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Molding 101

Call it crown, batten, or baseboard - most houses use molding throughout to accent architectural design, protect walls, and enhance aesthetics. It is a desirable selling point when marketing a house for sale - and something that can easily be added to a room for minimal effort and expense.

Here are 5 of the most common types of molding seen in houses today

* Casing - Casing is used to frame a door or window and cover the gap between the wall and the frame. All doors need at least a simple 1-inch casing, but variations can include ridges, fanciful grooves, and corner medallions.

* Baseboard - Baseboards are used to trim the bottoms of walls where they meet the floor, creating a clean look and hiding gaps. Often simple and painted a lighter color than the wall, they might include decorative trim too.

* Crown and Cove - Crowm moldings adorn the tops of walls where they meet the ceiling, covering seams and framing the walls. They can be carved with intricate ridges, slopes, and silhouettes. Cove moldings also adorn the tops of walls but is simpler in detail with a concave curve.

* Chair Rail - Chair molding runs along walls at a height of 2-3 feet and is functional in protecting walls from damage from furniture. Sometimes it delineates two types of wall coverings, such as a painted wall on top with wainscoting below.

* Picture Rail - Picture rails run closer to the ceiling and provide a means to hang artwork/pictures without nails in the wall.Varying the paint color above and below a picture rail can create an interesting design element too.

I see many uses of molding in the houses I view each week - and I can let you know if it’s a project worth undertaking before listing your house for sale (often, yes!).