Radiused
moldings
The look: Arched
interior openings
date back to the
Federal style but
became more
common after
industrialization
gave us circular saws and milling
machines, making carved and bent wood
easier to produce. Today, finishing curves
with wood molding is an expensive and
time-consuming process that requires
relief cuts or steam bending to build up
the look in layers. Rubber molding can be
ordered to match any style.
The shortcut: Rubber profiles easily bend
around curves, you can use traditional
tools to install them, and they take
paint and stain well. All of which makes
them typically less expensive than using
real wood.
Flexible molding
is easier to work
when it's warm.
Make it pliable by letting it sit
in the sun or heating it in an
oven to 80-degrees F.
Tip:
Carriage doors
The look: Until the early 20th century,
it was common to shelter a horse and
carriage in an outbuilding with swing-out
wood doors made with exposed X-shaped
or diagonal bracing and hand-forged
hardware.
The shortcut: Composite roll-up versions
have all the energy efficiency of a modern,
insulated garage door but use a frame-
and-panel design made from stained,
maintenance-free materials and cost only
10 percent more than a cedar door.
