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Molding Magic Ten Different Uses of Wood Molding


There are several great reasons, and at least ten great uses, for wood molding in the home. Wood molding can increase the price point of your home. Because any type of wood molding makes your home a unique and individual home, when you go to resell your home, consumers will place more value on property that looks different from others. Real estate professionals can tell you that good wood moldings are something potential buyers not only notice, it is something they will close a sale over. Wood molding can also be used to demonstrate your sense of decorating. Your home should be your source of comfort providing the soothing thoughts you need at the end of each day. It should also offer you the power to get moving each morning. Wood molding can help you create the look you've always wanted. It comes in so many styles that you can become your own person of creativity when designing your wood moldings. You can become the artist of your home and create your masterpiece through simple moldings. With so many designs to choose from, wood molding can give you the option of creating the look for your home you have always wanted. Moreover, wood molding can reduce the cost of finishing out your wall. It is far cheaper to finish the wall with wood molding than with any other product on the market today.

One excellent use for wood molding is as door trim. There are a number of different door trim styles in wood molding, and any of them would make an excellent choice for the room you are attempting to finish. In many homes, the molding simply meets with mitered corners. However, for a slightly more decorative look, simple wood blocks can be installed in the corners.

Another use for wood molding is as a baseboard. Baseboards need to be durable. The whole point of a baseboard is wall protection, and you simply cannot get the protection you need with synthetic materials. Wood molding will provide the durability and beauty your baseboards need to have. With wood molding, clean up is a snap should someone's stray shoe catch the baseboard.

A third use for wood molding is as window casing. Because windows, like doors, need some type of framing to cover the seams in the walls, wood molding is a classic choice. Like with the door trim, window casing corners are typically mitered, but wood molding offers more decorative choices to spice up your window environment.

An additional use for wood molding is as a chair rail. When people sit in your dining room and leave the table, the backs of their chairs probably touch the wall. While this is not always a problem for homeowners, in homes where the dining room is used frequently, or children are present, this constant contact with the wall can become very damaging. Wood molding can not only cover current damage, it can also prevent the damage from occurring again. The strength of the material will prevent problems like scratches and dents from occurring in your dining room area.

A fifth use for wood molding is as crown molding. Crown molding tops the walls next to the ceiling. It is thought that this type of molding makes the transition from the wall to the ceiling a bit smoother and easier. Wood is a perfect choice for this area because with so many options, you can create the distinct look you love.

Another use for wood moldings is as a handrail on your stair ways. Hand rails provide both security and beauty to your stairs. It can be difficult to go down the stairs without stumbling in the middle of the night to answer a late night doorbell. Having a hand rail in place makes this easier and safer. Having a wood handrail in place makes this trip a little smoother. The durability and look of a wood molding handrail will do much to increase your confidence when Grandma leans so heavily on the rail just to get up the stairs to your guest bedroom.

A seventh use for wood moldings is as a base shoe. Base shoes trim flooring materials and conceal differences between the floor and the baseboard. Wood is a great choice here, because it tends to offer the best compatibility between the floor and the wall.

An eighth use for wood moldings is as a fireplace mantle. Wood stands up best to the heat of the area surrounding your fireplace, and Santa would rather look at nothing less than the beauty of wood as he is filling your stocking each Christmas Eve.

A ninth use for wood moldings in your home is as a plinth block. Plinth blocks are placed where the baseboard meets the casing. They add durability and beauty to your moldings.

A final use for wood moldings in your home is as a wainscoting cap. If you decide on a panel option like wainscoting, you need a durable cap to smooth the transition back to the plaster wall. Wood moldings can do this in style.

You can use wood moldings almost anywhere in your home to add durability and value. When you think moldings, think wood.

Examples of "soft re-habs" include paper improvements to the asset.

Carpet Capers: Picking the Carpet that Suits your Lifestyle

There is no other flooring option that offers the comfort and quiet of carpet. Now there are not only many colors and patterns of carpets to choose from there are also a variety of types to suit any household and dcor.
Carpet is a good choice because it is warm and soft, particularly on children when crawling or playing on the floor. Carpet is much quieter than other flooring options, particularly hard wood surfaces. Carpeting is also an economical option because the product itself and installation fees are much lower than other flooring types.
Here is an overview of the main carpet types of the market today.
Saxony: Saxony carpet is smooth and has a cut-pile surface. It is used mainly in traditional or formal rooms.
Textured Saxony or Shag: This type of carpet has a more relaxed appearance and is very popular for families. The textured surface of this type helps to hide footprints, which means less upkeep for you.
Velvet: As the name might imply, this is a type appropriate for very formal and elegant rooms. It has a very fine sheared surface. Because of its suitability to formal rooms and the upkeep required, this is not as popular an option as other carpet types.
Frieze: This kind of carpet is extremely durable so it is perfect for rooms that see a lot of activity. It has a textured almost knobby appearance, which makes it a less popular option even though it does stand up well to wear.
Cut and Loop (or Random-Sheared): Cut and loop has a very distinctive appearance with cuts and loops of different sizes on the surface. It works in a variety of rooms since the multi-colors and multi-layers help hide traffic and stains.
Level loop and Multi-Level Loop: These two types of carpets are made up of loops (with level loop, all the loops are level, whereas with multi-loop there are different levels of loops). Both of these are very durable and stand up well in high traffic areas. They have a casual rather than elegant appearance.
Once youve decided on the type of carpet you want to put in, you need to keep a few other things in mind.
You will need to take into consideration the different types of carpet fibers: nylon, olefin, polyester, acrylic and wool. Nylon is the most popular of these fibers because of cost and its ability to hide wear and stains. The other types of fibers have other benefits, but there is nothing that can match the durability and brilliant coloring of nylon fibers.
Knowing about yarn twists will also come in handy. With carpet, the rule is the tighter the yarn twist is the better. You want to look for a carpet with a shorter nap. The longer the nap the more difficult it is for the carpet to be crush resistant. Your carpet will look newer longer if you choose one with a shorter nap. The stitches per inch also contribute to the crush resistance of a carpet. Try to choose a carpet that has more yarn or stitches per inch to increase your carpets matt and crush resistance. If you are buying a looped carpet, then you need to look at the density of the loop and the amount of space right in the middle of the loop, because the tighter the loop, the better the wear will be.
Once youve decided on the type of carpet (taking into consideration the fibers, nap and yarn twist), youll need to pick a pattern and a color. There are many, many options out there nowadays. You may want to consider a solid, neutral color that will go with many wall and furnishing colors and patterns. You dont want to have to change your carpet every time you redecorate, so try to select something that is versatile.
To help keep your carpet looking new, there are some basic maintenance steps to follow. You want to vacuum regularly and remove carpet stains as soon as you notice them. The longer a stain sits, the most difficult it is to remove. You can also practice some preventative measures (like using mats and runners in high traffic entry ways) to reduce the wear on your carpet.