What wood trim does
Wood trim covers the joints where walls meet floors, ceilings and door frames. Baseboards, door and window casings, crown moulding, chair rails, reveals and cap pieces all fall into this category. Besides looks, trim protects wall edges from impacts and hides small gaps between materials.
In commercial work, trim ranges from simple painted profiles in offices to stained hardwood in boardrooms, restaurants and professional suites. Rubber or vinyl base is often used for durability in service areas, and our crew installs that too.
Installation details
Good trim depends on the work that came before it. Walls need to be straight, floors need to be level and door frames need to be set properly. When those are right, trim goes on cleanly. When they are not, carpenters spend time hiding errors.
Because our interior systems crew frames and boards the walls, our carpenters get a wall that was built with trim in mind. Joints in long runs are staggered and scarfed, corners are mitred or coped to suit the material, and nails are set and filled for painting or staining.
Finishing is coordinated with our painters. Trim is often pre-primed or pre-finished before installation, then touched up after it is in place. Having the painters on the same team means the finishing standard is agreed up front.
- Baseboards and cove base
- Door and window casings
- Crown moulding and cap trim
- Wood reveals and transitions
- Stained or painted finishes
What to plan for
Decide on materials early. MDF takes paint well and costs less, solid hardwood suits stained finishes, and veneered or laminate trim can match millwork. Moisture-prone areas need materials that will not swell.
Acclimatize wood before installation. Alberta's heating season can leave a building very dry, and wood trim that was stored in a damp place can shrink after it is installed. We keep material on site long enough to adjust.
Plan the order of work. Trim typically goes in after flooring and before final paint, and each trade needs to avoid damaging the other. Our foremen manage the sequence.