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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.

A Bridging loans lender would accept the following as security for the loan.

Open and Shut Case: Mysteries of the Stuck Window and Door Revealed


Sometimes, when opportunity knocks, you cant get the door open. Its mysteriously stuck. You move over to open the window of opportunity, and after much huffing and puffing, you realize you cant get that open, either. Whats going on here?

Learn all about how and why doors and windows stick and how to fix them, so youre not stuck the next time opportunity pays a visit!

Stuck Windows
Windows can stick for a variety of reasons. Often wood expands and contracts, moving parts have been painted over, or two surfaces may simply seem fused together. Some of the most common problems and fixes for stuck windows are:

Painted-over joint: Cut the paint with a window zipper (tool designed just for this purpose) or a putty knife. Hold blade flat against the sash and push the edge into the joint while drawing the tool along the surface.
Paint build-up: Similar to when joints are painted over, years of painting can also result in an accumulation that causes excessive friction. Use a paint scraper to remove excess paint from the window stop, parting strip, and blind stop. Raise and lower the sash throughout the process. For a lower sash, it is also a possibility to remove the window stop to sand and scrape the edges facing the window. If none of the easier solutions were successful, remove both sashes and completely strip the paint to the bare wood. Repaint the sashes and reinstall when the pain has dried.
Too much friction: Lubricate the sash channels with candle wax or talcum powder. This can also prevent painted surfaces from sticking together. If spring metal weather-stripping is found in the sash channels, reduce tension by using a hammer and block of wood to flatten the strip.
Just plain stuck. A sharp rap to the center rail, near the lock can sometimes break a bond between painted surfaces. The blow can be administered with the palm of your hand or a rubber mallet. Another option is to gently tap a wooden block again the sides of the sash.
New friction channels. If you have some extra time on your hands and are very concerned with preventing heat loss, another option is to install new friction channels. To do this, first remove sashes, weights and pulleys.

Push fiberglass insulation into the openings for the weigh cavities. Start at the top and work your way down with the aid of a flexible rod or stick.

Using a hammer and sharp chisel, notch the ends of the top parting strip to create the new channels.

Replace the sashes in the window frame between the two new channels. Tilt the entire assembly into the opening from the bottom inside.

Finally, reinstall interior stops according to the manufacturers instructions for adjusting tension. If windows are too loose after the stops have been installed, increase tension by hammering a wood block against the stop at nail placements. When the tension seems right to you, drive in several nails.

Stuck Doors
Doors can stick for many of the same reasons as windowstoo much tension, or painting over moving parts. However, with the addition of hinges, that also opens up a whole new area of possible reasons for stuck doors.

Door rubs against jamb. The solution to this problem differs according to which side the door is rubbing against the jamb on. If the door rubs against the jamb on the hinge side, you will need to shim the hinges out. Unscrew the hinge from the jamb and place a piece of cardboard behind it. Shimming out the bottom hinge may resolve the problem of a door binding at the top of the strike jamb.

If the door rubs against the jamb on the side without the hinge or against another part of the door frame, the door may need to be modified so it will fit. Mark the door with scribe lines so you know where to plane and remove the door (removing bottom pin first and working your way upward). Lay the door on a flat surface and plane the appropriate edges.
Loose hinge screws. To fix loose hinge screws, wedge the door open and remove the screws. Fold back the hinge, being careful not to lose any existing shims. Buy or whittle wood pieces to fit the holes. Add glue and push the wood pieces into the holes. Scrape the wood plugs until they are flush, fold the hinge back into place, drill pilot holes and drive in new screws.
Moving a stop. Sometimes its easier to move the stop than unwarp a door. If a door is binding against the hinge-side stop or will not close properly because of an improperly placed stop on the latch side, pry off the offending stop. Close the door and draw a line, along the doors inside edge, on the jamb. Nail the stop on this line.
Moving a strike plate. A latch and strike may get out of alignment because a house had settled. If the strike plate is too far away, shim it out with cardboard. If it is too close, unscrew the strike, chisel out a new mortise, drill pilot holes, and replace the strike. If necessary, use wood putty to fill the old mortise hole and sand until smooth.