Choosing The Right Moldings For Your Home
A great way to improve a room and add beauty is with molding. It’s one of the most popular upgrades that people ask for in new and remodeled homes. Moldings come in many styles and can be applied to walls, ceilings, doors and windows. They are a major design element of any custom home.
Job Type
If you’re renovating your home, choosing the right moldings can significantly impact its overall look and feel. You want to choose similar profiles for baseboard and crown moldings, as this will create a consistent appearance throughout your home. Ask your dealer for a few sample pieces to bring home and test out in your own room. Typically, you can select between stain grade and paint grade trim work. Stain grade is typically made from a more expensive hardwood, such as pine or maple. Paint grade is typically made from a more affordable hardwood, such as poplar or yellow pine. It may also be made from a synthetic material like vinyl or polyurethane.
Style
When you select moldings for your home, you need to consider your style. This is important because it helps to create a balanced design flow throughout the house. Moldings can be used in a variety of places around your home including floors, doors, windows, and ceilings. They are also commonly used as a way to soften transitions between different areas of your home. Crown molding is one of the most common styles of trim that you’ll see in your home. It’s often installed in rooms to give them a more classic, traditional look. You can find this type of molding in many different designs and sizes, but it’s best to choose a crown that fits the size of your room. For example, if you have an 8-foot ceiling, you’ll need a crown between 3 and 5 3/4 inches tall.
Finish
When it comes to selecting moldings, such as baseboard, casing, crown molding and window, door and chair rails, you want them to look good. This will depend on the paint sheen you choose, how they flow together from room to room and whether they match your overall home style. Choosing the right paint finish will ensure your trim looks great and stands up to wear and tear for years to come. There are two main sheens you can use: satin and semi-gloss. Satin is a soft sheen with a pearl-like shine that’s popular for both kitchens and bathrooms due to its ability to resist mildew and fading. Semi-gloss is another sheen that’s a great choice for baseboards and trim in kitchens and main bathrooms. This is because it stands up to moisture and humidity well. However, this type of finish requires touching up more often than other types of trims. It is also more expensive than the other two sheens.
Material
The material that you select for your moldings can make a big difference in how your product is produced. It can also determine the quality of your finished part and whether you need to use expensive or cheaper molds and tools. A wide variety of different materials are used in moldings. If you’re selecting a material for a product that will be subjected to harsh environments, choose a resin that can withstand chemicals, heat, and submersion long-term. Polycarbonate is a popular choice because it maintains its physical properties over a wider temperature range than other thermoplastics. It’s also an excellent choice for applications that require tight tolerances or clear parts. The best way to determine which material is right for your project is to work with a material expert. At John G. Moser & Son, Inc., our materials experts have years of experience working with a wide range of plastic resins and can help you narrow your options to find the best fit for your product.