Crown molding is adds a charm to a house as well as value. Trimroc molding is, according to experts, the best to use in a do it yourself project. It cuts easily and smoothly and goes up in a flash and, believe it or not, can be finished in a weekend.

In preparation of your crown molding project, measure the room at least two weeks in advance.

First off, you will want to lay out and cut the molding. Focus on making the crown molding look parallel with neighboring trim, starting at an inside corner and working to outside corners. Some walls may not be level so allow you eye, instead of a level to guide your positioning. Hold a strip of the molding above a door or window and adjust it until it looks even. You may want to get someone to stand back and give you their opinion. Next, draw a line with a pencil to mark the positioning that you will be installing the materials.
Place the material in a miter box upside down and brace it against the bottom and side of the box in order to cut it. Use a handsaw and cut the molding at a 45 degree angle. Note: on an outside corner, the bottom part will be shorter and on an inside corner the top part will be shorter.

Now be sure there is a tight fit by using a sanding block or rasp to shave the cut and create room for the corners to come together tightly.

Now you are ready to install the molding. Joint compound will make the molding adhere to the wall. Note: too much of the compound will cause the material to slide down the wall. As the compound is drying, support long runs of molding with nails (8d). Then, using a putty knife, you will spread a ½ inch bead along the length of the molding both on top and on bottom with liberal amounts on either end of the cut.
The two mitered ends should be pushed together creating the inside corner. Be sure their faces align in the corner. Use mud to fill small gaps.

On an outside corner, press the mitered ends together until mud squeezes out of the joint and backfill gaps using your finger or a putty knife.

Use 8d nails under the molding every few feet and at the joints to hold the material in place, making sure you angle the nails upward. Create butt joints by pushing straight cut ends.

Note: Cleanup will be easier if you clear away excess joint compound while it’s still wet.

Using your finger, smooth out any seams. Now a wet sponge or cloth will wipe away the residual compound and clean up the molding.

Using a putty knife, pulling over each detail, push more compound into and over butt joints. Any excess can be sanded away.

After sanding to smooth out all the rough edges and compound has dried completely, use 150 grit sandpaper to smooth the area. Now you will want to mask the walls with tape and use an angled brush to paint the molding to match the doors and windows of your home.

Basement, bathroom and kitchen remodeling, have become popular projects during the winter, as home owners continue to work on beautifying their home and improving their investment.

Below are five great projects and tips that any homeowner can accomplish during the winter months:

1. Roofing & Shingles:

Before it gets too cold, start by taking a look at your roof and gutters. Missing shingles could have cracks that will allow water in, and as water freezes, it expands making the crack bigger – which will eventually lead to leaks. Either replace the missing or broken shingles or hire a contractor to make the necessary repairs. Water coming in through the roof or side of the house is a lot cheaper if you catch it early.

2. Frozen pipes:

Insulation and flowing water are your two best defenses against pipes freezing.  If you have water lines running through a crawl space in the ceiling or running in the basement.  Make sure these lines are insulated or near some kind of heat source to keep them from freezing.  Water is the enemy of any home; and a broken line could release gallons of water before anyone realizes the line has broken.  Take the time to careful inspect and learn where all your water lines and shut off valves are.

3. Furnace tuning and inspection:
Most people don’t know anything about their forced air furnaces.  It’s best to leave this part of the job up to a professional.  Have someone come out and inspect and tune the furnace you plan to use all winter.  The small amount of money on the front end could save you hundreds in additional electrical costs over the winter, or it might just save your home if something is on the verge of being faulty.  A proper inspection will eliminate a lot of the cost and risk of the furnaces – especially if you’re using an older model.

4. Winter Remodeling:

Now that the house isn’t going to be flooded with water or burn down.  Turn your sights to some of those interior projects you couldn’t do because the summer months constantly had you on the go.  Take a look at that bathroom, basement, kitchen, or even the bedroom.  Get creative!  If there is something you’ve always wanted to do or improve – take a good look at it, set aside the time and the money, a start chipping away as the winter months drag on.

