From contemporary designs with bold, geometric shapes to the tried-and-true simplicity of a Cape Cod, every home can benefit from detailed, professional craftsmanship. If you've ever thought of enhancing your home's curb appeal or adding an elegant aspect to your interior decorating, you might want to consider polyurethane millwork.
All residential and commercial structures will consist of architectural features that are classified as millwork. Traditionally, millwork products were defined as those components that were woodmill produced, including doors, trim, and crown moldings. Today, architectural millwork products include items made from wood alternatives such as plastic polymers and high-density polyurethane (HDP). Polyurethane (PU) has become a preferred architectural material over plastics and supports green initiatives by reducing our dependence on the country's dwindling timber reserves.
If you're considering elevating your home's elegance with unique, quality millwork, you might want to consider using polyurethane products.
Polyurethane is an ozone-safe material that not only offers a timelessly elegant look to any home, but also offers several incredible safety and convenience features. Here are a few facts about polyurethane to consider when updating or designing your home:
Engineered materials are answering the call for architectural products that are high-performing, durable, and support the conservation of our country's natural resources - especially our dwindling timber reserves. Rustic Wood Beams and other high-density polyurethane (HDP) products are a major part of a growing construction trend to use sustainable methods and materials which reduce waste and uses natural resources efficiently. Polyurethanes offer the architectural and construction industry a versatility that is unparalleled - as it is used for many architectural and building components.
It is true, the beauty is in the details. And detailed architectural styling can be achieved by adding decorative brackets or corbels to the exterior or interior of your home. Both of these architectural products are similar in appearance - and the terms are interchangeable. Architects and builders will also refer to these products by the descriptive name 'bracketed cornice'.
Today, installing ornamental brackets are a design technique which will add elegant distinction to a home or building. Traditionally, they were also a part of the building's structural support system - adding cantilevered support to beams, ceiling, shelves, and most commonly the roof overhang. Throughout history corbels have been used for both decorative and functional elements mou nted beneath th e roof eave of structures to reflect a unique architectural styling .
Buying architectural products like molding, columns, railing systems etc. can potentially put a big dent in a projects budget; but it does not have to! Small little changes can add up to big savings in the long run if you stay consistent with them.
Worthington Millwork was contracted to provide the architectural fiberglass columns and balustrade systems for a renovation of the charming James Wade Bolton House in Alexandria, LA. This project was a historical renovation and of great significance to the town of Alexandria. To preserve the integrity of this turn-of-the-century home, an original baluster was perfectly replicated to create a whole new balustrade system. Similar components were also used in manufacturing the column shafts, capitals, bases and other parts of the balustrade system. The end result is a completed project, made with modern materials, while keeping the historic proportions and architecture of the 1899 construction period of the project.
Ever wonder what a polyurethane balustrade system looks like after 10 years? Most people know that polyurethane is light, timeless, and durable. Never do they actually get to see how this looks after 10 years though.
(1) Is your system pre-painted? Polyurethane can be pre-painted prior to being packaged and shipped to your jobsite. This is important because once you receive the product you can simply install the finished product and not paint it or simply paint over the top coat that is factory applied. If your product is only primed, or partially primed, you will spend additional time and money just getting the product prepared to paint before applying final top coat.
Many people that buy architectural products for their home may not realize that they most likely purchased a product that is made with polyurethane. The few that do have not hopped on the polyurethane bandwagon do not know what they are missing out on! Polyurethane simply lasts longer than most products and generally has a limited lifetime warranty. We get a lot of questions regarding our polyurethane products so we thought we would take the time to answer a few.
