Crown Moulding Attachment Details
Methods for mounting crown moulding on frameless and face-frame cabinets (with clear, useful drawings). April 13, 2010
Question
How does one hang euro cabinets and attach crown around the top?
Forum Responses
(Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum)
From contributor W:
Build a little L-shaped piece to go across the entire cabinet and attach your crown to the front of the L. Screw the L to the top of the cabinet box.
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From contributor M:
You can also get crown molding designed to go on frameless cabinets. You just nail or screw from the top. Or do what contributor W is suggesting.
From contributor A:
I finally remembered why I hate euro cabs... No place to nail the crown.
From contributor S:
I always block for crown. Even on face frame. If not, you have a different reveal on your upper and lower rails. Personal preference. With blocking, you never have to worry about notching face frames or adding funny little fillers, skins or not.
From contributor B:
I run my cabinet sides tall, say 64mm, and then attach a vertical finished piece to the ears and attach the crown to that. Only one piece plus the crown to cut, as opposed to the L-shaped part, which has three plus the crown. My vertical backer has a shaped detail on the bottom, so doesn't create a reveal issue with the doors.
From contributor P:
As contributor W explained up above, with this detail.
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From contributor B:
I do mine the same as contributors W and P explained. Works great.
From contributor Y:
I do mine the same as contributor B, but like the idea of the L-shaped piece going across the entire cabinet or the special crown milled to be attached to the top of the cabinets. How do you guys attach these things when the cabinet is in place up near the ceiling? How are you able to screw down from the top and how do you account for variations in ceiling height?
From the original questioner:
That's a good question. How do you mount the piece from the top if the cabinets are hung?
From contributor H:
I attach it with a screw from inside the cabinet. I countersink with a
Fastcap drill and cover screw with a pre-finished maple
Fastcap which matches cabinet interior.
From contributor K:
We use a 3/4 x 3 edgebanded ply backer set out from the cabinet at door depth, then attach 4" crown to this. The 3/4 backer leaves an 1/8 reveal across the top of the doors and the crown adjusts to the ceiling height. On paint grade jobs we like to use 1" MDF because it gives a little more meat to nail to.
From contributor D:
At oaktrim.com we have developed a line of top mount and matching face mount crown mouldings to meet this need. Where a top mount crown is put on staggered upper cabinets, a matching crown would be nice on, say, a pantry unit that goes right to the ceiling. However, it is often hard to find a face mount crown to match the top mounts used on the staggered uppers.
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Here is the matching face mount crown. In addition to this Shaker style, we also have Colonial, and Colonial with dentil. We have two sizes of each.
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AI enhanced answer (added Jan 21, 2025):For
frameless cabinets, mounting crown molding involves:
1.
Direct Attachment: Use a nail gun or screws to attach the molding directly to the cabinet top. Pre-drilling might be necessary to avoid splitting the wood.
2.
Cleats: Install small wooden cleats on the top of the cabinet. These cleats provide a nailing surface for the molding, ensuring a secure hold without penetrating the cabinet's interior.
3.
Adhesive: Apply construction adhesive to the back of the molding for additional support, especially useful for heavier moldings.
For **face-frame cabinets**:
1.
Nailing into the Frame: The face frame provides a solid nailing surface. Use finishing nails or a brad nailer to attach the molding directly to the frame.
2.
Angle Blocks: Cut small blocks at the same angle as the crown molding and attach them to the cabinet top. These blocks allow for nailing at the correct angle, ensuring the molding sits flush against the wall and cabinet.
3.
Combination Method: Often, a combination of nails into the frame and adhesive is used for extra security, especially at corners or where the molding meets the wall.
Both methods require precise cutting of the molding to fit the angles of the cabinet corners, typically using a compound miter saw for compound angles. Remember to fill nail holes with wood putty and sand smooth for a seamless finish.
