There are many materials available for creating decorative interior trim.
While wood is a traditional material for interior trim, there are a range of alternatives available that offer similar aesthetics as well as some practical advantages. If, for example, you're looking to add crown molding in the bathroom but you're concerned about moisture, you might consider one of several natural or synthetic materials on the market, including plaster, composites and PVC.
Plaster
A relatively traditional trim material, plaster works well for creating ornate interior trim and molding, as still visible in many pre-war homes. Plaster trim was extremely popular in interiors between the mid-18th century and the 1930s. Easily made from gypsum and lime, plaster is both a durable and a highly adaptable material. To give it form, you can model, cast, cut, color, stamp or stencil the plaster to achieve the desired look. One shortcoming of the material is its susceptibility to water damage, evidenced in older homes with original plaster molding. Aside from the use of plaster for crown and baseboard molding, one traditional use of the material for trim is for ceiling medallions, the ornamental rings or floral designs where chandeliers would traditionally hang.
Composites
One means of combining the best qualities of two building materials is by creating a new composite material. For interior trim, it's important that materials be both durable and malleable. That way you can both shape them to the desired form and expect long-lasting performance. One composite used for trim molding uses both plaster and fiberglass. The strands of fiberglass lend increased strength to the plaster, updating the old standard for trim material. Compared with wood trim, composites that use various man-made materials or plastics also provide better resistance against moisture damage, making them ideal for installing in damp areas, such as bathrooms or kitchens.
Cellular Trim
Cellular PVC trim has an appearance strikingly similar to wood trim, with the advantage of a much longer lifespan. The material's "cellular" structure consists of trapping tiny air pockets inside a liquid form of vinyl, called vinyl chloride. This magma-like material then gets molded into solid strips of trim. After these dense, sturdy boards are produced, they can be turned into decorative shapes much like wooden trim, often using the same materials. However, the cellular trim will remain true to form, resisting any cracking, warping, shrinking or rotting due to moisture or temperature change. Finally, assuming you're looking for trim in white, the cellular trim won't require any painting.
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