Interior Trim Materials

Wood is the most popular interior trim material, but not all wood is created equal. Here are a few commonly-used terms to describe different types of trim materials.

Clear: A piece of moulding is cut from one piece of wood. Clear mouldings are used for stain-grade applications.

Finger-Jointed: The piece of moulding is made out of the best parts of several pieces of wood and joined together to form longer lengths. Finger-jointed wood has become popular as wood resources have been depleted. In order to achieve the long lengths desired in the building industry and use only quality wood, it became economical to cut out poor quality wood and piece together the remaining quality wood into the longer lengths needed. Finger-jointed mouldings are very common today and are used for paint-grade applications.

Flexible Mouldings: These mouldings made of bendable material such as a polymer blend  and are used for curved applications. Flexible mouldings are a less expensive option to a custom curved wood casing or moulding or where wood cannot be bent appropriately.

Solid Jamb: A solid door jamb is a one-piece jamb that holds a door in place. More stable and durable than a split-jamb door, the solid jamb is considered a higher quality product. The solid jamb is especially beneficial when hanging heavy doors such as solid core molded doors, MDF doors or wood doors.

Split-Jamb: A split jamb is a jamb that comes in two pieces and is nailed together on site. Not as sturdy or durable as the solid jamb, it is considered a lower quality product.