Foam crown molding is simple to install and looks just like wood molding! Learn everything you need to know about installing foam crown molding from someone who tried it.
- Foam molding is a great option for people who are uncomfortable with using power tools. You could install molding in an entire house with only a hand saw.
- The molding comes unpainted. Start with one coat of primer, then two coats of semi-gloss latex paint. I used an angled brush, but if you have a paint sprayer, it would work well for this job.
- Because it’s foam, the molding is very lightweight, so installation is easier. Even my kids could lift an entire 8 foot section of molding above their heads.
- Once it’s installed, foam crown molding looks just like traditional wood molding. I seriously can’t tell a difference.
- You do have to be careful not to dent the foam during cutting and installing. It’s soft, so if you push too hard on it or press tools into it, it will leave indentations. It’s not a big deal… just something to be aware of.
- If the thought of cutting angles scares you, you can purchase pre-made inside and outside corners! No mitered cuts needed… just install the corners, then caulk all of the seams. Talk about simple! The pre-made corners are available HERE.
Comments & Reviews
It looks beautiful,what kind of paint did you use to paint the crown molding?
regular latex interior paint
How did you get the caulk to look good without taping? I’m having a heck of time finding a good tutorial that doesn’t involve the extra work of taping first.
I taped. It’s the only way to get a crisp line on colored walls.
Just use a wet rag if you are not good at caulking. Use siliconized acrylic latex caulk.
Finally, I dont have so much tools, and have a double wide house. Can we put crown molding in the bathroom and kitchen cabinet? Scare the glue off from moisture, steam and heat. Thx you for advise.
Yes! Foam crown molding works really well in bathrooms and kitchens!
What color paint do you have on your walls? I love how fresh it looks!
It is Sherwin-Williams Rainwashed and it is such a gorgeous color! We painted about three years ago and I have loved it every day since!
You did a fantastic job it looks great. First time I Have heard of foam molding. Did you have to order specially from the manufacturer? I guess places like Home Depot or Lowe’s don’t carry such animal. I am impress even thou you standing on the couch arm, I am kidding. Good job.
They don’t sell it at home improvement stores, so yes, you’ll need to order it from the manufacturer.
Your rooms look fantastic! Did you purchase the inside and outside corner pieces or did you cut the foam for those locations? Trying to decide which would be easier.
We didn’t purchase the inside and outside corner pieces because my husband is pretty good at figuring out angles. It would definitely be easier to buy the corner pieces though!
I love it from top to bottom. Thank you for helping people like me who want the look but have no idea where to start. It looks so comfortable and inviting. And should you choose to sell someday it’s a nice touch.
Thanks so much Amy!
It looks fabulous, especially above the kitchen cabinets. Does this company make a similar product for chair rail?
Thanks
I wouldn’t recommend using foam molding down low at chair rail height. It would dent too easily! It works perfectly up high where it never gets touched, but baseboards and chair rails would not work well I’m afraid.
That’s a great idea foam crown molding. I am doing some remodeling and was thinking of doing molding. I will definitely try the foam. Thanks for sharing! And also love the paint color.
This is awesome and looks so refined. I am definitely going to do this. I had never heard of foam crown molding until this and what a game changer!
Do you have to caulk the edge that makes contact on the wall??
Yes, you need to caulk both edges. It seems like a pain, but it looks so much better that way. And it looks best if you do this method: https://www.thecraftpatchblog.com/the-trick-to-perfect-crisp-caulk-lines/
WOW who knew! I will keep this in mind. It looks great and seems easy.
I just found your post and wanted to say thanks for the before and after pictures. I was searching for an easy way to do crown molding and found this. I am all for giving this a try. I love being able to do home improvements myself rather than hiring a handyman all the time. Thanks again.
Can this work on crown moulding on kitchen cabinets?
Yes it can! In fact, we used it in our kitchen. Our cabinets go all the way to the ceiling, so we just continued the crown molding from the rest of the room above the cabinets. Here’s the post about our kitchen: https://www.thecraftpatchblog.com/whitekitchenmakeover/
I am trying to hide cable wires behind crown molding. Is there room behind this product to hide wires and connection splitters? The ease of this product looks amazing
Look at the picture I show of a side view of the molding. It’s basically a 90 degree angle on the back, so there’s not really room for wires.
HOME DEPOT DOES CARRY THE FOAM CROWN MOLDING—JUST NOT IN THE STORE BUT EASY TO ORDER FROM THEIR WEBSITE—I ORDERED 1 PIECE AS A SAMPLE TO BE SURE OF THE FIT—FREE SHIPPING WHEN YOU ORDER THE LARGER QUANTITIES—MY 1ST ROOM IS 14X20 AND IT SHOULD TAKE 12 PIECES AT 6 1/2 FT LENGTHS AND ONLY A MATERIAL COST OF ABOUT $70 WITH TAX
Can the foam crown molding be stained?
Nope… only painted.
Are the seams visible? Did you caulk the seams after install to hide them better?
You do have to caulk the seams and if you do a good job lining things up, they’re pretty much invisible after that.
Can you stain this styrofoam? I woudl like it to match what I have which is a fruitwood colored. Thanks.
No, the styrofoam must be painted.
How tall are you ceilings? 8 foot or 9 foot? Why did you go with 4.5 inch crown instead of something larger or smaller. Thank you
We have 8 foot ceilings. We chose the molding thickness because we needed them to cover the damage caused from pulling off the old molding.
What is the website you ordered these from?
https://foamcrownmolding.com/
Looks great! Do you think you would be able to put painter’s tape on this product if you wanted to repaint the walls a different color in the future?
Yes, you can put painter’s tape on the molding.
Wow,It looks very nice
Hey I know this post is older… I just wanted to know how they were holding up and how easy they are to clean?
They’re great! They still look amazing. The only issue we’ve run in to is that they dent if you accidentally whack something into them. Since they’re up so high it hasn’t been a problem.
Did you build the boxes out of mdf all the way to the ceiling, then or just to end of foam?
All the way to the ceiling. There needs to be something behind the foam so you have something to attach it to.
This is a great article. My husband is a contractor and the foam is the only crown he uses in our house and where he works. We love it! Thanks for writing about it so well.
Hi, love the moulding! We used this for the first time and as a first go I’m really pleased with it. Can I ask how you get around joining two ends together? Being foam we were very cautious when it came to sanding but in a couple of places we have a ridge where they meet. Any advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
We ran in to the same problem. With traditional molding, you cut the boards at an angle so they slide together for a better seam. I just tried to sand and caulk out the worst of the ridge, but you can definitely see some joint lines in our home. I’m hoping to add more of this molding to our bedroom in 2023, so maybe I’ll come up with a better method then.
Is foam molding typically less costly than traditional wood molding?