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Selecting
Mouldings and Trim
This article and photos provided by the American Hardwood
Information Center at www.hardwoodinfo.com
First steps
How can you be sure it's solid hardwood? See if the
grain pattern on the face of the product continues over the
ends and sides.
The next step is to ask lots of questions. Is your decor traditional
or contemporary? Country or eclectic? Your architect or designer
can help you see which species of wood, moulding patterns,
and finishes will complement your interior. What species appeal
to you most? Will the moulding styles in various rooms be
the same or different? Will you paint or stain the moulding
and trim?
Once you have answered these questions, begin to look for
ideas in books and magazines. Cut out photos and articles
and place them in a file for future reference.
Budgets and choices
When budget is an issue, it’s possible to get
the look of a more expensive hardwood, cherry for instance,
by using a cherry stain on a less expensive hardwood.
Some lighter-hued, close-grained hardwoods,
such as poplar or basswood, often are stained to resemble
other species. This technique works especially well in decorative
applications above eye-level -- crown mouldings and recessed
ceiling panels, for instance. More functional millwork applications,
such as railings, door and window trim, also present good
opportunities to use a lower-cost hardwood species.
If you are planning to paint the moulding and
trim, you may consider a lower-cost U.S. hardwood species
since the paint will cover the wood anyway.
In the world of solid hardwoods, less expensive doesn't mean
inferior. The cost of solid hardwoods is dependent largely
on availability. Generally, the more plentiful a particular
hardwood species and the more abundant the harvest, the lower
the cost.
Species- Percentage
of Total U.S. Production
Stain some wood samples
Once you have narrowed your choice of wood species to two
or three, think about having samples of the wood stained with
the colors you are considering. Since your choice of species,
and even the stain itself, can darken or lighten a room, try
to view the samples at different times of the day in the true
lighting conditions of your home.
Proportion
Make sure the moulding is appropriate for the size and scale
of the room. Choose narrower mouldings for smaller rooms,
wider ones for larger rooms. Mouldings also serve a practical
purpose by concealing a room's minor imperfections, such as
where a wall meets a ceiling, window, door or floor.
Crown moulding in classic dentil design embodies sophistication
and elegance but generally works best in rooms where ceilings
are eight feet or higher.
Moulding samples
Next, do your homework and don't rely on memory in
making a final purchase. Visit local lumberyards to see what
moulding profiles are available, and take samples home.
Ask someone to help you hold each sample up
in the room to help you imagine how it will look after it’s
installed. Narrow your choices to two or three and set them
aside for a day or so. After some time has passed, take another
look at the samples and make your final choice.
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