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.

Bob walks through the interior noting the reproduction bed molding, door molding, and rosettes that match the original moldings in this Queen Anne style home. With the kitchen cabinets and island complete, it's time to turn to lighting fixtures. bed molding, dining area, rosettes, island unit complete with paneling

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.

Bob meets with Ryley to install baseboard and then goes on to Paul Morise's workshop to make the moldings.

The front room of the Manhattan Brownstone is getting its finishing touches as prefabricated oversize cove molding is installed at the ceiling. This molding is made of plaster and fiberglass strands to make it sturdy but light. The windows are then finished with a casing the depth of the masonry wall. Once it is nailed in place, the Victorian profile molding can be installed around the window and up to the cove molding at the ceiling. These high-profile moldings can now be made of one piece of wood, but the Victorians would have layered different profiles, one on top of the other, to achieve the same look. The molding is set with panel adhesive then nailed in place. This traditional window casing design features a header and casing running down to a plinth or decorative block at the base.

Ryley and the finish carpenter install interior trim: baseboard, chair rail, picture rail and built-up crown molding and they give us some tips and tricks.

Paul Anderson is attaching the pre-finished crown molding around the Wellborn kitchen cabinets. Each section is miter-cut, and then dry-fit to ensure a tight joint before it is secured with nails. Because the molding is pre-finished, there is not a lot of room to play with, so Anderson makes sure that each section is a perfect fit. Finally, he adds the pre-cut dental molding.

After Bob and Ryley check out progress in the basement, they take a look at some of the finish carpentry techniques for applying the moldings.