Mouldings A-Z
Apron – A piece of horizontal sash or window
trim applied against the wall immediately below the
stool; serves to conceal the joint made by the sash
or window frame sill & the plaster on interior finish
surface.
Astragal – An interior moulding attached to
one of a pair of doors or sash in order to prevent swinging
through; also used with sliding doors to ensure tighter
fitting where the doors meet.
Baluster (Spindle) - Vertical piece used to
fill an open area between railing and floor or tread,
helping to support the railing. Square or turned spindle-like
vertical stair pieces supporting the stair rail.
Balustrade - A barrier system which includes
handrails, newels and balusters. A railing that consists
of a series of balusters resting on a base, usually
the treads, and supporting a continuous horizontal stair
or hand rail.
Base - Moulding applied around the perimeter
of a room at the point of intersection of the wall and
finish floor; base shoe is generally used with it, forming
a two piece base; (also baseboard, mopboard or skirting.)
Bead - Semicircular or rounded profile worked
on wood; also a small moulding to secure glass or panels
to doors, hence "glass bead."
Bead and Cove - Combination of a "bead" and
a "cove" profile.
Bracket – Primarily for decorative exterior
use including porches, cornices, and part of gable end
decoration. Interior uses can support or hide joints
between beam and wall, embellishments for doorways,
supports for shelving, and hanging objects. A wood piece
originally intended to support verge boards, hoods for
porches or stoops, overhangs and cornices; today, used
primarily decorative.
Cap - Upper piece of an entrance, wainscot,
partition or pilaster; (also cap trim, wainscot cap,
dado moulding, chair rail cap); top portion, above the
fluted area, of a pilaster; (also capital).
Capital – Marks the termination of a shaft and
the beginning of a horizontal support of beam (entablature)
or lintel or of arch and support; same as Cap.
Casing – Moulded or surfaced-four-sides pieces
of various widths and thicknesses for trimming out door
and window openings; casing may be classified as “exterior”
or “interior” as far as window and exterior door frames
are concerned; also classified as “side” or “head” casing.
Ceiling Medallion - Plaster like ornamental
round ceiling accent, sometimes used as a trim collar
for ceiling fans or hanging lights. Can be used in a
sequence to create interesting ceiling and wall designs.
Chair Rail - Part of a group of mouldings used
to define the lower section of the wall, and to protect
the wall from harsh scratches, as from furniture. When
used in conjunction with paneling or wainscoting the
rail serves as an ornamental cap. An interior moulding
originally intended to be applied along the wall of
a room to prevent the chair from marring the wall.
Chamfer – A corner of a board beveled at a 45-degree
angle; two boards butt-jointed & with chamfered edges
form a “V” joint or right angle.
Column - Supporting or decorative pillar used
in building. Upright supporting piece circular or rectangular
in plan consisting of base, shaft and capital.
Corbel - A large decorative bracket.
Corner Blocks – Square blocks used in place
of mitering the sides and head casing.
Cornice (Cornice Mouldings) - Prominent horizontal
projection moulding that crowns the wall of a building.
Moulding such as crown, bead and cove applied to cornice
construction. 1 a : the molded and projecting horizontal
piece that crowns an architectural composition b : a
top course that crowns a wall. The exterior trim of
a structure at the meeting of the roof and wall; usually
consisting of boards and mouldings; also the interior
trim at the meeting of the ceiling and sidewalls; the
top part of the entablature.
Cove Moulding - Moulding with a concave profile
used primarily where two pieces meet at a right angle;
a rounded inside corner; opposite to a bullnose; (also
scotia, cavetto, ceiling cornice). 1 : a recessed place.
a : an architectural piece with a concave cross section
b : a trough for concealed lighting at the upper part
of a wall.
Crown Moulding - Moulding used on cornice or
wherever an interior angle is to be covered. A sprung
moulding used where two surfaces meet at an angle; usually
applied wherever a larger angle is to be covered; (also
cornice moulding).
Dentil Block - Smaller rectangle block which
can be spaced closely together in a series or in sequence
with moulding.
Dentil Moulding (Dentil Trim) (D) - Series of
small square blocks evenly spaced and projecting like
teeth as used in cornice, front entrances and mantels
and crossheads.
Door Casings/Window Casings - To case in a door
or window is to enclose it with a moulding or series
of mouldings. These are called casings and are part
of the stock of most millwork suppliers. Casings range
from simple beaded boards to highly complex series of
profiles. In addition to mouldings, window or door casing
might include such elements as corner blocks, a keystone,
and base blocks. (See arches, door heads, pilasters,
door/window moulding).
Door/Window Moulding - Trim moulding used as
part of door or window casing. Often used along with
door or window crosshead and rosettes.
Emboss - Pressing a pattern into the wood by
changing the wood fibers.
