Skip to content 
Usually, over time, certain parts of the house require renovations and refurbishments. Faucets and pipes need to be replaced, and walls and crown moldings need to be painted. If the crown molding is painted properly and accurately, it can add unparalleled beauty to the room’s atmosphere. Most people turn to specialists and Residential painters to paint crown moldings because they consider it difficult and fear ruining the final result. However, if you set aside your fear and want to do this task yourself, in this article, we are going to explain step by step how to paint crown molding.
In this article, you will read about:
- Tools needed for painting crown molding
- Step one – Preparing the crown molding
- Step two – Painting the crown molding
The necessary tools for painting crown molding
painter’s tape, putty, paint, sandpaper, paint tray, and angled brush. It’s better to use semi-gloss paints for this task and consider it a few shades darker than the floor color. Obtain sandpaper with at least three grit levels and have at least two five-centimeter angled brushes on hand.
As you can see, for painting crown molding, we need simple and handy tools. More important than the tools is the ability to work with them. In the following of the article, we will guide you step by step on how to paint crown molding.
Step one – Preparing the crown molding
Take a damp sponge and thoroughly clean any dust, dirt, and debris on the crown molding, ensuring you have a completely clean surface.
In the next step, sand the surface of the crown molding using sandpaper. It’s better to start with rougher sandpaper and gradually switch to finer sandpaper until the surface of the moldings is completely smooth and polished.
Now, proceed to the holes and grooves; take some putty and use a putty knife to fill in the grooves and holes on the surface of the crown molding. Allow it to dry for a while, and then sand the putty with fine sandpaper until it is smooth and uniform. Finally, wipe away any remaining dust and debris with a clean cloth.
Continuing the steps of painting the crown molding, you should remove the painter’s tape and separate the molding from the wall and floor. If the wall and floor surfaces are free from dust and dirt, the tape will adhere better and more easily. Open the tape approximately every ten centimeters and gently apply it along the edge of the work, continuing this process until you reach the end of the molding. Be careful not to cover the tape over the actual molding itself. It’s better if the tape is in one continuous piece; if the painter’s tape is cut into small pieces and stuck together in small areas, there is a higher chance of paint bleeding. After fully applying the tape, you should take a putty knife or cutter and gently press down on the edges of the tape to ensure it adheres completely to the work.
Step two – Painting the crown molding
Continuing with the tutorial on painting crown molding, we now move to the preparation stage for the paint. First, prepare an appropriate amount of primer and pour it into a paint tray. To paint the crown molding, use an angled brush and apply the primer gently onto the molding. Ensure that the primer covers all the puttied surfaces well. Allow the primer to dry overnight. The next day, inspect the work, and if there are any visible patches on the crown molding, apply another coat of primer to cover them. Gently sand the surface of the molding with fine sandpaper to smooth out any primer drips or brush marks.
Now it’s time to paint the crown molding. Mix the paint with the appropriate thinner and pour it into a paint tray. Dip the angled brush into the paint in a way that only one to two centimeters of the brush are immersed in the paint. Begin painting the moldings with short, horizontal strokes. Paint a small section at a time, ensuring even coverage.
Before dipping the angled brush back into the paint, run it across the entire section you’ve just painted with one stroke. Repeat this step if necessary. By doing this, the paint on the molding will become even. If the width of the molding is substantial, you may need to do this process in several parallel stages. However, if you adjust the width of the brush appropriately to the molding, you can accomplish this task in one stage.
Repeat the painting process and continue until you have painted the entire crown molding. In the final step, carefully remove the painter’s tape from the wall and floor, making sure to do this before the paint dries completely.
In this section, we draw your attention to the ‘The Best Crown Molding Color for White Walls‘ and the key points to consider, as quoted from the Top Painters website:
“A few important points for choosing the best color for white crown moldings:
If you are among those who believe that choosing the color of crown moldings doesn’t have much impact on the interior decoration of your home, it’s better to know that you are mistaken. Crown molding is one of those elements that directly affects the appearance and interior decoration of your home. So, when you want to choose crown moldings for your home, you should consider various criteria. Although crown molding is considered a small change in home decor, this small change brings about a significant transformation in the interior decoration of the home.
If the wall color of your home is white and you intend to choose crown molding with a suitable color for it to change the atmosphere of your home, in order to create a new space that leads to a more beautiful and natural appearance of your living space, you should consider the following points during the selection.”