Trim and Molding, Greenville SC

What Other Types of Interior Trim is There?

Other types of interior trim are casing trim. Casing is the trim that goes around windows and doors. Once finished, the trim is caulked and painted and this takes away any gaps or seams that may have been relevant. Casing makes the doors and windows pop and give it a sense of something extra, making your eye lead around the room and breaking up the boring.

There are many different types and styles of trim. Trim will hide any mistakes and gives the room variety, and a more finished look.

There different types of grades for interior trim as well. There is wood, which comes in different types of wood such as pine, poplar, maple, mahogany, and millwork. Millwork trim is a type of interior trim that is historically made in a saw mill and usually runs as rough cut. What is rough cut? Rough cut is when the wood is rough to the touch, and you typically see where the saw mark is all the way down the boards. This type of trim is usually thick and sometimes a hassle to install.

There is also a different type of interior trim and crown moulding called, MDF. MDF is a medium density fiberboard and is usually made offshore, or over seas. MDF is a very cost effective material for baseboards and casings. This material has zero imperfections and has a very finished look. MDF always comes primed and, after a light sanding, is ready for paint. This material should be used for interior trim only because water will make the material swell and damage over time.

How Do You Cut Trim?

When you are cutting interior trim, such as baseboards or base shoe, it is best to use a miter saw, or chop saw. Using a miter saw, that double bevels, will give you the best and most smoothest cuts as well as accurate cuts so that the outer edges will align properly.

You will want to make sure the lights are on for best results so that you can see well where you are working. Set up your miter saw and make sure that you have stands to hold your trim, whether it be baseboard or molding, and make sure you have plenty of space.

You will make sure that you measure the space where the interior trim installation will fit and get an exact measurement, making sure the size of the interior baseboards will not be to long or too small once cut. A good carpenter rule is, "measure twice and cut once". Interior trim, such as molding and baseboard, can get expensive sometimes running $2 a linear foot and up so you don't want to waste any material as much as possible.

Make sure to place your interior baseboard with finished side up and measure your trim. Then make a small, light pencil mark at the appropriate length. You will then make your cut with the miter saw, making sure you go slow and easy. Make sure the blade stops turning completely before you raise the blade because it can knock the trims edge causing the finished look to be ruined and the board then wasted or used for a smaller cut. Baseboard will be cut to a 45 degree beveled edged on all outside corners, and once installed will have a complete look as it turns the corner with a sharp, tight edge.

How to Install Trim Baseboards?

After you have cut the interior baseboard, it must then be installed. Interior baseboard will go directly to the drywall and the installation of baseboard will cover the gaps between the wall and the flooring, whether that be hardwood or tile.

Outer edges of the interior baseboard will be beveled 45 degrees and inside corners will be but jointed. A run is when you install trim and the space where the trim is going is called the run. When the run is too long and you have to join two materials together, you want to typically cut then at 45 or 15 degree bevels. This will have the joints from the naked eye giving a more finish look.

When installation is required to a interior door, window, or some sort of casing, you must first make sure you have the right style the homeowner or builder is asking you to install. If its plain trim, follow the process, take your measurements, make your mark, cut the trim, and installation should fit tight. A variety of mistakes could happen so makes sure to pay attention when working with power tools.

If you are doing colonial style trim there will be several layers of interior baseboard and trim typically. The baseboards will be layered in a way that they look like once piece that is thick and wider in size. This give it a sense of style that most people do not care to pay for, but it pays off and makes the room pop. Dining rooms would be a great place for the colonial style interior baseboards and interior molding.

How to Install Casing For A Door or Window?

Casing is a type of molding, typically used to trim the perimeter of windows and doors. Casing is typically less wide, but thick in size when compared to baseboard. Casing covers the joint from the walls to the door or window and give it a pop and more finished look. Casing also will protect your home by covering these gaps, cutting off air leaks once caulked and a finish coat of paint is applied.

Casing trim is typically miter cut to 45 degree corners and then installed around the door or window. Doors can also have what is called a but finish. This is typically where the material is cut square on the end and then stacked in a way that is aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Interior Casing will always give your room or space a more complete look.

Always remember that when you are putting casing trim, or baseboard, or molding in your house or home, the better quality of wood will better increase your value and equity over MDF. Any interior wood such as poplar, hardwood such as mahogany, soft wood like pine, or maple will last longer and also be more resilient to damage and wear and tear.

How to Cut Molding and Crown?

Interior crown and molding typically, and most of the time, is a form of trim that goes on the ceiling. There are many different styles of molding and crown and they sometimes can get very elaborate. The size of the molding can differ depending on the room you have for installation. Oversized molding will make the room look smaller and give the home less appeal.

When cutting crown, you want to make sure that your miter saw saw has the side plates installed. Next, take a piece of blue, or white, painters tape and line it on the saw. Place the crown on the saw and set the crown. Setting crown is when you place it on the miter saw the same way it will be applied to the wall. Then, mark the tape where the crown or molding will set to insure the same cut every time. One key thing to remember is that when cutting crown, it must be cut upside down and backwards. This is the thing that makes everyone have a difficult time with crown.

If the miter saw is cutting towards the crown, then this will result in an inside corner cut. Inside corners can also be cut with one board having a butt edge, and one cut having the miter compound cut, and then using a coping saw to cut the beveled edge away. This process is typically not easy for beginners. This interior crown is also installed against the walls at the ceiling of the house.

When an area of the home is too long for one piece of crown moulding to reach end to end, you have to cut the crown. By cutting the crown, you now have a joint or a seam. This can be seen and be very noticeable, if not cut the correct way, and cause the crown to not look as complete. By cutting the crown or molding in a way that make the eye look over this junction, is called a scarf joint. A scarf joint is when you cut the two pieces at an angle to make the seam have a sense of flow.

Molding for casing installation is cut flat on the miter saw and is usually an easy process. Always make sure to protect your materials from damage as this will result in a wasted piece and money lost. Once crown and molding is complete, ceilings and doors will have a finish look to the home.

How to Install Crown and Molding

All crown and molding should be tight to the wall, and ceiling or doors. The tighter the application, the better the look will appear. The drywall may have a bow in the wall so make sure to always check everything before you complete the finish product. If the trim is painted, caulk can fix some of these problems, but be careful not to rely on caulk. Instead rely on skill and experience to fix any problems. This is typically why people hire professionals to do the job verses a DIY project. With finish trim such as crown and molding, they can get very expensive if wasted.

Interior Crown and molding can be stacked on top of each other, making the interior trim look more elaborate as it is added to. More interior ceilings than doors or door ways, the crown or molding will be added to with other molding that is notched out to cap the existing crown. There are several videos online, and books available for everyone to learn more about how to stack crown and molding. You can find these books at many different hardware stores and videos can be found online. Also make sure that you have the appropriate tools to do the job as well because you cannot cut trim without a miter saw or miter box.

For a more complete look in your home, hire a professional like us, Morgan's Construction LLC. We are more than happy to make sure that your crown and molding is done right. We make sure that each and every board is cut to perfection for a more finish look.