Mouldings
Product Type
Subcategory
Timber mouldings are sections of softwood and hardwood (such as Pine, Spruce, Oak cedar, ash or Douglas Fir), or MDF, where one side of the timber has been formed or carved into a decorative ‘profile’ to add interest to certain areas of a room.
These decorative mouldings are products such as architrave and skirting boards, which are fitted around the edges of a wall, floor, doorway or room. In a practical sense, these mouldings exist to hide the join between floor and wall, for example, to give the space a streamlined finish.
A wide range of styles and designs are found in timber mouldings. Some are minimalist and create a clean, simple, line around the edges of rooms, while others can be extremely decorative to add interest and a strong architectural feature to a space.
In older, period-style properties such as Edwardian, Georgian and Victorian buildings, mouldings including cornices, coving, picture rails and dado rails were regularly fitted, with each period having its own distinct style though these are less commonly found in modern UK buildings. There is a trend for some period-style mouldings to be retrofitted into more modern buildings, however, to echo the more decorative profiles used in the past.
- Skirtings
- Architraves and Architrave Blocks
- Door linings, door stops and door sets
- Dado rails, picture rails, cornices and handrails
- Window sections, glazing, staff and parting beads
- Picture and panel mouldings to create frames
- Internal matchings such as Tongue, Groove and V jointed (TGV) or shiplap.
Whether formed of hardwood or softwood, timber mouldings are usually supplied unpainted ready to be stained, painted or varnished on site. MDF mouldings will always be primed or fully finished.
Pine or Oak skirting boards, for example, have a natural wood grain that can be enhanced using varnishes or stains, while MDF offers a knot and grain-free surface that is easy to paint or stain.
MDF mouldings are also available with Real Wood Veneers, or Foil Wraps, which can provide a wood-effect appearance. Veneer options available include Oak, Walnut, Beech, Maple and Cherry, while wraps can be supplied in various colours, with or without a high-gloss finish.
Mouldings are quoted in finished sizes, with most merchant products available packaged to a standard length (bespoke lengths are also available from many suppliers).
- Skirtings and architraves: normally 4.2m, 4.5m or 5.4m lengths (5.4m lengths are often preferred by larger housebuilders). Thicknesses range from 15-18mm.
The raw material to create softwood timber mouldings are graded for appearance only, under BS EN 1611-1:2000 Sawn timber: Appearance grading of Softwoods. This standard covers European Spruces, Firs, Pines and Douglas Fir. Appearance grading takes place at sawmills during production. Many merchants also sell timber mouldings based on their own quality criteria, giving them names such as ‘Premium’ or ‘Trade’, which are not always comparable. If in doubt, always ask to see samples from your supplier.
The majority of UK, Northern Irish and European-produced mouldings are available with either FSC® or PEFC™ certification. To check which applies to the products you sell, ask your supplier for their Chain of Custody certificate. If they can’t provide one, find a different supplier.
