Plaster moulding combined with resins and placed under pressure to form a material that can easily be shaped with common tools It is important that plaster moulding should not be used where moisture problems might be present, such as in a bathroom or near a basement floor.
"Finger-jointed"
moulding is a slightly more expensive alternative to plaster moulding. "
Plaster
Moulding serve many purposes. They are primarily used to make a continuous,
attractive transition where different surface materials or angles meet.
Plaster
Moulding are considered very decorative and using them can add unique aspects
to rooms, doors, windows and mantles.
They can also be used to cover or hide problem areas, and to protect softer
surfaces. Plaster Moulding are available in thousands of profiles, yet they can
be classified into only a few groups, depending upon where they are used in a
room: floors, doors, walls, windows and ceilings.
Plaster moulding
is usually found at the "base"
of a wall where it meets the floor. Base caps sit on top of a square board and gives the combination a more graceful
look. This was the best way to display
pictures in older homes with plaster walls, where it was impractical to use
nails. Ceiling moulding is placed at the
top of a wall, where the wall and ceiling meet.
The
moulding you will most often find here are the crown moulding. Crown moulding is always "sprung", meaning that the
back edges are beveled so that they may be
placed where non-parallel surfaces meet. They are used to cover large
angles.
There
are hundreds of different patterns of the crown,
and the combinations are virtually limitless. Baseboards
and aprons can be used on the top and
bottom of a moulding crown to make it look more massive and extend its
coverage.
Crowns
can be "built up" from multiple patterns, and other types of moulding
can be added for different effects. Decorative Plaster Mouldings can be used on the exterior of
homes and structures, as well as the interior. Rake moulding is
used where roofs have a slant or "rake".
Shingle
moulding is placed below the edges of
shingle roofs, creating a more pleasing visual appearance than flat boards, and
helping to support the shingles that extend past the roof decking. Bed moulding
is narrow, sprung or flat moulding with
the same purpose as crowns.
Brick
moulding is used as an exterior casing
for windows and doors. It is a thick, blocky moulding that provides a surface
for brick or other exterior veneers, such as siding, to join against. Drop caps have
an angled profile that allows the moulding to sit on top of a window or door
casing, and carry water to the outside. It usually has a small cove on the
bottom to keep water from running back toward the structure.
Today,
most people prefer a non-rot material for exterior mouldings. PVC (polyvinyl
chloride), fiber cement or composite wood made from recycled plastic and wood
fibers are the materials most often preferred, because of their low maintenance
and reasonable cost.
