Molding ( decorative ) - wikipedia Molding ( decorative ) For other uses, see Molding ( disambiguation ). Cavetto molding and resulting shadow pattern Ovolo molding and resulting shadow pattern Cyma recta molding and resulting shadow pattern Ogee ( cyma reversa ) molding and resulting shadow pattern Moulding ( also spelled molding in the United States though usually not within the industry ), also known as coving ( United Kingdom, Australia ), is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster, but may be of plastic or reformed wood. In classical architecture and sculpture, the molding is often carved in marble or other stones. A `` plain '' moulding has right - angled upper and lower edges. A `` sprung '' moulding has upper and lower edges that bevel towards its rear, allowing mounting between two non-parallel planes ( such as a wall and a ceiling ), with an open space behind. Contents 1 Types 2 Use 3 See also 4 References 5 Further reading Types Moldings from 1728 Table of architecture in the Cyclopedia Decorative moldings have been made of wood, stone and cement. Recently moldings have been made of extruded PVC and Expanded Polystyrene ( EPS ) as a core with a cement - based protective coating. Synthetic moldings have environmental, health and safety concerns that were investigated by Doroudiani et al. Common moldings include : Astragal -- Semi-circular molding attached to one of a pair of doors to cover the gap where they meet. Baguette -- Thin, half - round molding, smaller than an astragal, sometimes carved, and enriched with foliages, pearls, ribbands, laurels, etc. When enriched with ornaments, it was also called chapelet. Bandelet -- Any little band or flat molding, which crowns a Doric architrave. It is also called a tenia ( from Greek ταινία an article of clothing in the form of a ribbon. Baseboard, `` base molding '' or `` skirting board '' -- Used to conceal the junction of an interior wall and floor, to protect the wall from impacts and to add decorative features. A `` speed base '' makes use of a base `` cap molding '' set on top of a plain 1 '' thick board, however there are hundreds of baseboard profiles. Baton -- See Torus Batten or board and batten -- Symmetrical molding that is placed across a joint where two parallel panels or boards meet Bead molding -- Narrow, half - round convex molding, when repeated forms reeding Beading or bead -- Molding in the form of a row of half spherical beads, larger than pearling Other forms : Bead and leaf, bead and reel, bead and spindle Beak -- Small fillet molding left on the edge of a larmier, which forms a canal, and makes a kind of pendant. See also : chin - beak Bed molding -- Narrow molding used at the junction of a wall and ceiling. Bed moldings can be either sprung or plain. Bolection -- Raised molding projecting proud of a face frame at the intersection of the different levels between the frame and an inset panel on a door or wood panel. It will sometimes have a rabbet on its underside the depth of the lower level so it can lay flat over both. It can leave an inset panel free to expand or contract with temperature and humidity. Cable molding or ropework -- Convex molding carved in imitation of a twisted rope or cord, and used for decorative moldings of the Romanesque style in England, France and Spain and adapted for 18th - century silver and furniture design ( Thomas Sheraton ) Cabled fluting or cable -- Convex circular molding sunk in the concave fluting of a classic column, and rising about one - third of the height of the shaft Casing -- Finish trim around the sides of a door or window opening covering the gap between finished wall and the jam or frame it is attached to. Cartouche ( in French ) escutcheon -- Framed panel in the form of a scroll with an inscribed centre, or surrounded by compound moldings decorated with floral motifs Cavetto -- ( in Italian ) cavare ( `` to hollow '' ) : Concave, quarter - round molding sometimes employed in the place of the cymatium of a cornice, as in the Doric order of the Theatre of Marcellus. It forms the crowning feature of the Egyptian temples, and took the place of the cymatium in many of the Etruscan temples. Chair rail -- Horizontal molding placed part way up a wall to protect the surface from chair - backs, and used simply as decoration Chamfer -- Beveled edge connecting two adjacent surfaces Chin - beak -- Concave quarter - round molding, rare in ancient buildings, more common today. Corner guard -- Used to protect the edge of the wall at an outside corner, or to cover a joint on an inside corner. Cove molding or Coving -- Concave - profile molding that is used at the junction of an interior wall and ceiling Crown molding -- Wide, sprung molding that is used at the junction of an interior wall and ceiling. General term for any molding at the top or `` crowning '' an architectural element. Cyma -- Molding of double curvature, combining the convex ovolo and concave cavetto. When the concave part is uppermost, it is called a cyma recta but if the convex portion is at the top, it is called a Cyma reversa -- Crowning molding at the entablature is of the cyma form, it is called a cymatium. Dentils -- Small blocks spaced evenly along the bottom edge of the cornice Drip cap -- Moulding placed over a door or window opening to prevent water from flowing under the siding or across the glass Echinus -- Similar to the ovolo molding and found beneath the abacus of the Doric capital or decorated with the egg - and - dart pattern below the Ionic capital Egg - and - dart -- egg shapes alternating