Client told me my crown molding had a 'shadow line' issue... I was blind to it

A builder I work with in Denver pointed out that my crown molding was casting a shadow about 1/8 inch wide along the top edge on every run. I'd been installing crown for 7 years and never noticed it. Turns out I was cutting my cope slightly wrong, leaving a tiny flat spot instead of a clean 45 degree angle. He showed me how to adjust the cope knife angle by 2 degrees and it disappeared completely. Has anyone else had a client or builder call out a flaw you honestly couldn't see yourself?

2 comments

2 Comments

fionagibson1mo ago

I had the same thing happen with a baseboard install in Boulder last year. A homeowner pointed out that my miters were gapping in the exact same way, about a 1/16 inch shadow. I was blind to it until he put a flashlight right on the joint.

shane_nguyen1mo ago

My buddy whos a finish carpenter in Phoenix told me he had a client point out his crown molding was off by like a hair at every corner. He'd been doing it for 10 years and swore it was perfect. The guy pulled out a laser level and shined it along the reveal line, and yeah, there was this tiny shadow that looked like a pencil line. He redid the whole room that weekend just to fix it.