DIY Choosing Trim Molding
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Installing decorative trim molding is one of the quickest and easiest ways to improve the appearance of a room. Trim molding can be a simple one–piece, molded board or it can be an elaborate creation made by combining different moldings and finished lumber. This page contains examples of common molding profiles available at home stores as well as links to some custom trim molding ideas for building baseboards, chair rails, door and window casings and crown moldings.
While many trim molding styles will be available at a lumberyard or millworks, the basic profiles on this page can be found at most local home stores. These include mostly one–piece moldings to finish along floors and ceilings and around doors and windows. These are popular because they simplify installation, requiring just one piece to build an attractive baseboard, chair rail, case or crown molding.
Paint–Grade vs Stain–Grade Trim Molding
The trim moldings available at most home stores include a couple of different grades, usually called paint–grade and stain–grade. The grade to choose will depend on where you plan to install the trim and whether you want it painted or you want a natural wood finish.
Moldings that dominate a room like door casings, window casings, chair rails and baseboards are usually done with paint–grade molding. These moldings can be made of wood or one of several synthetic materials.
A natural wood finish can be a good choice for crown molding in a large room with a high ceiling or around a fireplace hearth or a staircase where a natural wood finish can add dimension and interest to a room. In cases like these, where the beauty of the wood is important, a stain–grade molding with attractive grain and color should be used.
Paint–Grade Molding
In most cases painting wood trim molding is the best choice for room décor because it gives everything a bright, clean feeling and can be easy to refinish. Paint–grade molding may be milled from wood or it may be manufactured from synthetic materials. Pine is the most common wood used for paint–grade molding but poplar is also used, particularly when milled for a custom ordered profile.
Manufactured molding is produced in a number of ways, it can be made by gluing short wood pieces together with finger–joints and then cutting the molding profile. Or with synthetic material, by pressing a profile in plaster, medium density fiberboard (MDF) or plastics like polystyrene and polyurethane.
MDF moldings are frequently found for door and window casings, chair rails, baseboards and crown moldings, while plaster is mostly used for ceiling medallions. Plastics are available for casings, chair rail and crown molding systems that allow for installation without mitered joints. These synthetic moldings will usually come pre–primed while the finger–jointed wood is available both primed and bare.
Stain–Grade Molding
Trim molding is considered stain–grade or suitable for a clear finish if it is solid wood of top quality with no seams, knots or other blemishes. Because the wood will show through the finish, these imperfections would be very noticeable. Hardwoods are usually used to make stain–grade molding with red oak being the most popular at home stores.
Hardwood molding can be finished with a pigmented stain or a clear coating. Stain is usually used to change the appearance of the wood while a clear finish is used to enhance the natural wood. Stain–grade moldings will usually cost considerably more than paint–grade, so if you need to save money you should plan to paint the trim whenever possible.
Building Custom Trim Molding
In addition to the prefab moldings commonly available, you can also build your own custom moldings like the baseboard pictured here. This trim molding and many others are easy to make using the home store profiles pictured below and 1by finish lumber.
For more custom trim molding ideas see this link where you'll find some examples of easy to build decorative trim. Most of the wood profiles on these pages are available in several sizes. Check your local supplier for availability, the size you need can probably be ordered if it's not in stock.
Common Molding Profiles
Back Band:
Use this molding to wrap the square side on one–piece baseboard and case moldings to create a wider profile with two decorated edges. Also used for capping on wainscot or building combination moldings. A custom back band can be made by cutting a rabbet along the back of a piece of base cap if the desired profile isn't available.
Base Cap:
To build a baseboard use base cap molding like this to trim the top of a piece of 1by finish lumber. Use a piece of shoe molding, pictured below, to trim along the floor edge. This molding profile, as with the others on this page, is also available in larger pieces for trimming walls and ceilings and building custom moldings.see more base cap moldings
Baseboard:
Used to trim between the bottom of a wall and flooring. A decorative edge is cut in the top of the one–piece baseboard pictured here. These one–piece moldings are quick and easy to install and can also be used in combination with a back band to build door and window casings or as a backer board for building combination trim moldings.see more one–piece baseboard moldings
Brick Mould:
This thick wood trim molding is commonly used to trim the exterior of a door or window frame. Also try using brick mould in combination with other profiles on this page to build combination and stacked moldings.
Bullnose Moulding:
This profile is commonly used to finish the edge of tongue and groove flooring but can also be used for many other applications including a top on chair rails or a bead in combination moldings like custom cornices, crown moldings, baseboards.
Casings:
Used to decorate and cover the gap between jambs and the wallboard around doors and windows. Several one–piece case moldings are available or a unique casing can be created using two or more different moldings. These one–piece moldings are also used frequently to build custom crown moldings.see more one–piece casings
Chair Rail:
Used to protect a wall from scratches caused by chairs placed too close, this molding is usually found in dining rooms where this is a common problem. Also commonly used to cap wainscot, this is another molding that is available in one piece or it can be built using two or more separate pieces of decorative molding.see more one–piece chair rail moldings
Corner Bead:
Used to protect outside wall corners preventing wallboard chipping at vulnerable edges. Also used to finish outside corners on wall paneling. When used to wrap the outer edge of a 1x4 or 1x6, this corner bead works well to create custom case moldings for windows and doors.
Cove Molding:
Used as crown between walls and ceilings or in combination with other molding profiles to build custom moldings. Also use this molding to finish inside corners when installing wall paneling.
Crown Molding:
Used to fit into the right angle formed between walls and ceilings. This one–piece molding can be used alone or in combination with other trim profiles to created a more ornate crown. For more on crown molding see Installing Crown Molding.see more crown molding profiles
Dentil Trim:
This trim can be installed below a crown profile for a traditional crown molding design. Or try stacking dentil molding under a back band, cove, base cap or other small moldings to decorate door and window casings or chair rails.
Half–Round:
Used to finish edges on plywood and other sheet goods when making shelving and other case work. Also use this trim molding profile to build custom crown, chair rail and casing.
Panel Mould:
Use these small trim molding profiles to build wainscot frames on walls or to decorate cabinetry, crown molding, door and window casings, chair rails and furniture.
Picture Rail:
Used to hang artwork. These moldings were used extensively in older houses to protect plaster walls that would be easily damaged with picture hooks or nails. This molding will also work well to make combination molding profiles for custom crown moldings, casings and chair rails.
Rake Mould:
Also called solid crown, this wood trim works well in many combination molding applications. Try using one of these profiles for shoe molding or door stop or cut a rabbet along the back to create custom back band designs or trim crown molding, casings, chair rails and baseboards.
Rosette:
Used at the top of door and window casings to form corners using butt joints instead of miters. Also a good choice on corners of some custom ceiling moldings.
Screen Mould:
A thin band of molding traditionally used on screened porches and window screens. Commonly available in 3|4 inch widths making this trim convenient for banding to finish the edge on plywood and other sheet goods to make shelve and cabinets.
Shoe Mould:
Used to cover gaps between baseboards and flooring, this is a quarter round molding milled with one flat edge wider than the other. Install the molding with the shorter edge against the floor.
Stop Bead:
Used at the stop point for a swinging door or along the edge of a window sash. Also use a decorative stop bead to enhance crown molding, chair rails, door and window casings.
Threshold Saddle:
Use this floor molding to transition between two rooms with different types of flooring or to cover rough flooring when installing a new interior door. Use a flat saddle to blend wood and carpet or tile and carpet floors. Use a saddle with a shallow rabbet along one edge if there is a difference in floor height.
