On location at the project house, Robert Adam from the North Bennet Street School demonstrates the tools and techniques used to handcraft reproduction moldings. Using a millwork profile found in the Winslow Crocker House, Adam uses a selection of antique hand tools to recreate the molding using century-old techniques.

Bob explains that the house being remodeled was built in 1921 and has never had a real facelift on the exterior. As a consequence, the home's trim, porch ceiling, decking, and windows were all in need of repair. Bob points out the oriel window's exterior frame that has allowed cold air into the home. To fix this problem, local carpenters were called in to tear it apart, insulate, and restructure it. Forester Molding & Lumber was then brought in to replace the 85-year-old trim. Bill Hopkins from Forester Molding & Lumber reviews how old house moldings cannot be found in lumberyards and must be replicated. Hopkins uses a needle gauge to trace the profile of the trim. The needle gauge is then placed on a piece of graph paper and traced. The profile is then used to search for available matches in the Forester catalog. If there is no match, the trim is scanned into the computer and a specialized knife is cut. The knife is then used in the machine to rip the molding.

Dress up the rooms in your house with a variety of custom moldings. These moldings are available in many historic profiles. You can add a one piece baseboard molding for a 19th century look. Poplar chair rails and picture moldings add detail and take paint well. And for a more elegant look add a multi-piece crown molding to the ceiling.

Steve Roth from Style Solutions shows Bob the crown molding being used in the Modular Mountain Retreat project house. The EPS (extruded polystyrene) moldings are easier to install than traditional wood offerings as they are a generally a single piece. (Ornate wood crown molding is often comprised of multiple profiles joined together.) The EPS moldings are comparable in cost to wood and can be screwed and glued to the wall and each other like wood. But unlike wood homeowners can generally order preformed corners instead of having to miter them on site reducing the time and expertise needed to complete the installation.

…to hold 300 pounds! So decorate the walls of your new living space and hang your favorite family pictures, art, and lighting fixtures. We wanted to make sure that our finished basements were able to fit in with the style of the rest of your home, so…

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…for the professional crown molding installer. Photo courtesy…
…for the professional crown molding installer. Photo courtesy…
…carvings or etchings of antique furniture in a room might suggest a complementary…
…homeowner with a larger budget, molding can be made to order in just…

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. We all know that switching to fluorescent lighting saves energy and money. But if it s such a good deal, why aren t we all doing it?

Crown molding adds a touch of elegance to a room. Before installing…
…practice cuts to gain confidence. Step 1: Choose a molding style and measure room dimensions Choose a style of molding for the room. If possible, bring home samples to…

Installing a new ceiling light fixture can greatly improve a room's aesthetics and illumination. Step 1: Turn off power to the circuit. Go to the circuit breaker and locate the circuit supplying power to the ceiling fixture. Turn off that circuit. Turn off the circuit breaker.