Architectural Trim

With a little do-it-yourself magicand the help of master DIY author William Spenceyou can make a big difference in the look of your house.

Sound advice for the finishing touch Decorative trim, such as baseboards, moldings, wainscoting, and casings, adds warmth and depth to otherwise sterile rooms. Home Design Details: Architectural Trim provides practical advice and inspiration for wall, ceiling, door, window, stairway, and built-in trim for every room of the home. The relatively low cost to install new trim coupled with the fact that installation requires only a few tools, makes installing trim a popular home improvement job. While many books cover the basics of installing trim, Home Design Details: Architectural Trim goes a step further and explains why popular designs work so effectively, and how to recreate them in your own home. It is the only book on the subject that breaks apart the details of each room in the home and provides specific information on why design decisions were made each step of the way. Each detail is featured in a three-dimensional illustration so the reader can see how each piece of trim or molding was created. Simple step-by-step DIY projects are provided as well as comprehensive information for making the right design decision for any space.

Shows homeowners how to choose and use moldings and trim. Includes design concepts. Over 500 full-color photos and illustrations.

Publisher description

-- Offers practical advice on selecting tools, installing molding, and more

The National Park Service, a branch of the Department of the Interior, knows preservation. In its hundred-year existence, the service has dealt with just about every problem an old structure can have. Whether it is removing graffiti in Manhattan or rebuilding a barn in Oregon, the National Park Service knows what to do. Here are the official U.S. guidelines, a lively and instructive collection of tried and tested knowledge and reliable techniques, written by the top experts in the field. Over forty fully illustrated chapters addressing topics such as: — cleaning and waterproof coating of historic masonry — roofing for historic buildings — the preservation of historic glazed architectural terra-cotta — exterior paint problems on historic woodwork — the preservation of historic barns — heating, ventilating, and cooling historic buildings — historic signs — applied decoration for historic interiors — using substitute materials on historic building exteriors — understanding old buildings — understanding architectural cast iron Every chapter is written with the utmost detail and clarity so that any reader can perform the safest and most historically accurate repairs. The book also offers invaluable advice on what not to do that can save a homeowner thousands of dollars, hours, and perhaps a priceless piece of architecture. For the hobbyist or the professional restorer, The Preservation of Historic Architecture is the definitive government text on restoring, repairing, and preserving old buildings.