Try to have fun while you’re doing it, that’s why we call them projects and not jobs.  Jobs aren’t fun, projects usually are!

5. The Holiday Spirit:
With winter comes the holidays.  Pull out those annual boxes you keep stored away and have fun decorating the house.  Don’t go crazy though; there’s a fine line between decorating and clutter.  If you find that you have to push three santas and six stockings off to the side so that a guest can sit on your sofa, you probably went too far.

Get in the holiday spirit!  Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are all occasions where we tend to treat each other a little nicer, and we all wish it lasted year round.  Avoid using the credit card for your projects if possible.  These are too easy to use and go overboard.  Why put five thousand dollars on your credit card, but only add two thousand in equity to the house.  So be careful with those things.

To ensure that you will achieve the desired effect for your rooms, it is important that you first understand the four basic types of home lighting.

1. Ambient or general lighting - illuminates the whole room. You probably notice it from recessed and track lighting. Certain wall sconces are yet another example. I recommend that you install a dimmer with your track and recessed lights so that you have the added flexibility in adjusting the brightness.

2. Task lighting - provides sufficient light to help you perform the task at hand, e.g., reading, cooking, shaving, etc. Task lighting should be glare free. And it should make things easy to see without tiring or straining your eyes.

3. Accent lighting - is focused lighting that is used to illuminate a sculpture, piece of art, or architectural element in a room. Accent lighting is about three times as bright as ambient lighting.

4. Natural lighting - comes through windows, doors, and skylights. Depending on the time of day, season, or weather, it can vary in brightness and intensity.

As with all of your decorating efforts, do a little planning before you rush out and purchase your home lighting fixtures. Think carefully about the activities that will occur in each area of the room.

Don’t be afraid to use multiple types of interior lighting in a room. In fact this is highly desirable and will create very dramatic effects.

Living Rooms

* Place a lamp behind every reader’s shoulder…about 42 inches above the floor. Click on this link for ideas on re-energizing outdated Table Lamps.
* Highlight a framed piece of art with halogen track lighting or by attaching a picture light
* Use accent lights to illuminate book or display shelves.
* Install recessed lighting as your general lighting or to bring out beautiful wall textures (use a dimmer)
* Slim strip lights come in just about any length and can stick to the edge of shelves or ledges to highlight displays or provide a soft wash to a wall

Kitchens

* A grid of recessed ceiling cans will provide great general lighting
* Install individual recessed down-lights as task lighting for the sink and range
* Place halogen pendant lights over bars and counters
* Under-cabinet lights make excellent task lighting

Dining Rooms

* A chandelier over the dining room table creates a beautiful setting (use a dimmer)
* Highlight a framed piece of art with halogen track lighting or by attaching a picture light
* Install halogen strip lighting your china cabinet to highlight china or collectibles
* If a chandelier is not your taste and you have a long table, try a trio of pendant lights

Bedrooms

* Place table lamps on your bedside tables. (For children’s rooms, avoid halogen lamps which can get very hot.)
* Wall sconces can provide good general lighting without being too bright
* If there is not much space, consider recessed lights or pendant lights
* Don’t forget candlelight if a romantic setting is what you have in mind

Bathrooms

* Use shadow-free fluorescent or incandescent lights around mirrors for grooming
* To avoid heavy shadows, place mirror lights on the side rather than directly overhead
* Don’t forget to install a nightlight

HOME DECORATING MADE EASY

You don’t need a slide rule, an eagle eye, or a compound mitersaw to make dead-on cuts in crown molding. Using this intuitive technique, anyone can cut crown molding easily and accurately.

This video makes that difficult task of cutting crown molding, so much easier.

Frank Fekonia built his own three level home with a million dollar view for very little money and a lot of concrete. This is an excellent video on how far a little money, a lot of elbow grease, and a solid imagination can take you.

Here are some photos of modern homes. Ranging from the Living Room, Home itself, Stairs, Kitchen, and Breakfast Area/Work Space.

Minimalist Stairs - Modern

Living Room Accented by Curved Glass Wall - Beautiful

Second Story Work Space with Corkscrew Stairs and Breakfast Area

See below for more modern home photos.