Flexible Crown Molding
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Pros discuss product choices and finishing methods. May 4, 2005
Question
Does anyone know of a source for flexible molding with a real veneer face? I have seen the all plastic type, but nothing that resembles real wood.
Forum Responses
From contributor G:
Flex Trim, Resinart, etc. all make resin-based trim with or without wood grain embossed on the surface. Our painters have successfully faux-stained this material to match alder, oak, cherry, etc. The grain is oak. And when I say matched, I mean right on a miter. But I've never seen flexible crown with a real wood veneer.
From contributor B:
If you're going to go to the time and expense of doing an accurate faux stain on flex trim, why not just go with wood from the start? It would seem there would be a small overall savings at best.
From contributor G:
Good question. I guess part of the reason is habit: I'm from S. CA and we do things here a little differently. Faux finish (and other things that aren't real) is a common way of avoiding the order time, the hassle, of getting radius trim from a custom mill shop... We can order it right from our molding distributor, along with the casing. And it's easy to install. There was so much of it in one house, each radius a little different, that we opted for the easiest way on our side. The painter never complained...
From contributor C:
Contributor B brings up an excellent point. Four years ago we paneled a room in Boston's Back Bay using quarter-sawn white oak with a clear finish. We also furnished all the jamb extensions and cabinetry in the same material. This neither seemed to be the neighborhood nor the project where costs savings were of paramount concern. Nonetheless, the contractor insisted on installing a new, pine, divided light window and door and having them faux finished in lieu of having them made out of quarter-sawn white oak. By the time the job was done, everything looked great. The faux finish blended in well.
Four years later, however, the white oak has aged a bit and has changed color, albeit slightly. The faux finished window and door are now embarrassingly conspicuous.
