How do I match an old molding pattern?

Question

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Need an apparently-discontinued moulding profile; where to look?

I added a closet added to a room. There was no crown molding that matched at HD or Lowes. Is there anything I can do to try and find a match? I would like to complete the project. The home is a 1920's bungalow in MA.

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What happened to the molding inside the closet? If it's still there you could take it out and only have to complete a shorter length. — frozenkoi, Oct 19 '12 at 16:44
@frozenkoi - I actually left it up and cut a passthrough for it in the drywall. — mrtsherman, Oct 19 '12 at 19:10

score 6 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 19 '12 at 15:32

If you are serious about this project, you have two options:

1) Scour various retailers and specialty stores (and the internet?) for a moulding match at an appropriate price.

2) Take a sample of your moulding to a professional millwork shops and they can match it.

Option 2 will likely be pricey depending on the complexity of the work piece.
We had carved hardwood moulding in the house I grew up in and the mill wanted over $20 a linear foot to make it.

It looks like yours can be made from foam injection, or simple routing... so it should be less expensive.

Another option, which may be cheaper but more work:
3) Remove all the moulding you cannot match and replace it all with new.

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 19 '12 at 16:14

For such a small length of moulding, I would make it myself. A few router bits used creatively in a router table can create a surprising variety of profiles. And the nice thing is, this is up at the ceiling, so absolute perfection is not a requirement. Use a sanding block to fix any flats that happen on curved parts. Anyway, paint will hide some flaws too. I'll bet that with a sample to use as a target, I could come amazingly close. Try it - you might be surprised.

How do I match an old molding pattern?

2 Answers2