Aug 8 2006
Molding is the key to making a room or decorating scheme look completely finished, bringing a coordinated design to a wondrous result. Polyurethane moldings, improving on traditional wood and other materials, now make it more possible than ever to add molding to a room with a minimum of effort and cost, and with never-before-seen versatility and longevity.
Although polyurethane moldings can be--and often are--installed just as purchased, there are numerous finishes which can be added to reflect a room’s style and décor. The moldings are pre-primed, and polyurethane’s density allows it to accept stains, paints or any coatings with extreme ease.
"We find that most people, when they install decorative architectural moldings, want to accent it to bring out its uniqueness," says Tom Gough, Sales and Marketing Manager for Architectural Ornament, a leading innovator in polyurethane moldings. "There are three top molding finishing scenarios which are the most popular, and which most everybody can do."
The most popular finish is wood grain, in which the molding is finished to match the wood grain of an installed panel or furnishings, or even simply to give a wooden accent to a room. To apply this finish, paint is first applied which will be the lightest color in the wood grain. If a paneling is being matched, one would match the paint to the lightest color of the grain in the paneling. Then, a darker gel-stain (approximating the darkest color of the desired grain effect) is applied with a cheese-cloth or a graining brush or tool. And voila! a molding which is virtually indistinguishable from wood.
When a metallic finish is desired for polyurethane moldings, a procedure which is only a little more involved will bring it a startling elegance. This method is done in 2 stages, the first being painting the entire molding a basic color. Following that, a metallic pen, or metallic paint applied with a fine brush, can be added to molding details to make them gold, silver, or any other metallic color. This type of finish can be used to bring the same look as the far more expensive gold leafing of the past.
The next most popular is color washing which allows the decorative details of moldings, such as crown molding, to really be brought out using different shades of the same color. First, the product is completely painted a solid color. Then, darker color paint is mixed with water or glaze, painted onto the molding, and then wiped off with a rag. The lighter color remains on the highlights of the molding and accents them, while the darker color stays in the recesses and crevices. This method is often used when molding and walls are the same color, and there is a desire for the decorative molding to stand out.