Entablature – The portion of a building faced
with horizontal mouldings lengthwise above a series
of columns or pilasters and comprising the architrave,
frieze and cornice; the structure that rests on the
top of the capital of a column.
Egg and Dart - Moulding design using an egg
and dart alternately. The egg is said to represent life,
and the dart death.
Elliptical - Shaped like an ellipse (which is
a closed plane curve that is oval in shape).
Fascia Moulding - Trim moulding applied to fascia
board (horizontal facing board just below edge of roof
line). A flat board, band, or face, used sometimes by
itself, but usually in combination with mouldings, often
located at outer face of cornice.
Finger Joint - Small pieces of wood are recycled
and jointed together to create long lengths of wood
for millwork at a inexpensive price.
Finial - Ornament at the top of a gable or
spire, or at the end of certain structures. (See Balls).
Flute - One of the long, parallel, rounded,
decorative grooves on the shaft of a column or pilaster.
Frieze - A decorative, often sculptured, horizontal
band along the upper part of a building or a wall in
a room. In house construction, a horizontal piece connecting
the top of the siding with the soffit of the cornice.
Hardwood – One of the botanical groups of trees
that has broad leaves in contrast to the needle-like
leaves of the conifers or softwoods; hardwoods are (1)
deciduous (shed their leaves in the fall or at the end
of each growing season), (2) have shorter-length wood
fibers than softwoods, (3) contain cells (vessels) of
relatively large diameters (in addition to the wood
fibers) and (4) have seed enclosed by an ovary.
Jamb - Top and two sides of a door or window
frame which contact the door or sash; top jamb and side
jambs.
Keystone – Traditionally the topmost piece of
an arch. Most often appears as part of an entryway surround
or window crosshead. Available in three styles including
plain, recessed panel, and art deco.
Moulding - Ornamental strip used to decorate
a surface, often used to accent or emphasize the ornamentation
of a structure and to conceal surface or angle joints.
Moulding Block (Inside, Outside) - A moulded
corner system that eliminates the need for difficult
angled cuts. Lineal mouldings easily join up to these
preformed corners.
Mullion – The upright or vertical piece dividing
the panels in a door; the vertical piece of a sash,
window or door frame between openings in a multiple-opening
frame. It forms a division between units of a window,
door, or screen or can be used decoratively.
Niche - A wall recess that is traditionally
used to display a sculpture or ornamental object.
Ogee – Having an “S”-shaped or reverse-curve
profile; the “ogee” arch was pointed with an “ogee”
curve on each side and was prominent in Gothic architecture.
1 : a molding with an S-shaped profile. 2 : a pointed
arch having on each side a reversed curve near the apex.
Ornaments – A group of select, highly decorative
wall and ceiling motifs, such as garlands, leaves, scrolls,
shells, shields, sunburst, and wreath embellishments.
Ball ornaments include urns, acorns, pineapples, etc.
Pediment - Used to describe the topmost piece
of a formal entryway (Pediment stacks above the crosshead)
and includes the caps or heads which ornament windows
and interior door. A low-pitched triangular entrance
head or cap; triangle formed by sloping roof and horizontal
cornice.
Picture Moulding – A narrow moulding along the
perimeter of the walls near the ceiling line to support
hooks for picture hanging.
Pilaster - Vertical column, often ornamental,
that projects slightly from the wall. Most are purely
decorative. May be rectangle or half round; often has
a base (plinth block), shaft (middle section), and capital.
Used most often as simulated columns in entryways and
other door openings as well as fireplace mantels.
Plinth Block - Square block at the base of a
column or pilaster; plinth blocks are sturdier and have
a better appearance; are thicker and wider than the
abutting pieces.
Railing - Horizontal bar supported at both ends
or at intervals by posts, as in a balustrade, and used
as a barrier. The horizontal piece of a window or door
sash.
Rosette - A square block with a circular decorative
design in the center usually used as a corner block
as part of the casing around windows and doors. Also,
a turned (usually circular or oval) decorative wood
plaque secured to a plastered wall and abutted by the
end of the stair rail. Can simply be used as a decorative
item, as desired.
Scallop - One of a series of curves shaped like
semicircles that form a border.
Shoe Moulding - Quarter round trim applied at
the bottom of baseboard where it meets the floor.
Softwoods – One of the botanical groups of trees
that has continuous needle-like or scale-like leaves;
softwoods are evergreen (only three important native
species being deciduous), have longer-length fibers
than hardwoods, do not contain vessels and have seeds
naked; also known as “cone bearers” or “conifers.” Fast
growing softwoods.
Wainscoting - A lower interior wall surface
(usually 3 to 4 feet above the floor) that contrasts
with the wall surface above it. An interior wall composed
of two different interior wall surfaces, one above the
other.
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