Crown moulding coping or mitering?

Question

Putting up crown moulding for the first time at my parents house. What method do you prefer and why?

Account Closed · Answer

Cope. It makes the joint pull tight when you nail it.  That applies to wood moulding. If you use MDF (which you shouldn't) you'll have to miter.

Account Closed · Answer

@Ruben Prieto  Its a personal preference and I just don't like using it. It doesn't cope well,  it doesn't take nails well and it's floppy.  I also don't like the look of it; to my eye it always looks fake (like vinyl siding or laminate flooring).

Joshua Y. · Answer

Thank you for all the advice, I will be coping!

Roy N. · Answer

If your hand is steady, you can also use a jigsaw with  fine tooth blade

Tim Bishop · Answer

Coping, and its really not that time consuming if you cut a 45 first to get the profile.  If you use mdf I've found that you can cope it with a dremel router bit.

Marc M. · Answer

+1 for coping.  It takes much longer and much more practice but in the end, it'll be worth the extra effort.  I've installed thousands of feet of crown and have done it both ways but the coped joints always seem to look better over the long run.  If you're painting them, run a bead of *good quality* caulk across the joint too.  Good quality because the cheap stuff hardens and cracks over time with the expansion and contraction of the wood.

Ruben Prieto · Answer

Why not mdf Art?

If its away from water, wouldnt it not be a problem?

Crown moulding coping or mitering?

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