DIY Installing Dentil Moulding
Posted in Construction How-To Construction How-To Finish Carpentry Construction How-To Mantels. Trim Construction How-To Molding Trim Carpentry
By Matt Weber
Crown Dentil Moulding adds depth and character to a room.
Dentil moulding can make your millwork smile. Like a row of perfectly spaced pearly whites, dentil moulding is a series of repeating rectangular blocks that adds depth and character to millwork such as fascia trim and crown profiles. This style of moulding has been popular for centuries, and traditional installation was a time-consuming and labor-intensive process that required combining all the individual pieces.
Today, homeowners have a few different options when considering dentil moulding (also spelled dentil molding). For a custom look, ambitious installers can still combine various moulding profiles with a strip of dentil trim to create elaborate built-up cornice moulding. With this type of multi-layered trim, the various profiles are installed in laps around the room until all the pieces are in place.
The second and more common option is to purchase the trim with the dentil moulding preattached to the profile. In other words, the manufacturer is assembling the pieces, but you’ll be expected to pay for the service. Crown dentil moulding made from wood is commonly available at most home stores, and for stain-grade profiles where the woodgrain will be visible, this is the most user-friendly option although great skill is still required to achieve perfectly mitered and coped corner joints.
Preassembled wooden stain-grade moulding saves time and labor when homeowners prefer visible woodgrain.
For paint-grade projects, we suggest a third option—synthetic moulding. You can purchase single-piece polyurethane foam or vinyl moulding, which are less expensive, weigh less and resist shrinkage, peeling and other problems associated with built-up moulding. Urethane trim manufacturers offer a variety of sizes and styles of dentil moulding. Plus, with paint-grade projects, minor errors in the installation can be repaired with caulk and painted over. This article details a crown dentil moulding installation using urethane trim manufactured by Fypon (www.fypon.com).
Tools Required
Safety Glasses
Tape Measure
Hammer or Pneumatic Nailer
Nail Countersink
Corrosion-resistant Finishing Nails
Caulk Gun
Polyurethane Construction Adhesive
Caulk or Wood Filler
Sandpaper
Pencil
Latex or Oil Base Paint
Miter Saw or Hand Saw and Miter Box
