Learn commonwall trim ideasand which to use to upgrade your space.
What Is Wall Trim?
Common types of wall trim include baseboards, chair rail, and crown molding.
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Wall trim can be made frommedium-density fiberboard (MDF), wood, or polyurethane.
Wood is more solid and durable than MDF, while polyurethane is moisture-resistant.
Natural wood is best for a natural or stained wood appearance.
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Use either MDF or polyurethane materials if you plan to paint the trim.
A chair railis a horizontal piece of trim that is typically installed 3 to 4 feet above the floor.
These rails originally protected walls from chairs, often in dining rooms.
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Practical and attractive, chair rail is often combined with a lower section ofwainscotingto give the wall added protection.
Together, these elements are an excellent place to contrast molding with wall paint for a classic look.
Crown molding is a durable trim that should be moisture-resistant and last for decades.
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Crown molding costs about $2 to $3 per linear foot.
The cost for a carpenter to install crown molding is about $8 to $10 per linear foot.
They also hide gaps between the bottoms of the walls and the flooring.
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Baseboards range from short, narrow styles to 6-inch or higher baseboards found in many older houses.
Installingbaseboards typically costsabout $0.60 per foot for MDF options and $1.20 for natural wood or PVC.
When tightly installed against a floor, baseboards keep drafts out of the house.
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However, they may eventually developgaps near the floor.
Quarter-round orshoe moldingis thin and flexible, so it matches every curve of the floor and effectively seals gaps.
This wall trim can be stained or painted to match either the floor color or the baseboard color.
Don Klumpp
Pre-made squares typically cost between $8 and $25 and are made from wood or polyurethane.
Polyurethane is the more durable option because it is resistant to moisture and mold.
Picture rail is similar to chair rail, as it is placed horizontally around the room’s perimeter.
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However, it is installed much higher on the wall and has a different profile than chair rail.
Picture rails traditionally held hooks for hanging pictures with wire.
Depending on the material used, picture rails typically cost between $1 and $2 per foot.
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Adding wainscotingcreates highly durable walls that can be stained or painted.
The main types of wainscoting include raised panel, flat panel, beaded panel, and wall panel wainscoting.
Beadboard
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Beadboard is a typeof wainscoting characterized by narrow parallel vertical lines.
The lines can be single lines, but more often they are closely-spaced double lines.
You attach trim to a wall with brad or finish nails.
Sometimes, adhesive supplements the nails in the case of wainscoting or beadboard.
The most popular bang out of wall trim is baseboards.
Nearly every house has baseboards attached to the bottom of the wall, just above the floor.
Shoe molding is also popular, and this is nailed to the bottom of the baseboards.
Cost to Install Trim: Quarter Round, Base & Shoe Molding.
