Simple home remodeling tricks

Molding provides simple options
By: Paul Bianchina: Inman News
If spring is the time for you to be thinking about selling your home, or even if you just think it's in need of a few simple new touches, you might be looking around for some inexpensive fix-up ideas.

One quick and easy approach is to remodel with moldings.

There are dozens upon dozens of stock molding patterns on the market, in a variety of paint-and stain-grade materials to match any décor and any budget. Use them alone, or combine two or more of them to give you a virtually endless selection. Here are a few ideas:

Doors
You can do a lot to dress up plain doors, including cabinet doors, with the application of some moldings. For full-size doors, you can utilize larger moldings such as casings and base, while narrower-profile moldings such as screen bead, half-round, and scribe-moldings are more suited for smaller doors such as cabinets.

Begin by laying the door flat on a table or a pair of sawhorses. Experiment with different designs by simply laying the moldings on the door in a variety of patterns until you find the right look, then measure the layout and sketch it on a piece of paper to make it easier to duplicate on other doors.

Measure the layout carefully on the door, and mark the locations using a straightedge and sharp pencil. Take your time - this is finish carpentry, and getting things crooked or unequally spaced will really show up. Cut the moldings as necessary using a power miter saw equipped with a fine-tooth molding blade, then attach them using wood glue and fine brads.

Walls
Almost any plain wall can benefit from a simple chair rail. This can be any type of trim material, from solid 1-by-4 stock to intricately carved chair rail moldings. The molding is placed horizontally on the wall, typically about 36 inches from the floor. Attach the molding to the wall using finish nails driven into the studs. Chair rails can be painted the same color as the walls, or painted or stained a contrasting color for greater definition - experiment with a few pieces of scrap before doing the entire room. Also, you'll find it much easier to lay all the moldings out on sawhorses and pre-paint or stain them before installation.

Another wall trick is to use moldings assembled into squares and placed at regular intervals along the wall, creating a paneled look. One method is to use 1-by-4 stock vertically every three to four feet, to a height of 36 inches off the floor. A horizontal 1-by-4, similar to the chair rail idea, runs across the tops of the vertical members, creating a regular series of square recesses. Smaller moldings can be used inside the larger squares to enhance the paneled look.

Here again, you'll want to experiment with a few different materials and layouts before deciding on exactly what you want to do. After deciding on the pattern, layout the design one the wall very carefully, adjusting the size of the squares as necessary to achieve a regular pattern of spacing - you don't want to end up with one square at the end of the wall that's larger or smaller than all the rest!

Ceilings
Ceilings are an often overlooked area where a few molding tricks can make a dramatic difference. For example, you can install a decorative molding such as a base or chair rail around the perimeter of the room, attached flat against the ceiling and spaced about four to six inches in from the walls. Paint or stain the moldings to either match or contrast with the ceiling, and you'll really dress up an otherwise bland area.

Finding the materials
Every lumber yard and home center carries a selection of standard molding patterns, usually in stain-grade materials such as oak and clear fir, and paint-grades materials of finger-jointed hemlock and medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Most yards have either a sample board or a chart that shows all of the different patterns and sizes available - even if they don't stock it, they can order it for you.

When you find something you like, just buy one or two pieces to experiment with. You may even find a couple of short ends or broken pieces that you can buy at a discounted price.

Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at paul2887@direcway.com.
Copyright 2005 Inman News
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