Determine if the molding will meet at an inside or outside corner, and compute the compound angles necessary to make the joint. Hello all… I searched the posts but couldn’t find an answer. We have plaster directly on the bricks on the exterior wall of the majority of older brick homes in St Louis. There are some specific ways to attach the molding to plaster walls. Attach moulding to plaster wall? TOM: And so how high up the walls did the molding go? Continue until all walls are covered and all moulding is attached. Attaching Crown Molding to Plaster Walls. Use a studfinder to locate the studs and nail into those so your panel is secure. The walls are all plaster. There may be times when nailing is prohibitive, in which case you can install molding without nails using construction grade adhesive. Ideally, molding is fastened to the wall or cabinet with finishing nails for a tight and professional installation. Jun 12, 2009. by sogr8ful. It looked like the nails had been set before the plaster was dry, because we had to cut them off. I hammer nails into old plaster all the time by putting a piece of masking tape on the wall and hammering into it. Add a bead of silicone caulking to the length of the molding, before nailing it to the wall. Attaching Crown moulding to Plaster walls? How to Put Up Crown Molding on a Plaster Wall Measure the length of the wall for the first piece of molding. Place the baseboard molding along the walls and use the nail gun to force 3-inch steel nails into the holes drilled earlier. Whether you are using a nail gun or a hammer and nails, you should be able to attach crown molding to plaster walls without too much trouble. These walls are often 3 or more brick layers. Moderators: oldhouse , TinaB , Don M , Schag Questions and answers relating to houses built in the 1800s and before. Molding added to the home provides a finished look. Installing new wood trim on plaster walls? Here, molding not only frames the doorways and the base and top of the walls, but it also continues beyond, framing out beams and turning an ordinary ceiling into a real eye-catcher. Step 4 – Installing the Baseboard Molding. There were lots of holes, chips and cracks in the plaster where they had nailed the molding in the plaster. Run a strip of masking tape on the wall where the molding will cover it up, but where your nails will hit it.. While a partner holds, the panel use finishing nails to attach it to the wall. Tip: For a professional look, don’t hammer the nail completely in. So I bought a bit of fixer upper last year that was built in the late 1950's. Maybe it is too basic a question! It has plaster walls that are in relatively good shape, I've been working my way through the house digging out mudding, taping, and smoothing all the cracks and nail holes with hot mud. It holds the plaster together while the nail hits it and … After you are done with nailing the baseboard to the wall, use the silicone caulk to fill in any gaps between the wall and the molding. You can try using a … Because usually with plaster walls, the molding is a lot taller than a standard 3½-inch base molding… Use a … What would be the best to use? I repaired the plaster and have painted the walls and now want to put new crown molding up. The large head and large diameter of the shank helps the nails go in. Re: using nailer on old plastered walls What I have done is use lots of sdhesive and roffing nails. One of the previous owners had tried to put up crown molding, but the job was unfinished and looked bad so I pulled it down.