I need help with crown moulding gaps

[Snattlerake]

This problem has been going on for over a year. I am trying to figure out what I did wrong. I bought wood furring strips and wood finger jointed crown and acclimated them to my house for over a month before I could start. I used the furring strips under the crown as a nailer for the crown. The room was so long I had to splice all four sides of the crown. I used white glue because I couldn't find any superglue spray to use on the joint as they do on youtube. White carpenter's glue was used for years and is still used for crown.

I installed the crown and filled the gaps with regular wood putty as I was painting instead of staining. I found out the wood crown had been pre primed with crappy primer and the paint just peeled off after weeks like poorly applied vinyl. I peeled it all off, sanded, and reprimed with a filling primer called Gripper. After two coats of Gripper, I waited for a week to apply the paint. It worked great. After a few months, the wood putty fell out. I tried slow drying silicone and waited for a week to paint that and it fell out. I applied BONDO and it lasted a month. I was told to use fast dry silicone and it lasted a month.

I'm having trouble with all four splices but only two are really giving me fits.

This gap has closed up about a 1/16th since last week. It is currently about 1/8th inch.

 

[Bocephus123]

We always snap fit our moulding and glued our joints used compound miters. i heard the just do butt joints now a days. always had good luck gluing joints and snap fit which is what the old carpenter taught me i apprenticed under. basically cut your moulding 1/8" or so long and snap it in place joint back to corner you will feel it snap in place if its the right length. might help you ran hundreds of miles of the stuff in hotels , haspitals, churches etc.

 

[dlbleak]

When we get some rain, most of that gap will close up. My last house had one section of crown that did double duty as a moisture meter or lack of

 

[cowadle]

i have put up thousands of feet of crown but it has been long ago. always coped the corners and used cut the ends on 45 degree and glues with elmers wood glue sometimes didn't even bother to glue. never heard of using furring strips for crown. sounds like the wood that the crown is made of is swelling but that is strange along the length

 

[mr ed]

Give up! Your house is moving.

 

[Bocephus123]

i have put up thousands of feet of crown but it has been long ago. always coped the corners and used cut the ends on 45 degree and glues with elmers wood glue sometimes didn't even bother to glue. never heard of using furring strips for crown. sounds like the wood that the crown is made of is swelling but that is strange along the length

yea we coaped too where it butts in the corner look beautiful

 

[trekrok]

Humidity, or lack thereof, sucks when working with most wood today. Following silicone, I don't what what you'll do to fill that gap. My experience with silicone is it's near impossible to get anything clean enough to bond to it after it's had silicone on it. I have several raised panel doors that have shrunk right now and look like crap. No real advice other than maybe look at a humidifier when you get it worked out.

 

[SlugSlinger]

When we get some rain, most of that gap will close up. My last house had one section of crown that did double duty as a moisture meter or lack of

This^

Those gaps do not look structural.

The dry air in the winter causes the boards to shrink and gaps will appear, especially the softer the lumber used for the trim. When the humidity goes back up, the gaps will close.

I have used a silicone caulking on gaps and it will help more than a putty will. Find the stretchiest caulk you can find and fill away.

 

[Snattlerake]

This^

Those gaps do not look structural.

The dry air in the winter causes the boards to shrink and gaps will appear, especially the softer the lumber used for the trim. When the humidity goes back up, the gaps will close.

I have used a silicone caulking on gaps and it will help more than a putty will. Find the stretchiest caulk you can find and fill away.

 

[O4L]

View attachment 248379

I was going to suggest try an adhesive caulk or bathroom caulk that has more stretch to it, but hey, that might work too.