Tech Tip #1 — Installing Full Flush Crown Molding

Crown molding can really make or break a kitchen design. Designers or companies that hire you for an installation may not always tell you how much overhang they want or whether they want the crown installed at box-depth or full flush.

Box depth is simple: you put a cleat on top of the cabinet, nail the crown to the cleat, and then you're done.

“Full flush” requires a footed crown because you need to pull the crown forward to get it even with the door along the front, as well as give it a slight overhang on the sides. 

Let's define some terms before moving on.

Footed Crown: Footed crown molding has a finished cleat attached to the bottom.

Overhang: The portion of a surface or component that extends beyond the supporting structure.

Reveal: The visible gap or space between two surfaces or components.

Bump-Out: A cabinet that protrudes out farther out than its adjacent cabinets.
Full Flush: The state where all flat surface pieces are on the same surface plane. Typically, this means flush with the face of the cabinet doors. You may also hear the term “full overlay” in similar contexts.

The default front reveal when installing full flush crown molding is to align the bottom profile of the crown with the profile or face of the cabinet doors and overlay fillers. The crown molding will typically overhang the cabinet box by 7/8 inch. Since you are pulling the crown forward, you will use either footed crown that has an attached cleat from the factory or add a finished cleat to the top of the cabinet box.

For bump outs, return panels, and finished sides, we recommend that the overhang of the crown extends about 1/4 inch past the side of the cabinet box or panel. If the sides have decorative applied doors (a.k.a. deco doors), then the bottom profile would be installed “full flush” with the face or profile of the door just like the fronts.

As you can see in these examples, placement is just as important as how well you cut the miters. Full flush is cleaner and more upscale, and it's our preferred way to install crown and other moldings on top of a cabinet.

Thanks for reading, and keep on building!

— The Cabinet Academy Team