Crown Moulding Materials for Your Interior
Published : 28th June 2019 in Miscellaneous
A crown moulding (these days a term more commonly used in North America) refers to a moulding that crowns any surface i.e. comes on the very top of it to give the structure a finishing touch. It is also used to provide a decorative outline. The most common materials used for the purpose are polyurethane, wood, and plaster. These materials differ widely when it comes to their cost, quality, and installation process.
Choosing a material for your crown moulding can be a difficult task. Here is a run-down of materials that you can choose from:
Hardwoods
Natural wood is one of the most common and feasible materials used for crown mouldings. The hardwoods like mahogany and oak are great for the purpose as they can be easily painted with your choice of stains. In addition, you can form any kind of patterns you want with it as it can be carved with ease.
Softwoods
Softwoods like pine and aspen are a cheaper alternative to hardwoods. They are great for crown mouldings as the trees are available in abundance and can be cut with little effort. They can be painted and also carved easily into a choice of patterns.
Medium Density Fibreboard
Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF) is a cheap substitute for softwood. The MDF that comes with a natural wood veneer can be stained whereas the ones that come without them need to be painted. It is easy to cut and is fairly lightweight but prone to dents.
Plaster
There are several varieties of plaster available but they all work in a similar manner. If you want a grand interior, then it is the right choice for you. It needs to be painted, is prone to cracking, costly, and its application is difficult due to its heavy weight.
Polyvinyl Chloride
Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) is immune to dampness. It will not rot or get damaged when it comes in contact with moisture. Therefore, it works well for places where humidity is a concern. The design choices are very limited though and it’s difficult to paint PVC in a neat manner.
Hardened Polyurethane/Duropolymer
Polyurethane is known to be cost-effective, stable, and more immune to rotting then wood. It comes in a vast range of profiles. The material can be cut and painted with ease but is known to dent if handled heavily. Therefore the installation needs to be implemented with caution. Polyurethane is known to be the most durable of materials for crown mouldings.
Flexible Polyurethane
This material is used on window bays and curved walls being that it is ‘rubbery’ and therefore making it suitable for bending around a radius – something that is very difficult to achieve in any other material. It is expensive, needs to be ordered specially but will not split or break.