About hardwood and hardwood molding

Hardwood molding is used in a wide range of applications including home construction and furniture design and hardwoods can be found in flooring, decorative touches around the home, and even cooking and the utensils used to stir your food.

Hardwood molding contrasts with softwood molding because it’s denser than softwood but there is a wide variation in the actual hardness of the wood in both categories of wood moldings. Hardwood may not always be a harder material but when choosing hardwood for moldings it’s usually best to choose woods like Oak or Maple due to the fact that it will stand the test of time better than softwoods like Pine. Balsa wood for example is actually considered a hardwood but you would never use this soft, light wood for a molding project.

Hardwoods are usually harvested from flowering trees that contain millions of tightly packed, water conducting cells that usually don’t occur in softwood trees. Wood is composed of the dead cells of a tree trunk. Did you realize this? The weight and hardness of the wood is usually affected by the density of these cells called tracheids or vessel elements, as well as the amount of lignin and air spaces within the tracheid walls.

There is no actual weight requirement to be labeled a hardwood but, hardwoods can be subdivided into “medium heavy,” “heavy,” “very heavy,” and woods that actually sink in water called “ironwoods.”

Types of hardwood molding that we carry include Red Oak, White Oak, White Maple, Mahogany and Cherry. We can special order many other exotic hardwood molding types – just call us and ask. (more…)

There has been some question regarding the spelling of the word “molding”. Why does it sometimes appear without the “u” in the word? Can this be explained rationally? Why, yes it can. Here is a very short history:

Woodworking can be considered one of the world’s oldest artforms. Therefore, the art and craft of forming wood in America has deep roots in England and far beyond. In the English speaking world, carpenters turned into cabinet makers and on through the process of everything “wood”. Eventually people looked for ways to improve their surroundings and to define and differentiate themselves from others. They also had money and resources so the concept of decorative woodworking evolved. This is where wood moulding enters the fray in homes and furniture making. (more…)

For those considering, or just getting started with a remodeling project, we thought it would be a good idea to briefly walk through the options for baseboard wood molding and what it’s used for.

To get started, lets look at the various options and concepts:

Baseboards & Base caps:

To get a nice, finished look to the bottom of your wall – the area closest to the floor – you need to consider several things and that starts with the baseboard. When choosing your baseboards you need to choose the wood type, the style and you need to choose the height.

At Rino’s Woodworking we offer many wood types and styles of baseboard to choose from but there are reasons for making certain choices. First, the wood type should match the other wood in your home if possible. Choosing a matching stain is another important task. Next, you’ll want to determine the appropriate height of the baseboard. Normally you’ll choose a larger height if you have high ceilings in a room. You may also choose a baseboard height that is thicker to achieve a higher end look – but you shouldn’t go overboard. Plan to keep your baseboard height in sync with the overall scale and height of your room. One of the most popular sizes used in the United States for baseboard height is 9/16 x 3-3/4 so this is a good place to start when choosing the appropriate baseboard height.

Depending on your budget you may option to choose a baseboard height that is a little higher than the average to add a more higher quality look to your room. You’ll be surprises as to how a thicker baseboard can enrich the overall feeling of a room. Again, don’t go overboard and keep it reasonable based on the size of the room. (more…)

Wood molding is used in residential and commercial applications in a wide range of woodworking and home construction projects. Wood molding can be as simple as a 1×4 inch piece of pine wood used for base board or as elaborate as crown molding used as a decorative touch to complete the look of a room. Molding can be used indoors or outdoors for wood window casings and doorways and provides an added barrier to the frame of a structure. Trim wood molding can be used for chair rails around an elegant room or to finish fine furnishings such as a bookcase, cabinetry, to dress up a plain door, as a fireplace surround or mantle  and many other applications.

Homeowners, as well as home builders, are looking for that extra something to make homes stand out. For many of them, the answer is in the high quality wood molding from Rino’s Woodworking—the wood molding trim details that turn basic structures and rooms into jewels. (more…)

About Honduran Mahogany

There are many types of mahogany hardwood that come from many locations around the world. The type of mahogany lumber that we carry can be classified best as Honduran Mahogany. Wood from this area was originally called “Bay Wood” in the 18th and 19th centuries because it was exported from the Bay of Campeche in Mexico – which is near Honduras.

Mahogany wood from Honduras is a dark colored hardwood which is often referred to as Swietenia mahogany, a species within the broader Meliaceae family, or simply, Mahogany family of woods. The Meliaceae family (Mahogany wood family) is a usually a flowering tree or possibly a shrub. (more…)

About Mahogany Lumber

Some people consider Mahogany lumber (Pronounced: ma·hog·a·ny) to be the most valuable hardwood available and it’s highly prized around the world for cabinets and furniture because it endows furniture with a timeless, traditional quality.

Mahogany wood is also used for boats, pianos,  musical instruments, interior wood moldings, wood trim, and even outdoor furnishings like deck chairs and tables. (more…)