Foyer Progress (Plus, My Newly Discovered Secret For Perfecting Imperfect Trim)

With that mentioned, right here’s the progress. I’ve the entire image body molding and the crown molding put in within the lobby. I didn’t take away any of the crown molding that was already there, even on this space the place the crown molding stopped in need of the nook the place it had as soon as wrapped across the built-in cupboard that was right here. As soon as it’s all sanded clean and painted, that joint gained’t be noticeable.

I’m actually happy with how this image body molding turned out, and I’m very glad I made a decision to go along with one rectangle on every wall no matter how extensive the wall is.

I believe if I had tried to interrupt up these wider areas into smaller rectangles, it will have seemed too busy. I’m aiming for colourful however calm, not busy.

And, after all, it all the time has to undergo this stage the place it seems to be just like the molding has hen pox with the entire nail holes full of wooden filler.

Lots of people use caulk for the nail holes, and that’s a superbly superb choice. It’s additionally a lot quicker and simpler. The explanation I do wooden filler as a substitute is as a result of I discover that caulk shrinks a little bit bit because it dries and leaves barely detectable divots the place every nail is. I like that I’ve extra management over wooden filler as a result of, whereas it shrinks additionally, I can construct it up a bit to account for the shrinkage after which sand it completely clean.

I might kick myself for not taking an image of it earlier than attempting to restore it, however you’ll be able to see right here that I began off attempting to fill it with wooden filler. It was a large number.

The opposite drawback I had was with the chair rail on the proper of the doorway into the walk-in closet. Once more, I forgot to take an image of the earlier than, so I attempted to recreate what I used to be working with utilizing these scraps. The explanation it didn’t come collectively is as a result of that door jamb is clearly not sq., so my items that had been reduce at good 45-degree angles didn’t meet. And this one was dangerous, however I used to be nonetheless assured that I might disguise it someway. It seemed one thing like this…

In order I used to be attempting to repair the crown molding with wooden filler, I believed to myself, “I simply want I had one thing that was much less moist and extra moldable.” After which it dawned on me. I DO! I simply made a chandelier out of a product similar to that! Air dry clay match the invoice! I wasn’t certain that it will work, however I made a decision to provide it a attempt. I pushed it into the crack after which molding it as a lot as I might with moist fingers, however I wasn’t attempting to make it look good at this level as a result of air dry clay sands fantastically. Right here’s what it seemed like after I left it to dry in a single day.

Right here’s one other look. You’ll be able to see that it’s undoubtedly not good. Similar to I do with wooden filler, I needed to construct it up a bit to permit for shrinkage because it dried.

After which this morning, I sanded the dried air dry clay. Simply take a look at this!

Y’all!!! I can’t even imagine how good that turned out!! Air dry clay is my new secret weapon for near-perfect trim. Oh, I so want I had taken an image of this earlier than I crammed it in. You’d be much more amazed. You’ll simply should belief me after I say that the hole on the trim on the very furthest level from the wall was possibly as huge as 1/4-inch, however definitely no smaller than 3/16-inch.

So I dug out the wooden filler that I had used to attempt to restore the crown molding, and I changed it with air dry clay as effectively. This one was a lot deeper than the one on the chair rail, in order I began sanding it this morning, I spotted that it’s not fully dry but. It’ll want one other day earlier than I can sand it completely clean, so it’s nonetheless wanting a bit tough. However as soon as it’s fully dry and sanded clean, you’ll by no means know that there was a giant 5-inch-long, 1/2-inch deep chunk of trim ripped off of this crown molding.