Ask a Lumber Store in Houston, TX: What Are the Different Types of Molding, and Where Should They Be Installed?

Whether you are researching molding to increase the value of your home or simply to add as decorative accents, it’s important to know what molding is and what it is used for. Let’s find out about this from a lumber store in Houston, TX, as well as determine the different types of molding and where to install them in your home.

Three popular uses

First, you can apply molding as decoration to enhance plain surfaces in a space or around a fixture. Doors and windows can pop with a textured trim border and, with a bit of carved pattern in the mix, the now closed up spaces in between walls and ceilings tend to become the focal point of a room.

Another option is to use molding as a barrier. When used as a barrier, molding is able to seal up small gaps that surround windows and doors, keeping water and drafts out. As ground trim, it protects the bottom sections of walls from damage and blocks debris from getting trapped below baseboards.

Finally, molding can be used to cover flaws. For an excellent cover-up option, trim can be installed to conceal gaps in wood flooring. Because hardwood floors tend to expand and contract, space is left between the floorboards and walls to avoid warping and cracking. Use trim to as a cover—not as a filler—in these spaces.

Types of molding and where to install them

Here are five of the most common types of molding and how to incorporate them into your home:

  • Baseboard trim: Although you might’ve already added baseboards as a barrier to protect the lower sections of wall from damage, you can take it a step further and apply trim. You may want to add trim between your floors and walls to close gaps for a more tidy looking room, or to create a more textured look for the baseboards.
  • Ceiling molding: Choosing to cover the inside corners of a room’s ceiling, between the upper portions of wall panels, makes for an aesthetically pleasing design. Alternatively, you can add a border to the entire ceiling.
  • Wall frame molding: Often considered purely decorative, wall frame molding can turn an ordinary room into a giant framed picture. How? Take four of the same pieces of molding and assemble them along each side of a wall. In other words, run one along where the ceiling and wall meet, one each along the right and left sides and one along the floor seam.
  • Casing: Although not traditional molding, per se, casing is still a useful window and door component. Once you install your door or window frame, you will likely see some exposed drywall and wood framing along the wall. Casing hides such gaps, and can be regarded as the center trim to give an individual outline of closely placed windows. Window and door casings are often matched to the color of your home’s existing trim to avoid dissimilarity.
  • Crown molding: This type of molding sits above your room, like it’s wearing a crown. You’ll see crown molding up top at the seam located between the wall and ceiling, which is an easy way to decorate a space or add an eye-catching effect. Seek out custom molding for a look that’s all your own.

Interested in ordering molding from a local Houston, TX lumber store? Contact the team at Houston Hardwoods Inc. today.