5 Tips to Maintain and Preserve Your Wood Mouldings

Wood mouldings are more than just a charming addition to your decor. They add that finishing touch that ties everything together. They make a house feel like a fine home.

What’s more, they’re very easy to take care of. From the occasional wipe to complete restoration, here are 5 useful tips to maintain and preserve your wood mouldings.

Wood moulding maintenance

1. Wipe down occasionally
2. Repaint
3. Strip and refinish
4. Pull nails from the back
5. Protect them

Wipe them down

Just like other areas of our houses, mouldings get dusty and dirty. Could be from spills or splashes, knocks or bumps, pets, and hand or finger touches. The easiest way to keep them in good condition is to give ‘em a wipe with a cloth or sponge dipped in water mixed with a few drops of dish soap. Rinse with a damp cloth or sponge and dry with a clean towel. Do this as often as you need to. It will depend on how busy your household is. Could be once every few months, or once a week in busy, messy areas.

Repaint them

Just like with exterior or interior walls, a fresh coat of paint really rejuvenates and brightens up a surface. If your mouldings look a bit dull or underwhelming, add a fresh coat to freshen them up. Semi-gloss looks exceptionally nice on wood mouldings.

Strip and refinish

There are some good reasons to strip and refinish wood mouldings. For example, if you’re tired of the previous paint colour, or if the varnish is peeling or worn, or if they’ve sustained some damage. Use the appropriate stipper for the finish you want to remove, then apply your new finish.

Pull nails from the back

When removing a nail from wood mouldings, if you hammer it from the back to come back out the front, there’s a good chance you’ll take some of the top layer of the moulding with it. It’s best to pull them through the back. Also, don’t reuse the same nail hole as it’s likely too loose now. Instead, add another nail beside that one and use an appropriate filler to fill the original hole left behind.

Protect them

Humidity is really harmful to wood, causing it to warp, mould and rot. So it’s important to keep the areas around your mouldings dry. For windows, install storm windows to keep condensation down. After you mop the floors, wipe off any water on your baseboards with a dry cloth. If your room is generally humid, add a dehumidifier to remove some of the moisture from the air.

Alpine Mouldings provides quality real wood trim and mouldings for doors, windows, and more. Available in pine, fir, and hardwood and can be finished to meet traditional, rustic, and contemporary designs. We have what you need. Give us a call! 403-627-8873