Pro Handyman Blog

Installing Cornice Boxes

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Dressing up a window by installing cornice boxes can turn a drab window into a real piece of art. You can buy a cornice box or make one yourself. Here is some information on how to make a cornice box. Once you have the cornice box ready, installing it is not difficult and will probably take 30 minutes or less.

The easiest way to install cornice boxes is with "L" brackets. These are brackets shaped like the letter L. One leg of the bracket will attach to the wall and the other leg will attach to the underside of the top of the cornice box. The bracket will be mounted upside down so that the leg extends off of the top of the bracket rather than the bottom. In this manner, the bracket is completely hidden by the cornice box.

Draw a level line above the window on the wall. This will be the line that will dictate where you install the brackets, so you will need to play with the height of the line to get the height of the cornice box correct. It's a good idea to have a helper hold the box up and you can tell him to raise or lower the box to get the look you are looking for. When you have the height right, mark your line and screw the brackets to the wall. Make sure you install the brackets into wall studs. If you have a small window you may only need 2 brackets, but for safety and to prevent bowing of the cornice box, installing a bracket on each stud that spans the window is a good choice. You will likely find a solid header above the window if you are mounting the cornice box low to the top of the window. Try a bracket every 2 feet in this case and look for and bowing or deflection in the box. The general rule is the more brackets the better.

Once you have the brackets installed to the wall, you can set the cornice box on top of the brackets and insert screws from the underside , through the brackets and into the top of the cornice boxes header. The screws shouldn't penetrate through the top of the box, as their purpose is just to hold the cornice box in place.