Installing Decorative Corbels

Using decorative corbels can be a great addition to any interior space of your home.  But they are definitely more versatile than just decoration.  You can use architectural corbels for structural support. There are exterior corbels to give your home a distinguished and elegant look.  Regardless of how you intend to use corbels, you should know how to install them yourself. 

Before starting the corbel installation, you should gather and prepare everything that you will need. For the most basic interior decorative corbels this will include a clean cloth, elastomeric adhesive caulk, and a caulking gun. Please keep in mind that more secure methods may be needed for heavy-duty structural support, and in these cases it may be wise to consult a professional contractor. 

While you are preparing, you can also finish wood corbels, or paint polyurethane corbels. This can be done after the installation as well, but it may be easier to do it before. Thoroughly clean and dry the surfaces that you will be using to install the corbels. Mark the precise location of the installation after the surface is dry.

Now you can lay your corbel face down on a flat, clean surface. Carefully apply adhesive caulk to the back edge of the corbels; a half-inch thick stream should be sufficient. When this is applied, press the corbel firmly to the wall and hold it in place for a few seconds to ensure that it stays put.In order to make the corbels appear to be part of the wall, apply caulk along the edges and blend it in.  Use your damp cloth to remove any excess. 

Once the caulk is completely dry you can further make the seam to the wall smooth with extra fine sandpaper. You can also sand down any rough areas of the corbel if you intend to paint it.  Now you can paint or finish your corbels if you have not done so already.

To provide more structural support for your corbels you can use finishing nails to tack them into place.  This method can also be used to keep decorative corbels in place until the caulk is dry to prevent them from falling and being damaged.  Be sure to leave enough of the nail expose in order to be able to remove it later.Once the caulk is completely dry, remove the nails and use additional caulk to cover any holes left behind.