with V - shapes ; one of the most widely used classical moldings. Also : Egg and tongue, egg and anchor, egg and star Fillet -- Small, flat band separating two surfaces, or between the flutes of a column Fluting -- Vertical, half - round grooves cut into the surface of a column in regular intervals, each separated by a flat astragal. This ornament was used for all but the Tuscan order Godroon or Gadroon -- Ornamental band with the appearance of beading or reeding, especially frequent in silverwork and molding. It comes from the Latin word Guttus, meaning flask. It is said to be derived from raised work on linen, applied in France to varieties of the, bead and reel, in which the bead is often carved with ornament. In England the term is constantly used by auctioneers to describe the raised convex decorations under the bowl of stone or terracotta vases. The godroons radiate from the vertical support of the vase and rise halfway up the bowl. Also : Gadrooning, lobed decoration, ( k ) nukked decoration, thumb molding Guilloché -- Interlocking curved bands in a repeating pattern often forming circles enriched with rosettes and found in Assyrian ornament, classical and Renaissance architecture. Keel molding -- Sharp - edged moulding resembling a cross-section of a ship 's keel, common in the Early English and Decorated styles. Muntin - Narrow strip of wood or metal separating and holding panes of glass in a window. Ovolo -- Simple, convex quarter - round molding that can also be enriched with the egg - and - dart or other pattern Neck molding Picture rail -- Functional molding installed 7 -- 9 feet above the floor from which framed art is hung, common in commercial buildings and homes with plaster walls. Rosette -- Circular, floral decorative element found in Mesopotamian design and early Greek stele, common in revival styles of architecture since the Renaissance. Scotia -- Concave molding with a lower edge projecting beyond the top and so used at the base of columns as a transition between two torus moldings with different diameters Screen molding -- Small molding used to hide and reinforce where a screen is attached to its frame. Shoe molding, toe molding or quarter - round -- Small flexible moulding used at the junction of a baseboard and floor as a stylistic element or to cover any gap between the two. Strapwork - Imitates thick lengths of leather straps applied to a surface to produce pattern of ribs in connected circles, squares, scrolls, lozenges etc. Popular in England in 16th & 17th. centuries, used in plaster on ceilings, also sculpted in stone on exterior of buildings, e.g. around entrance doors. Also carved in wood, and used for topiary designs for parterres. Torus -- Convex, semi-circular molding, larger than an astragal, often at the base of a column, which may be enriched with leaves or plaiting. Trim molding -- General term used for moldings used to create added detail or cover up gaps, including corner moldings, cove moldings, rope moldings, quarter rounds, and accent moldings. Use This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( October 2017 ) At their simplest, moldings hide and help weather seal natural joints produced in the framing process of building a structure. As decorative elements they are a means of applying light - and dark - shaded stripes to a structural object without having to change the material or apply pigments. Depending on their function they may be primarily a means of hiding or weather - sealing a joint, purely decorative, or some combination of the three. As decorative elements the contrast of dark and light areas gives definition to the object. Imagine the vertical surface of a wall lit by sunlight at an angle of about 45 degrees above the wall. Adding a small overhanging horizontal molding to the surface of the wall will introduce a dark horizontal shadow below the molding, called a fillet molding. Adding a vertical fillet to a horizontal surface will create a light vertical shadow. Graded shadows are possible by using moldings in different shapes : the concave cavetto molding produces a horizontal shadow that is darker at the top and lighter at the bottom ; an ovolo ( convex ) molding makes a shadow that is lighter at the top and darker at the bottom. Other varieties of concave molding are the scotia and congé and other convex moldings the echinus, the torus and the astragal. Placing an ovolo directly above a cavetto forms a smooth s - shaped curve with vertical ends that is called an ogee or cyma reversa molding. Its shadow appears as a band light at the top and bottom but dark in the interior. Similarly, a cavetto above an ovolo forms an s with horizontal ends, called a cyma or cyma recta. Its shadow shows two dark bands with a light interior. Together the basic elements and their variants form a decorative vocabulary that can be assembled and rearranged in endless combinations. This vocabulary is at the core of both classical architecture and Gothic architecture. See also Architecture portal Visual arts portal Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mouldings. Ancient Greek architecture Ancient Roman architecture Architrave Cornice Entablature Glossary of architecture Moulding plane Order of moldings Renaissance architecture References ^ Jump up to : This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain : Chambers, Ephraim, ed. ( 1728 ). `` ``. Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences ( first ed. ). James and John Knapton, et al. Jump up ^ S. Doroudiani and H. Omidian. `` Environmental, health and safety concerns of decorative mouldings made of expanded polystyrene in buildings '', Building and Environment ( 2010 ) 45, pp. 647 - 654. ^ Jump up to : Lewis, Philippa & Gillian Darley ( 1986 ) Dictionary of Ornament, NY : Pantheon Jump up ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. ( 1911 ). `` Cyma ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. 7 ( 11th ed. ). Cambridge University Press. p. 690. Jump up ^ See drawings of period ceilings in Bankart, George, `` The Art of the Plasterer '', 1908 ; also Millar, William, `` Plastering, Plain & Decorative '', 1897 Jump up ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. ( 1911 ). `` Torus ''. Encyclopædia Britannica. 27 ( 11th ed. ). Cambridge University Press. p. 79. Jump up ^ Distinctive Wood Designs Inc. ( 2010 ) `` Trim Mouldings '' Further reading Theory of Mouldings ( Classical America Series in Art and Architecture ) ; C Howard Walker ( Author ) ; Richard Sammons ( Foreword ) ; W.W. Norton & Co. ( July 31, 2007 ) ; ISBN 0 - 393 - 73233 - 9 Ornaments Acanthus Arabesque Ball flower Bead and reel Dog - tooth Egg - and - dart Girih Grotesque Guilloché Gul Hood Interlace Margent Meander Millefleur Molding Moresque Palmette Rosette Scroll Strapwork Zellige Wood products Lumber / timber Batten Beam Bressummer Cruck Flitch beam Flooring Joist Lath Molding Panelling Plank Plate Post Purlin Rafter Railroad ties Reclaimed Shingle Siding Sill Stud Timber truss Treenail Truss Utility pole Engineered wood Glued laminated timber veneer LVL parallel strand I - joist Fiberboard hardboard Masonite MDF Oriented strand board Oriented structural straw board Particle board Plywood Structural insulated panel Wood - plastic composite lumber Fuelwood Charcoal biochar Firelog Firewood Pellet fuel Wood fuel Fibers Cardboard Corrugated fiberboard Paper Paperboard Pulp Pulpwood Rayon Derivatives Birch - tar Cellulose nano Hemicellulose Cellulosic ethanol Dyes Lignin Liquid smoke Lye Methanol Pyroligneous acid Pine tar Pitch Sandalwood oil Tannin Wood gas By - products Barkdust Black liquor Ramial chipped wood Sawdust Tall oil Wood flour Wood wool Woodchips Historical Axe ties Clapboard Dugout canoe Potash Sawdust brandy Split - rail fence Tanbark Timber framing Wooden masts See also Biomass Certified wood Destructive distillation Dry distillation Engineered bamboo Forestry List of woods Mulch Non-timber forest products Papermaking Wood drying Wood preservation Wood processing Woodworking Forestry portal Trees portal Category Commons WikiProject Forestry Woodworking Overviews History Glossary Wood ( lumber ) Forms Boat building Bow and arrow Bush carpentry Cabinetry Caning Carpentry Certosina Chainsaw carving Chip carving Clogs Ébéniste Fretwork Intarsia Japanese carpentry Khatam Kohlrosing Log building Marquetry Millwork Parquetry Pyrography Relief carving Root carving Sawdust Segmented turning Shingle weaving Shipbuilding Spindle turning Timber framing Treen Whittling Wood carving Woodturning Wood flour Woods Soft Cedar ( Calocedrus, Cedrus ) Cypress Douglas fir Fir Juniper Larch Pine Spruce Yew Hard Ash Alder Aspen Balsa Beech Birch Cherry Chestnut Cocobolo Ebony Elm Hazel Lignum vitae Linden ( lime, basswood ) Mahogany Maple Oak Padauk Plum Poplar Teak Totara Walnut Willow Tools Abrasives Axe Adze Chisel Clamp Drawknife Drill Float Mallet Milling machine Mitre box Moulding plane Plane Rasp Router Sandpaper Spokeshave Timber - framing Vise Winding sticks Wood scribe Workbench Saws Backsaw Bandsaw Bow Bucksaw Chainsaw Circular Compass Coping Crosscut Frame Fretsaw Jigsaw Keyhole Miter Rip Scroll Table Veneer Whipsaw Geometry Joints Birdsmouth Bridle Butt Butterfly Coping Crown of thorns Dado Dovetail Finger Groove Halved Hammer - headed tenon Knee Lap Mason 's mitre Miter Mortise and tenon Rabbet / Rebate Scarf Splice Tongue and groove Profiles Bead Bevel Chamfer Molding Ogee Ogive Treatments French polish Heat bending Paint Paint stripper Steam bending Thermal Varnish Wood drying Wood preservation Wood stain Wood finishing Organizations American Association of Woodturners Architectural Woodwork Institute British Woodworking Federation Building and Wood Workers ' International Caricature Carvers of America International Federation of Building and Wood Workers National Wood Carvers Association Society of Wood Engravers Timber Framers Guild Conversion Chainsaw mill Hewing Sawmill Whipsaw Wood splitting Techniques Frame and panel Frameless construction Category WikiProject Commons Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Molding_(decorative)&oldid=834061468 '' Categories : Architectural elements Woodworking Ornaments ( architecture ) Ceilings Hidden categories : Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1728 Cyclopaedia Wikipedia articles incorporating text from Cyclopaedia Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1728 Cyclopaedia without an article title parameter Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference Articles with French - language external links Articles with Italian - language external links Articles that may contain original research from October 2017 All articles that may contain original research Talk Contents About Wikipedia Tools Asturianu Беларуская Bosanski Català Deutsch Eesti Emiliàn e rumagnòl Español Esperanto Euskara Français Galego Ido Italiano 日本 語 Norsk Piemontèis Polski Русский Svenska Українська 12 more Edit links This page was last edited on 3 April 2018, at 19 : 03. 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Question: horizontal molding along the top of a wall
Answer: Crown molding