Detail brings out character in your home!

     There are many fine touches that can bring out the character in your home. Adding molding is something people often overlook, but it is a great way to bring out your home’s charm. For example, most people take a lot of time choosing cabinets, paint and tile but don’t put the same amount of time or thought into moldings. With the plethora of different materials available at the local lumber yard adding molding can be an quick and inexpensive weekend project.
     Selecting the correct molding for your house is a simple process. First you need to know whether you want a painted or stained product. If you are looking for a product you can stain sticking with solid pine or poplar is a good idea. If your intention is to paint the molding, finger jointed material or MDF (medium density fiberboard, a less expensive product) are you best choices.
    Next step, location, location, location!!! Usually all rooms have base and casing, crown and chair rail should be well thought out before installation. It is very usual to see crown molding, chair rail and wainscoting installed in a dining room or family room because these might be the only places you can get away with it. All of the material might be to much for the average living room or kitchen and give off a cluttered feel. As a general rule of thumb keep crown molding in the living room and chair rail in the dining room/hallway. Here’s an idea – for your bathroom think about a chair rail with a wainscoting but do it out of tile. Check out this example http://www.hgtv.com/home-improvement/covering-bathroom-tile-with-wainscoting/index.html. You will need to take a little time to experiment with molding locations throughout your home.
    Installing molding can be a do it yourself job if you have some extra time, tools and a good eye. Chair rail, base and casing are definitely all do-it-yourselfers. Crown molding can be a little tricky especially in older homes where right angles and straight walls are rare. Installing any molding takes a lot of patience and remember measure it twice and cut it once!


Understand the types of molding

Crown Molding : Trim that runs along the top of a wall. Usually where the wall meets the ceiling.

Chair Rail : Trim that is mounted on the wall between 36” and 48” off the ground. Wainscoting : Paneling applied to the lower portion of a wall. Usually underneath the chair rail.

Base Molding : Trim that is mounted at the bottom of a wall.Casing : Trim that surround windows and doors.