Installing Trim in an Historic Montford Home

If you love your home and are always looking for ways to make it look "finished," then adding trim may be a great option for you. Trim is one of those things which home builders skimp on, and it's a shame, because it can really make a room. A house without trim is like art without a frame.

Take a look at my latest project and you'll see what I mean:

Before: A bland opening

After: Crisp, like a good tuxedo

My clients' home is in the historic neighborhood of Montford, and it has many old-fashioned architectural details, so I was surprised the builder hadn't installed any trim around the doors. As you can see, it gave the rooms the finishing touch they needed.

I started by measuring the doorways. Then I went back to my workshop to cut and mill the trim pieces. I used pre-primed wood for efficiency, but I made sure to sand and round the edges to soften the look of the wood and make it appear original to the house.

I basically have a portable workshop in my van, so I could have done the mill work onsite, but this kept all of the sawdust and noise in my shop instead of my clients' yard. It made their life easier and kept dust to a minimum.

Once I had it milled up, I took it to their home and cut it to length on site where I could be sure to get the perfect fit.

Of course, I'm simplifying my explanation. There were lots of little details to fiddle with. For example, this doorway was originally out of square, so I had to correct it:

It turned out beautifully. As you can see, the new trim blends in perfectly with the classic woodwork that was already there. It really frames the views into the next room nicely.

Could your home use a few small updates like this? If you live in Asheville or Weaverville, give me a call, I'll be glad to help.

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