# Install Crown Molding Around Obstacles



## BigBadBuford (Jan 13, 2012)

I'm helping my sister install crown molding in a few rooms in her house and I'm not sure how to handle a few areas due to obstacles.

The first is in her kitchen - the pipe for the radiator is in the one corner and will end up either right in or very close to the miter when we add the molding as you can see in the pic. 

The second is in a bedroom, the window casing is too tall to allow the crown molding to fit. They want to just run it on three walls but I don't think it would look right. I thought the crown could be cut around the casing, but not sure if this is the proper way to do it. 

Any suggestions or examples are appreciated.

Thanks!
John


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## Hammer1 (Aug 1, 2010)

The pipe is a difficult situation but the crown can be cut to fit the pipe. Try it with some small scraps and a drill bit the same size as the pipe or slightly larger. You'll have to hold the crown at the spring angle and drill parallel to the flat that fits the wall. A fence on the drill press to position the crown against and using a Forstener bit will help keep the bit from wandering. Go slow. Bottom of the crown would be up on the fence. 

No pic of the window casing. Is it the same as the door casing? Is the top molding on the headcasing separate? It could be removed or cut back so it doesn't interfere with the crown, then the crown could go right over the casing, mitered back at the ends to the wall.


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## Sawdustguy (Dec 30, 2008)

On the bedroom window, I would remove the head casing and install the crown then rip the head casing to fit under the crown. Or you could fit the crown then draw out the casing on the crown and cut away the crown so it meets the head casing as it would normally meet the wall and see what looks the best. I would use a piece of crown to make a test of notching the crown around the head casing for the appearance test.


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## cabinetman (Jul 5, 2007)

For the pipe, I would take measurements for the diameter, and where the edges fall from the back and right wall. Then, make a mock up of the corner crown using the left side straight in, and the right side coped.

Then set up the two pieces and locate where the center of the pipe will pass through from top down. Make a mark on the back side. Set up on the drill press with a jig to hold the left piece rigid as it would stand on the wall, and use a Forstner and drill the hole.


















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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

If you have enough room, make a chase and wrap the chase with the ceiling molding.


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## shopman (Feb 14, 2013)

Had this same scenario on a job last month. I made two test samples to see what looked best. The first was a 90 degree box that created an outside corner around the pipe for you to crown around. The idea I liked best and the one they went for was I made a 45 degree board and cut it as short as possible to get it close to the pie. I then still had an inside corner for my crown but it was on a 45. I am not fond of cutting the crown around the pipe. It looks too unfinished. Even though the 45 degree corner comes out a little more, at a quick glance you will not really notice it that much. You will have to fill in on the bottom around the pipe with some wood or continue that 45 degree wood/drywall all the way down to the floor and paint that part the wall color. This will get rid of the pipe all together and make a cleaner corner. Sorry I dont have pics yet of the one I did.

For the window. I would probably go over or remove the existing head and put a 5/4 head across the widow and then crown around it letting the crown step out off the wall over the new head and back into the wall. I have done this before too with nice results although with out a pic of your situation I am just guessing here.

I have been a trim carpenter for many years and always go by " if you cant hide it flaunt it" In both your cases I think you may need this approach. Good luck and let us know how you work it out.

-John

PS- just saw your pic again. You cant continue the 45 down the whole pipe because it will cover your casing, but i still think the 45 degree crown molding is the answer up top. -JD


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## BigBadBuford (Jan 13, 2012)

Thanks for the suggestions. I like the idea for the 45 around the pipe.. I'll have to ask them to buy some extra so we can try to mock it up and see how they like it. Right now they only have enough trim to give me less than a foot extra.. Guess they must think I don't make mistakes.. Lol. If they don't like it we can try cutting it around the pipe, but I'll probably have to make some drilling jig since they don't have a drill press at their house.

I'll try to get some pics of the window situation, they brought it up after we had left so I don't have a pic at this point.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

I would box in the pipe. Not try to fit crown around it. 

Make as small a box as practicable and then fit the crown to the box. I think in the real world you are going to have untold problems trying to fit the crown to the pipe.

For the window, I would try to cut the crown to fit above the casing. Without knowing the size of each this may or may not be feasible.


George


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## BigBadBuford (Jan 13, 2012)

Here is a picture of the window casing. After seeing the pic we will probably be pretty close with the door trim too.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Ye gods....*

Nothing is the same height! :no:
It will only look worse with crown in my opinion, since it will accentuate the differences, with a smaller gap in between.

To me there is way too many things going in in that small of a space. Anything you can to to raise the lowest one OR lower the higher ones will help. Painting everything white will help make the issue go away.


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## shopman (Feb 14, 2013)

*crown*

You could remove all the heads and rip them down some but they will never be the same height. If you do that go with a smaller 3 1/2" crown to leave you some room between the casing head and bottom of crown. Do you really need crown in that room?


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

woodnthings said:


> Nothing is the same height! :no:
> It will only look worse with crown in my opinion, since it will accentuate the differences, with a smaller gap in between.
> 
> To me there is way too many things going in in that small of a space. Anything you can to to raise the lowest one OR lower the higher ones will help. Painting everything white will help make the issue go away.


Agree. It is too busy and chopped up now. Adding more crown would just make it worse.

G


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## shopman (Feb 14, 2013)

*picture*

Promised a picture of what i did at a job. Want to post it in this thread for future readers.


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## RepairmanJack (Aug 4, 2013)

I've seen folks put a small box (same height as the mounted crown) around the pipes. In my crown, I put a narrow 3/4" strip below, which with a box, might hide it further.


That all looks like original 1900-1930s trim, but there's something "off" about that photo. I'd agree that you shouldn't crown when your window molding is that close to the ceiling. An option might be using a very narrow cove molding (like 1.5") so that you've got something, but it doesn't hit.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

shopman said:


> Promised a picture of what i did at a job. Want to post it in this thread for future readers.


That looks like a goof solution to me.

George


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## TimPa (Jan 27, 2010)

nicely done. i wasn't for the box idea initially, but it is acceptable.


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