DEC-007

Staining or painting the moulding before it is installed is recommended. Ensure all filler areas are dry and sanded before applying any paint. If you install the moulding and then finish it, protect the area around the moulding by masking it off with tape. Carefully remove the tape immediately after finishing to prevent its drying to the finish. Painting is recommended for moulding surfaces already coated with a primer. In most applications, a semigloss coat for durability, washability, and appearance is recommended. Please ensure that only higher quality paints with high solids content are used. We recommend two finish coats for top-quality durability and appearance. Mouldings with a pronounced wood grain are better suited to stain or varnish to enhance the naturally occurring grain. Other mouldings such as hemlock can be stained to virtually any tint, providing a high-quality surface for paint when primed. The following list shows the recommended finishing.

Ultralite– Paint
Oak– Stain or Varnish
Hemlock– Stain, Varnish or Paint
Solid Pine– Stain or Varnish
Primed Finger Joint– Paint
Primed MDF– Paint
Raw Finger Joint– Paint

Knotty Pine– Stain or Varnish
Maple– Stain or Varnish
Fir– Stain or Varnish
Poplar– Stain or Varnish

Take careful measurements of walls, windows etc. and round up to the nearest foot. Add 10% extra for cutting and waste.

Most moulding mitre joints are at a 90° angle and consist of 2 pieces of moulding cut at opposing 45° angles. When fitted together they should form a tight right angle. For tight mitre joints, nail and glue at joint as shown.

To fill nail holes, repair scratches, dents, and gouges, simply sand the affected area lightly with a fine or extra fine sandpaper using a sanding block. Always use a non-shrinking filler. A lightweight Spackle or Shur-Patch is best. Follow the manufacturer’s directions to achieve best results. For stainable mouldings use a filler that closely matches the wood colour. Once holes have been filled and allowed to dry, lightly sand these areas to remove any rough spots.

A return is where the profile of a moulding is carried from the front of the profile around to the wall to give the ends an appealing and finished look. This is commonly done on door and window headers, chair rails, mantels, and handrails. To do a return, measure the overall width of the header etc, then cut both outside edges at 45° angles back toward the header. Then cut your return pieces at opposite 45° and then trim them to the correct thickness to return to the wall.