Trim & Moldings

Moldings, also called trim are wood pieces that have been incorporated into homes to add detail to flat walls and cover up places where gaps have been left between material. They were the carpenters signature much like a plaster texture on a fished wall.

There are more trims and moldings than flavors of ice cream. There are multitudes of materials and combinations to create a unique look. From solid wood to finger- jointed and MDF there is something out there to dress up a space in style. In most cases we are remodeling in Boise’s historic areas are matching existing materials. Levco occasionally get to add materials that may have been there or do what is necessary to harmonize with an existing material. In rare cases when something cant be found we can have our own custom trim created. Craftsman style is based upon a look that was common at the turn of the century and is not a hard and fast thing. The key is simple, heavy door headers and no more than 3 pieces.

Here is a partial list of common molding terms from the bottom of a wall up.

Shoe Molding: A quarter round piece often placed in front of baseboard. with hardwood floors this piece can be removed during refinishing to get the sander to the edges. It also hides short hardwood pieces.

Chair Rail Molding: A molding the t circles the room at the altitude of a chair back, often used to protect a wall and occasionally to change colors.

Picture Molding: A molding usually placed at the top of doorways and windows that circles the walls to hand pictures in days gone by.

Shadow Molding: A molding the circles the room usually within 1/2″ if the ceiling used to provide a small shadow and tale the eye away from an irregular ceiling.

Crown Molding: A molding that is more commonly used that is set at an angle in the corner of wall to ceiling. These can be quite ornate.

Craftsman casing and picture molding

In one case we saw   in a hallway and noticed it was not in the main living room. We added some at a constant altitude regardless of the random window and door casing heights and it tied the room together.

Craftsman casing

In another case we added craftsman style casings and window moldings to the new addition and came back 2 years later and updated the original part of the home to tie the two together.

No matter the style or type we can assist in restoring the original look or creating a new one with clever finish carpentry that fits the look you want to achieve.

Sound transmission characteristics

As a professional remodeler,Levco is asked to fix many kinds of house problems. Over the years this is where much of the challenge and joy comes form for us. Discovering cleaver ways to solve the problems gives a sense of accomplishment that inspires us to be creative. Here is how we approached and ultimately solved our latest challenge. I began with a definition: Sound is defined as a vibration in an elastic medium, that is, any material (air, water, physical object) that returns to its normal state after being deflected by an outside force such as a sound vibration. The more elastic a substance, the better it can conduct sound. Lead, for instance, is very inelastic and therefore a poor sound conductor. Steel, on the other hand, is highly elastic, making it an excellent conductor of sound. Sound travels not only in a straight path from its source but also bounces off partitions, bends around barriers and squeezes through small openings, all of which can allow noise to reach surprisingly far beyond its point of origin.

Floor ceiling assembly

When ever we approach situations that are technical and we want to accomplish a certain goal such as sound reduction we do the research. Occasionally a supplier or vendor is as far as we need to go . The internet has been amazing too. We usually end up with a few options, narrowing down the options has to do with finding the balance between cost vs value, time, and quality. Once a plan is agreed upon we simply use the materials with the manufacturers suggested installation techniques so that we can stand behind our work. This time sound transmissions between upper and lower apartments is the problem. There are building code requirements that address fire and sound for new construction, but this home was built in the early 1900′s. Our research turned up many products available claiming to reduce transmissions dramatically, like sound blankets and Quietrock , the materials we chose were readily available, easy to install, promised good results, and relatively inexpensive. USG

Securing the Rock to RC-1

the manufacturer of Drywall and Resilient Channel has provided us with drawings, test results, and materials to accomplish the best practices that we are following. In most applications the wall or ceiling surface diaphragm (e.g. drywall panels) contacts the framing members and provides an uninterrupted path for sound travel. Our goal is to interrupted by mounting the surface diaphragm to resilient channels RC-1 attached to the ceiling joists perpendicularly and placing sound insulation inside the partition cavity then installing 5/8 ” drywall (to create a one hour fire wall) making sure not to screw into the joists. This process called decoupling was our plan to fix this ceiling and floor assembly to reduce sound transmission. Although we do not have acoustic testing equipment to prove it, nor the option of using several products to compare results, our crude testing IE: loud radio, yelling, and stomping tests satisfy everyone that we improved the situation dramatically and our fix was very successful.

Tim nailing on the bull nose

Taping & Texturing follows on the heels of installation of the drywall. It is the remnants of plastering and is all about getting the connections or seams and nails smooth then adding the texture that we want. Whether we want smooth wall or orange peel there are as many ways to texture as there are people who apply it. My dad used to say it is like the tapers signature. Tim Jones is our taper and he is a third generation taper. He has poured himself into the project. We are using bull nose corners to harmonize with the existing style of the home. The Owners have selected a Sun Valley texture which I here is quite similar to the Santa Fe.

bull nose on the windows

I suppose it has many regional names. Once dry the painters will apply a sealer/primer and then color coats of paint. The texture on this project, like most we do… is a critical component of the finish product. Although there are as many textures as there are tapers, we always do a sample area for approval. Tim nailed the look the owner was hoping for on the first attempt. Bull nose corners are also an integral part of the look of this project. Originally they were plastered with the same look. We used a mini size and incorporated them into the wood  windows a very tricky operation that will create a fantastic look especially because the wood windows will be stained and sealed at the end.