|
Older homes were often built with rich and elaborate moulding lining walls, floor, and ceilings. These attractive features gave every room in the house a sense of unique personality.
However current construction trends tend to ignore moulding options in order to save on the expense of construction. Luckily once you move in, it’s quite possible to install a variety of decorative moulding features in every room, in order to truly personalize your living spaces.
There are three very basic types of moulding that you can choose from. Baseboard runs along the ground, closing the gap between the floor and the wall. Casing is run along the outside of doors and windows to act as a decorative frame around these features. Then you have crown moulding, which runs along the walls where they meet with the ceiling. This is often found in very tall rooms, and is used to make grand, remote spaces feel a little cozier. You also have a variety of more specific types including chair rail, banister, spindle, and newel post moulding.
When you set out to choose the type of moulding you will be using in your home, you have to consider both the size and the style of the space. In more traditional, classical building designs, elaborate and intricately carved moulding can look quite fetching. However it will be out of place in a modern, contemporary home, where the moulding should be more reserved and unadorned. The idea is to create a decorative feature that enhances the room, rather than dominating it.
The installation of moulding in a home is a moderately complicated task so if you don’t feel you are qualified then you should get the help of a professional. However if you have the appropriate tools, and are able to handle the work yourself you can end up saving a considerable amount of money. This project will require the following equipment.
Paint or stain
Small hammer or nail gun
Nail set
Miter box
Saw
Sandpaper
Wood filler
Caulk
Pencil
Tape measure and or meter stick
Once you have chosen the moulding you want to install, draw a diagram of the room and figure out how much material you will need. It is often sold in long strips of six, eight, or ten feet in length. For longer walls you may have to join two pieces of moulding together, however in the planning process you want to try and minimize these joints or at least set them to occur in unobtrusive places.
You should allow the wood to rest in the room it will be used in for a few days beforehand so it can settle into the temperature there. Prime and stain the material before you start cutting to save you a messy process later on. Then allow it to dry thoroughly.
When you start cutting the wood it’s important that you make very careful measurements. Use the tape measure at least twice, marking a line in pencil each time, before making any actual cuts. Then set the wood in the miter at the appropriate angle, and begin to saw. As the pieces cut clean, set them along the wall next to each other to make sure that everything is fitting properly. In some cases you will have small gaps between the various pieces of wood or even between the moulding and the ceiling or floor. As long as these are very minor cracks they can be filled in later with caulk.
Once you have everything lined up, press the first piece of molding against the wall firmly, and begin to nail it in using very fine finishing nails, and either a tiny hammer, or a pressurized gun. Be careful not to dent, score, or scratch the wood with your tools as you work.
Once the moulding is fully installed, use your nail set to sink the nail heads below the surface of the material. Then use a very small amount of wood filler on each to seal over those tiny holes. Wood filler can also be used to seal minor cracks left in joints between moulding pieces. However be very conservative with the amount you use as it will often stain a different color then the rest of the wood. If you find that there is a gap between the moulding and the ceiling or the floor, you can press a calk gun into the crease and fill them up.
Once you are done you may need to do a little light sanding to remove excess caulk or to smooth down rough edges. Be very gentle and work with the grain of the wood to ensure that you don’t scratch the surface of the material. Then use a light coat of paint or finish to cover these gaps and make the entire piece look complete.
This article is brought to you courtesy of PebbleZ’s line of decorative decorative vases which are crafted from real, multicolored marble materials. The article itself was written by interior artist Joey Pebble.
Comment on this article or submit your tip to CreativeHomemaking.com.
Click here for a printer friendly version of this page.
Follow me on Pinterest.
Receive new article links via Twitter!
Follow Creative Homemaking on Facebook!
Recommend this article to a friend!
Search our article archives.
Click here to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
|
