Now and then, clients will have a treasured family heirloom needing repair or will need to match an existing furnishing. Invariably one of the missing pieces is matching the decorative molding.
The more common moldings and trims are pretty ubiquitous: Home and hardware stores and many lumber yards carry a good stock. However, when you need to find something more unusual, the search can be challenging. A few years back, one of my contractors let me in on his little secret - and I don't know how I ever got along without it.
Celebrating its centennial year Dyke's Lumber, with 10 locations in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, is the best place to find decorative moldings and trims, with a huge catalog of in-stock profiles as well as the ability to create a custom piece to match an existing profile.
Their complete 112-page catalog, with clear, easy to appreciate drawings and dimensions, is online. If you're daunted by the task of measuring an irregularly shaped molding, or are having difficulty reverse engineering one that is a composite of several trims, you can order a hard copy of the catalog with its full-scale (life size) line drawings that will make it easy for you to figure out and order what you need.
The sales staff at Dyke's is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. If you're near one of their locations, you can walk in with a sample or picture of what you need. If you're not, you can always give them a call - they ship nationally.
