Technical
Fire rating
NovaCrown Advantages & Benefits
Crack-Free Installation
Fire rating
NovaCrown’s flame spread and smoke development ratings are generally far superior to those for wood. NovaCrown´s paper-wrapped profiles have been selected and authorized for use on non-combustible projects by the approving building and fire code bodies in many jurisdictions in Canada and Australia.
The Westin Resort & Spa project at the world famous Whistler ski resort made good use of NovaCrown’s excellent fire rating properties. In this new concrete building our mouldings were adhered directly to the concrete walls and ceilings without the need of wood backing strips. This project also took full advantage of the ease of coping with “humped” walls and ceilings due to off-square framing, by simply cutting out portions on the backside of the NovaCrown moulding wherever humps appear.
The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, BC.
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NovaCrown Crown Moulding was chosen for use at The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler, BC. in part for it’s superior Fire Rating properties. |
Read the full Fire test report here (PDF, 99KB).
Note that the former Synkoloid Company of Canada earlier held the rights to NovaCrown and undertook the fire testing.
NovaCrown vs Wood comparison
The following advantages, savings and benefits associated with using NovaCrown are not enjoyed by wood mouldings.
| NovaCrown Advantages | NovaCrown Benefits and Savings |
| Joints won´t crack when filled with latex caulk | No callbacks, happy customers |
| Joints can be drywall taped and made invisible | Perfect blemish-free finishing is attainable for the most discriminating customers |
| No edges or nail/staple holes for the painter to fill | Ready to paint |
| Installer can use a utility knife to cut out portions of the back side of moulding to deal with humps in the wall or ceiling framing. | Readily and easily adaptable to poor framing |
| Apply directly to wall with paintable latex caulk or drywall compound | Fast and easy to attach directly to drywall and even to concrete without the need for backing strips |
| Excellent flame spread and smoke development ratings | Candidate for use on non-combustible construction projects |
| Lightweight so 1 person can install | Enables flexible manpower scheduling |
Installation
TIPS FOR PROFESSIONAL CRACK-FREE INSTALLATION
MEASURE: Measure each wall span and mark the required length on the piece of Novacrown as you would with any crown moulding. Take care to measure and cut accurately as NovaCrown has a degree of resilience which allows adjoining pieces to compress slightly so each joint fits tight and neat every time.
PLAN THE ROOM: If walls are over 14´ (NovaCrown is available
in 12´ and 14´ lengths) long and will have a mid-wall joint, it´s important to plan the positioning of the joints. Always position any such joint keeping in mind the sight-line of the primary traffic flow along each such wall. Where possible locate the mid-wall joint furthest from the sight-line. All mid-wall joints should be cut as bevels, not butts. Looking at the mid-wall joint from the main line of sight, the overlap, or top half of the bevel joint should be positioned closest to the main line of sight so even the slightest appearance of a joint will be minimized.
CUT: The cut can be made with a Power Chop Saw using a fine-tooth saw, a long bladed Utility Knife or with a Drywall Saw or Hacksaw where the blade has been turned upside down and this toothless edge sharpened. When the lengths are cut so adjoining pieces fit snuggly against each other, but not so tight that they push away from the wall, a crack-free joint filled with a narrow bead of latex caulk is achieved.
Ensure the cutting tool is always sharp and clean. A rag sprayed lightly with WD-40 is handy for removing any polystyrene build-up.
Remove the fuzziness on the backside of each cut edge, along with a sliver of the NovaCrown on the backside, using a sharp knife. This will ensure that there is not an excess buildup of paper on the back edge of a joint which might ‘wick up’ extra moisture from the joint compound and cause the joint to protrude from a true line when dry. This same result can be created with corner joints by cutting them at 46 degrees instead of 45 degrees, if using a Power Chop Saw.
ADJUST FOR OFF-SQUARE FRAMING: Before applying adhesive, test each wall and ceiling section for level with it´s piece of Novacrown. If the ceiling has a slight downward bulge, put the piece of Novacrown in its place on the ceiling and mark where the bulge occurs. Then cut out just enough of the top/back ceiling contact surface of the Novacrown until it will lay flat, taking care not to cut away any of the ceiling reveal edge.
If the wall bulges inward, do the same to the bottom/back of the wall contact surface.
If there is a noticeable depression in the ceiling or wall, this should first be made level by the drywall contractor.
ADHESIVE: Apply drywall Taping Compound or a bead of paintable latex caulk to the 2 back edges of the Novacrown.
For Crack-Free results, use "paintable" white latex caulk for all corner and mid-wall joints. The caulk must be paintable so the joint won´t flash through after priming and painting. The caulk must be latex or water-based so it will not cause degradation of the polystyrene core.
FINAL PLACEMENT: Place the 1st piece on the wall, gently "rocking" it in place in the ceiling angle until it “feels” right. The rest of the pieces in the room should be positioned to follow the alignment of this piece.
FINISHING: Remove any Taping Compound or latex caulk squeeze-out along the wall and ceiling edge with a narrow drywall knife, your finger or a moist sponge, filling any minor gaps in the process.
After it has set, if necessary, apply a small bead of latex caulk to fill any remaining gaps at the joints and smooth again.
The Novacrown is now ready to be primed at the same time as the ceiling and wall. No holes or edge gaps need to be filled by the painter. Avoid build up of paint along pieces of cornice and in joints. As with most interior finishing products, spray paint application is not recommended. If the ceiling is to be textured, the Novacrown and wall must be masked.