Trim and wainscoting in Charlotte
Trim carpentry covers crown moulding, baseboard, door and window casing, chair rail and wainscoting, including picture-frame and raised-panel treatments. It is the work that makes a plain room read as finished. MDO Contracting installs wainscoting, crown and trim across Charlotte, NC.
Trim is measured in sixteenths. A crown joint that opens up in the first winter or a baseboard that does not meet the casing cleanly is visible from across the room forever.
What the job involves
- Crown moulding, single and built-up profiles, in rooms that are never square
- Wainscoting: picture-frame, board and batten, raised and flat panel, with cap and chair rail
- Door and window casing, including craftsman and colonial styles
- Baseboard and shoe, matched to what exists or upgraded through the house
- Fill, caulk, prime and paint, so the room is done when the crew leaves
How the work runs
- 01
Match or choose profiles
Existing trim is measured so new work either matches it exactly or upgrades it consistently.
- 02
Layout
Panel spacing and chair rail height are set to the room, the windows and the furniture.
- 03
Cut and install
Coped inside corners, mitred outside corners, scarf joints on long runs, all nailed to framing.
- 04
Finish
Fill, caulk, prime, paint. Two coats, sprayed where the room allows.
Wainscoting, crown and trim questions
- What height should wainscoting be?
- Roughly a third of the wall is the traditional starting point, adjusted so the cap clears window sills and does not fight the light switches.
- Can crown be added to an eight foot ceiling?
- Yes, with a smaller profile. Oversized crown on a low ceiling makes the room feel shorter.
- MDF or wood?
- Primed MDF is stable and paints beautifully for interior trim that will be painted. Wood is for stain-grade work or wet areas.
- Will the joints crack?
- Properly coped and glued joints on trim that has acclimated in the house hold up. Cracks come from trim installed straight off the truck in a room that then changes humidity.
- Do you paint the trim too?
- Yes. The job is finished when it is painted, not when it is nailed up.
Wainscoting, crown and trim across the Charlotte area
MDO Contracting works Charlotte and roughly 50 miles out from it. This service comes up most in: