown molding first, to make it structural, so I could use it as a barring for my upper crown.
I installed an LSL ledger (an engineered lumber) because it won’t shrink. The lower crown is screwed to the wall studs and to the ledger and the lower crown.
I made 12″ blocks using LSL and plywood that are glued together with yellow glue. I then Installed the blocks every 32″ on center by glueing the block to the 1″X 6″ and screwing up through the lower crown into the blocking.
When I installed the upper crown, I applied PL premium glue to the entire surface of the plywood blocking.
To make a long story short, after the glue set I could hang off the crown. It was rock solid.
-Michael Stiller, Finish Carpenter
Michael has sent in another wonderful set of pictures that I’ll post later this week. Subscribe to The Joy of Moldings to keep up with new posts.
