Crown molding, wainscot, mantels and rotted wood put right. The same company that hangs the trim is the one that caulks it, fills it and finishes it.
Most trim jobs pass through two companies. A carpenter installs it and leaves, then months later a painter turns up and inherits whatever gaps, nail holes and joints were left behind. We do both parts, so nobody gets to blame the other trade for the seam you are looking at.
Standard colonial profiles or a built up design with two or more pieces. Paint grade or stain grade.
The full height of a dining room or hallway, capped and returned properly into the corners.
Laid out so the battens land evenly on the wall instead of wherever the math happened to leave them.
New runs, or replacing what is there when it has been painted shut and gouged over thirty years.
Built and fitted to the opening, then finished to match the rest of the room.
Shelving and cabinetry built into an alcove so it reads as part of the house.
Cutting out failed exterior wood, headers, sills and trim, and replacing it before anything gets painted.
Crown is the one people ask about most, so here is the whole thing: what to buy, what size, and the part that decides whether it still looks good in five years.
Crown molding improves the look and the feel of a room. On plaster walls it does something else as well: it covers imperfections in the corners where the ceiling meets the wall, permanently and cost effectively. Those repairs can get expensive on their own.
Here in southeastern PA we generally buy standard crown profiles from a local lumber yard, Lowe's, Home Depot or Tague Lumber. For specialty crown we order from Garden State Lumber and have the material special ordered.
Most crown installed these days is 3 5/8 colonial, run in one piece, with the detail facing down and the flat side to the ceiling. That is what you will see in most homes around here with 8 foot ceilings. Where ceilings are 9 foot or taller, and especially in a two story foyer, 4 5/8 colonial is usually the right call.
Larger Victorian homes often have extra steps in the design. When a carpenter talks about steps, they mean a built up crown: two or more pieces of trim stacked to create a more detailed profile. The more pieces involved, the more intricate and elegant it gets, and the more labor and material the job takes.
We glue the crown to the wall and the ceiling, and inside each of the connecting scarf joints. Wood swells and shrinks with the seasons and the humidity, and when there is a lot of moisture in the air the trim expands and the seams open up. Plenty of glue holds it in place and stops the cracking.
Crown is priced by the lineal foot, with material and labor counted separately. Here is how to get yourself a rough number before anybody comes out, so you have something to weigh estimates against.
A built up profile made of three pieces costs considerably more than a single run of colonial, because it is three times the material and a great deal more cutting. And the install is only part of it: the gap between wall and ceiling has to be caulked, the nail holes filled with putty, and the whole thing painted. Get your number in writing →
On an exterior, paint is often the only thing holding a piece of rotted trim together. We find it during prep, cut it out and replace it. Below is a header on a Bryn Mawr home that looked fine from the driveway.
"They did the crown molding and painted the living room, dining room and upstairs hallway. Great work."
"Very pleased with the painting done in my house. Very professional from beginning to end."
"Rick and his crew are wonderful. Responsive, and they provide daily updates."
"Rick is very responsive and easy to work with, with a hardworking and conscientious crew."
"A painting and molding project, and the quality of their work was excellent."
"Gus and Mike were communicative and professional. They did a great job, and we love the final result. We appreciated the time Rick spent to discuss the scope and give suggestions. Highly recommend!"
Every color below is a town we have actually worked in, sized by how much work we have done there since 2020.
We glue the crown to the wall and to the ceiling, and we glue inside every scarf joint where two pieces meet. Wood expands and contracts with the seasons and the humidity, and a joint that was only nailed will open up the first humid summer. Glue holds it closed.
With 8 foot ceilings, 3 5/8 colonial run in one piece is the standard and it looks right in most homes around here. With 9 foot or taller ceilings, or a two story foyer, step up to 4 5/8. Bigger rooms with taller walls can carry a built up profile made from two or more pieces.
By the lineal foot, for material and labor separately, and the profile drives both. Measure the perimeter of the room, add 20 percent for cut and waste, and that is the number everything gets multiplied against. A built up crown made of three pieces costs considerably more than a single piece of colonial, because it is three times the material and far more cutting. We will measure and put your number in writing.
If they have references and plenty of photos of their own crown work, go ahead. Do not take somebody's word for it. Crown installation is more complicated than it looks, and an installer without real experience is unlikely to leave you something that still looks good in five years. Poor installation and finishing leaves an expensive piece of wood hanging off your ceiling. Ask for the photos before you hire anybody, including us.
Yes, and that is the point of hiring one company for both. The gaps between the wall and the ceiling get caulked, the nail holes get filled with putty, and then it gets painted. Trim that is installed well and finished badly still looks bad.
Usually. Standard profiles we can buy locally. For anything unusual we order specialty material special order, which adds lead time to the schedule but gets the profile right instead of close.
Tell us the rooms and what you are picturing. We will come out, measure the lineal feet, and put the price in writing.
Call and a real person picks up. Tell us what you want built and we will come out and measure.
Sabatini