The molding in your home not only adds beauty, it also helps protect your walls. Molding can suffer damage over time. If you slam the door open a few too many times, it may damage your molding. So, how can you repair the damaged or scratched molding?
First, you will need to assess the damage, clean the area, apply wood putty and sand it to smooth repair the scratched molding. In the process of repairing scratched molding, you may also require using epoxy filler and custom millwork to achieve a seamless appearance.
Further, you will know more about repairing the damaged and scratched molding. You will also discover the installation and cutting of molding with easy steps. So, keep reading.
Steps to Repair Scratched Molding
Follow the given steps to repair scratched molding.
Assess the Damage
Assessing the damage is the first step toward determining what supplies you will need and how to proceed. A little wood putty can repair small scratches, dings, and cracks.
In deeper gouges or broken corners, the epoxy filler is better for larger areas with more extensive damage. You should use the stainable wood filler if you need to repair stained wood.
Clean the Area & Apply Wood Putty
Ensure that any grease and dirt are removed from the repair area. Keep your walls protected by using masking tape. You can sand off any raised edges or splinters with fine-grit sandpaper.
Over the damaged area, apply wood filler. Any excess wood putty can be sanded off after drying if you are using wood putty.
Overnight, let the fabric dry completely. It is important to use epoxy with precision and not overuse since it will not shrink and is harder to sand.
Sand It Smooth
When the glue has dried completely, you can sand it smooth and clean it with a damp cloth. Apply primer before painting if you intend to paint it.
To make sure that the repaired section matches the rest of the molding, take a chip of the original paint to a paint store for a match. Your molding may need to be replaced partway through if it is too damaged to patch.
Unless the damaged area covers a long run, replacing the entire run is likely the best option. Cut out the damaged section of a long run and replace it.
You may have difficulty finding your molding design if you live in an older home. Custom millwork may be necessary in this case to ensure a completely seamless appearance.
Installing and Cutting the Molding
Determine Molding to Use
Molding made of wood is generally expensive. MDF molding makes use of both wood and resin. MDF comes primed and ready to paint.
Cut the Molding Corners
Crown molding is tough to install because corners have to be cut. This molding can’t be installed like any other trim since the wall and ceiling meet at an angle.
It’s easier to cut corners with a coping saw because coping joints are tighter than mitered joints. For beginners, coping saws are also a good option. If a coped cut has a hole in it, a little caulk easily conceals it. In addition to power miter saws, you can also make this job easier by using a table saw.
A miter box made from plastic does not cut as cleanly as one made from a metal miter box. You should measure the first molding piece according to the wall length. Also, mark the mold’s bottom edge on the wall.
Cut the Measured Piece
Once you determine the length, you should cut the molding at a 90-degree angle — both ends should be flush with the sides of the wall. Place the molding in place after locating the miter saw guide at a 45-degree angle.
A saw table and vertical side fence must both be firmly pressed against the edges. For a straight surface and good fit, this is the most important step. It cannot be very clear to identify the second key because it is not so obvious.
Cut a 45-degree angle with a 10-inch saw blade after positioning the molding in its proper position. It would help if you also cut the angle of the molding correctly.
A corner molding must have a longer bottom part than the top part of the molding for the inside corner, and the top part of the molding must have a longer bottom part than the top.
Cut the Joint
Coppicing a joint includes scribing the edge of an end molding onto the face of another molding. You need to darken the front edge of the board with a pencil before cutting it with a coping saw.
If you splinter the edge, go slow to avoid damaging it. Make a slight angle in your cut. The molding does not have to be cut off all at once; you want to remove more from the edge. Create this coped joint by cutting out small pieces.
To find gaps that need to be trimmed, compare the fit with a scrap piece of molding. Make sure to cut off the high points with a coping saw.
Install the Molding on the Wall
Put the molding on the wall when the fit is right. It cannot be easy to hold a long piece by yourself. Connect the end to the wall by pushing it into the corner to fit as snugly as possible.
You can fill any gaps in the joints with caulk. Finish out the wall with another little piece of molding.
Prepare the Outside Corners by Making Miter Cuts
All corner lines should be exactly aligned. It’s often easier to hide mistakes in crown molding with paint and caulking than stained molding: it makes hiding mistakes much more difficult.
The use of corner blocks means that you do not require any angle cuts in the molding, so you won’t have to make miter or coping cuts. Besides looking professional, it is much easier to do.