Usually, you can get a full 8 or 10-foot piece out without cracking or breaking it. Also, in my book, has more character than plastic. How do they compare? The paint beaded up and left brush marks and drips. Really biased writeup. We also thought that plastic would be better in the bathroom since it wouldn't rot or mildew. 2022 Outwater Plastics Industries, Inc. All Rights Reserved | Not helpful as the writer clearly has a bias. Plastic was certainly a little less expensive. You have to pre-drill every nail hole because even thin finishing nails driven directly into it will cause it to break. @marckq: LoL; be warned, there are many more rolling around in the back of my mind; I just don't have enough hours in a day at the moment! Once you have a gap, slide your cats paw or nail puller under for more leverage. I use a nail brad gun to attach the trim. I think wood trimwork is the winner by far, but you might have had a different experience. Also, many plastics are made with chemicals that are unsafe for humans. I really like the idea of realizing that wood is a better choice because it is recyclable. Wood trim is nicely flexible so you can cut it to the exact size you need, then slide it into place. I had to replace the baseboards, trim, and molding in my home, and considered using plastic. Lately, there is a proliferation of plastic trim to finish your walls. anonymous 5 years agoI'd rather avoid plastics and go for wood! You just slide something thin and flat (like a knife or screwdriver tip) under it near a nail, and pry up gently. Gently work your way along the length of the trim board, raising it up a bit at a time. The content was very comprehensive and interesting. Wood trim is fairly easy to remove, if necessary. Pros and cons of plastic and wood? Royal Trim & Mouldings Contractor Handbook. Tap into traditional or more contemporary decorative looks. Pull the nails out and reuse them. 2022 The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers on this website. To better serve you, please contact your local retail or wholesale location for Westlake Royal product and length availability. It has almost no flexibility, so if the area you are nailing it to is a smidge crooked, it is very hard to force it to follow the wall without breaking. While wood trim will cost you a little more, its ease of use and reuse makes it a winner in my book. For product assistance call: 1.855.ROYAL85. I think you can tell I agree that wood is a winner! So which one do you think is better? Now I don't know which of your lenses I like most. So easy to install. Is plastic better than wood? You also can paint or stain it to the color of your choice. Most plastics don't biodegrade and are therefore not great for the environment. HubPages is a registered trademark of The Arena Platform, Inc. Other product and company names shown may be trademarks of their respective owners. Too one sided. Content is for informational or entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for personal counsel or professional advice in business, financial, legal, or technical matters. While it might cost a bit more on the front end, it will save money in the long run. @Country1969: thanks country; it will take a bit for me to get to it, but I have many more in mind; especially repairs and recycling and some do it your self projects. Our New Jersey and Arizona showrooms are OPEN for business. I recently had to remove some of it to replace a floorboard. This article is accurate and true to the best of the authors knowledge. If off-gassing bothers you, don't use plastic. Plastic for the win! I've listed some pros and cons for each material. Cinnamonbite 5 years ago Never knew plastic was an option until we bought this house. Ready to add scale and a more fully dressed feeling to your living room, dining room or bedroom? Introducing a vast collection of home interior and exterior products that express home design in every way imaginable. Not objective, so not helpful. DaVinci Roofscapes is now part of the Royal Building Products family. This was a great lens. @I-sparkle: Thanks I-sparkle for your comment and participating in the poll. This is what I learned. Chazz 5 years ago from New YorkWood. While it is smart to pre-drill your nail holes just to ensure a thin small board does not crack when you nail it in, you can often nail down your wooden trim with thin finishing nails without pre-drilling. 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I definitely find it more decorative, even though it may cause more work. While plastic molding won't rot or mildew, it is very brittle and not very forgiving. Why or why not? With wood, you need to be more careful about water. Our wide array of decorative moulding styles gives you virtually unlimited flexibility to embellish, amplify, even transform your interior space. It snapped at every nail when I tried to pry it up. After years of making my own baseboards, painting trim, cleaning itOMG! My ex-husband thought it was smart to buy plastic molding for those corners where the ceiling and floor meets the walls. Match trim to what's trending and your personal preferences. For one thing, wood is a renewable resource, while plastic is made from petroleum and other chemicals that are in shorter supply than ever and cause a lot of pollution in their manufacturing. You can stain it and never have to re-paint. Plastic is a billion times better! What a poorly written article. It cleans up easier, it's smoother, it looks better! Our casings and base moulding profilesare richly detailed and ready to install. Another drawback was that its slick surface did not take latex paint very well. A few years ago, we remodeled a bathroom due to a broken pipe. Besides, if the wood in your bathroom is constantly wet, you have a bigger issue at hand. I used 100+ year old salvaged molding in my parlor and it looks great. Because it is brittle, there was no way to ease it up a little at a time and save it. The Arena Media Brands, LLC and respective content providers to this website may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Love these helpful lens than gives us an option or insight on a variety of ways of improvements to our houses. Wood takes to paint and caulking like a duck to water, enabling you to have a nice, smooth finish. More like pros of wood and cons of plastic. From my experience, while plastic may be cheaper, wood is much better in the long run. Country1969 5 years ago Wood is better. Consider the crisp, precise detail of our ready-to-install casings and base mouldings. Yes, if it is constantly wet it can rot and mold, but a good coat of waterproof paint goes a long way to controlling this. They really don't make 'em like they used to, but then I'm an old soul who was born about a century too late. Choose from detailed embossed or smooth styles, and dont even think about maintenance: our PVC moulding resists dents and scratches and wont crack, split or warp. You'll waste more in installation due to breakage. :).