Features

For most of us, a home is the single biggest investment we will make in a lifetime. so, we spend lots of time, money and energy doing what we can to maintain its integrity and improve its value. It’s no wonder that Americans spend more than $150 billion annually on home improvement and repair. 

Are you maintaining, upgrading or both? Maintenance is necessary to preserve the integrity of a home by preventing damage from wind, water or rain. An improvement can be characterized as an upgrade that will enhance comfort, safety and/or appearance, but is usually not a necessity. 

Some projects qualify for both categories. Take painting the outside of your home, for example. A fresh coat of paint (and the thorough preparation that precedes it scraping, sanding, patching, caulking and priming) will not only protect the shell from deterioration, it will do wonders for the home’s “curb appeal” as well. 

When it comes to improvements, the most popular do-it-yourself projects are those that will add comfort, enhance appearance and add value for the least amount of money. Paint, wallpaper, landscaping and interior moldings top the list of improvements that lend the best “bang-for-the-buck.” They are projects that most do-it-yourselfers feel confident to tackle, and the cost of materials (when combined with “sweat equity”) is usually a fraction of what it would cost to have the work performed by a pro – which, by the way, might be the best, most cost-effective alternative for people that are home-improvement challenged. 

If you’ve painted and papered your heart out and your thumb is as green as it gets and you’re still looking for something to dress up the interior of your home, try installing decorative molding. Moldings also called interior “trim” are used routinely throughout a home’s interior; around windows (especially wood), doors and at the base of a wall where it meets the floor (baseboard). There are various other locations where moldings can be used such as the ceiling-to-wall connection (crown molding), and midway up a wall (chair molding). 

If you live in a pre-World War II home, chances are good that you have molding in most of these locations. If your home was built during or before the turn of the last century, crown molding, chair rail, wood wainscot (partial-height wall paneling) and other decorative moldings were standard equipment. Unfortunately, with mass production and the need to cut costs to produce affordable housing, decorative trim was eliminated. 

Armed with the proper tools – a pry bar and hammer to remove existing trim; a measuring tape, miter saw, coping saw and some finish nails – you can convert your plain-Jane rancher into a baronial estate. The molding metamorphosis is remarkable.  

Tip: don’t choose moldings or use them in areas that are not compatible with the architecture of your home. When in doubt, check with an architect, designer or visit your local library to brush up on the subject. 

The first step is to decide where you will be installing molding and how much material will be needed. Always buy extra to account for mistakes that invariably occur. If you are satisfied with the existing door, window and base moldings, consider installing crown molding or chair rail. 

Crown is used where walls meet the ceiling. Although it comes in various styles and sizes, consider creating your own specific look by layering and/or joining more than one piece of trim. Miter or cope joints with the appropriate saw. Always remember to measure twice and cut once. Crown should be nailed to the ceiling joist and wall studs. Install blocking between ceiling joists when installing crown parallel to ceiling joist. 

Chair rail – used to protect walls from backs of chairs – makes a room look wider. It is also a means of separating wallpaper and paint or as a cap for a decorative wood wainscot. For a seamless installation, don’t butt joints along straight runs – miter them at a 30-degree angle. Nail the chair rail to the wall studs. 

If your door and window trim or baseboard need a lift, yank them out with a pry bar (being careful not to damage surrounding finishes) and replace them with fancier stuff. The sky is the limit when it comes to choices. The moldings that you use around doors can be used around windows and vice versa. Mitered corners is the standard, however butted corners or blocked corners can be used depending upon the style of trim selected. 

Door and window moldings should be nailed to the edge of the jamb and to the framing, using finish nails. 

Base moldings or “baseboard” are functional and decorative. They are used where walls meet floors to hide uneven edges. Like crown molding, base molding can consist of one piece of material or can be built up by using two or more pieces of trim. For example, an elaborate base molding can consist of a 3-to-4-inch rectangular base board, a sculptured base cap, and a quarter round base “shoe” where the baseboard meets the floor. 

When it comes to sprucing up the old homestead, the possibilities are endless with decorative moldings. 

If you plan to do lots of trim, consider renting a nail gun and compressor. It will make the job easier and produce superior results. 

For more home improvement tips and information, visit our website at www.onthehouse.com. 

James and Morris Carrey are feature writers for The  

Associated Press