Interior trim can add definition and refinement to a room, and wood remains a good choice for material. Today, synthetic trims can sometimes be a better option. Here are a few tips to help you no matter which material you choose.
6 Tips for Buying Wood Trim That Will Save Time and Money
Updated Oct. 05, 2024
Wood trim, also known as molding or millwork, enhances a space’s finished look. It typically frames the edges of walls, doors, windows, and ceilings, providing a polished transition between surfaces. Available in various styles, shapes, and sizes, wood trim can be simple or intricate, ranging from basic baseboards and casings to elaborate crown moldings and chair rails. Ahead, find money and time-saving tips for buying wood trim for your next project.
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Combine Smaller Molding to Create Large Profiles
You can save yourself money and hassles by buying separate pieces of trim and assembling them yourself rather than buying elaborate pre-milled moldings. Cutting, coping and fitting wide trim is tricky. If you mess up, you’ll be wasting trim that can cost several dollars per foot. If possible, try to replicate the profile you’re after by assembling the correct individual pieces yourself.
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Buy Primed Trim if You’re Painting
This is a no-brainer. Primed trim speeds up the finishing process. It’s easier to spot defects and nail holes on primed trim so that you can fill them before the final coats of paint. It’s even simpler to cope primed trim because the contrast between the raw wood and the painted surface gives you a crisp profile line to follow. So don’t buy raw wood if you’re going to paint.
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Get the Longest Pieces You Can Handle
Even if you need mostly short pieces, buying the longest trim you can fit into your vehicle is wise. Here’s why:
- You’ll have fewer splices and more one-piece trim lengths, which look much better than any splice ever would.
- You can pick and choose to match grains so they blend together closely.
- You’ll have plenty of short lengths left over for smaller projects.
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You Can Order Rare Moldings
No lumberyard or home center carries every molding profile made. Some styles are rare, especially in an older home. Even so, most are still made and available by special order. Take a short trim length with you to the store and ask to see the profile chart. Any store that sells trim will have one. Match it to your sample and ask whether it can be ordered. It may be expensive, but you’ll get the molding you want.
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Avoid Using MDF Trim in Moist Places
MDF (medium-density fiberboard) is inexpensive and a great material for painted trim, but only if you install it in a permanently dry place. Installing it near the floor or near windows where water or condensation sometimes collects is a recipe for disaster. The MDF will soak up water like a sponge, expand and shed paint in very short order. So avoid using MDF anywhere at risk of getting wet.
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Match the Grain
Occasionally, you’ll need to splice trim pieces. If you’re trimming with natural wood, that splice will stick out like a sore thumb if you’re not careful. If you need to splice trim on long walls, spend extra time choosing those pieces to make sure the grain patterns match and the wood tones are similar. When the pieces are joined, the splice will be nearly invisible.
Originally Published: June 27, 2024
