One man can exercise the liberty of hanging crown molding alone, without worries of returning months later to recaulk split seams.



In recent years, a growing number of high-quality alternatives to wood-based trim and molding products have become well established. Options for builders, general contractors, subcontractors, remodelers, preservationists, conservationists and weekend do-it-yourselfers continue to become more readily available and offer outstanding labor saving alternatives to a burgeoning market.

The Shaner Hotel Group, of State College, Pa., runs a multitude of hotels in 15 states throughout the country, while representing seven individual hotel brands. In light of the fact that they run a high-scale lodging service, they are under considerable pressure to remain ahead of their competition by being proactive and vigilant in their maintenance and remodeling programs. And, since most hotels cannot close during the renovation process, interior work must be done quickly and with little or no down time. It is under these conditions that Shaner undertook the project at the Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina, one of its properties, in Newport, R.I.

Do not disturb

“The biggest thing is working in a hotel that is occupied and you’re trying to get as much work done with the least amount of inconvenience to the guests and hotel staff,” says Gary Sink, of Gary Sink Builders Inc., of Dutton, Va. “For this job, we’ve been working seven days a week, too ... obviously, the name of the game is for the hotel to maintain revenue.”

The structure is roughly 40 years old, so the contractor was not required to meet any historical requirements. Therefore, a standard 8-foot long Trimroc molding, supplied by Wind-lock Interiors, was chosen and utilized without having to take advantage of Trimroc’s custom profile capabilities.

“One man was able to install it using stilts, just walking around the room, hanging the material after its been quickly ‘buttered’ with joint compound,” says Sink. “What we found is that this molding is extremely lightweight and requires no more than one person to install it.”

Sink said the time and labor saving benefits were enormous. Simply utilizing a miter saw, the material cut smoothly. Wind-lock recommends applying standard joint compound to the backside of each profile, immediately followed by its being firmly pressed into place. As the molding is a dimensionally stable material, Sink was able to confidently install it without caulking or fear of future callbacks.

Although the profile chosen was a simplistic 5-inch crown, the product’s competitive value lies in its ability to inexpensively produce very large, one-piece profiles that are far less time consuming to install and much less costly, overall, than their counterparts, multiple wood build outs.

In summary, the product installs with standard joint compound and requires absolutely no nails or caulking. It is a one-piece product that installs swiftly and with minimal effort. And, because of these significant and very tangible features and benefits, the hotel was able to very quickly complete the work, while remaining open for business and maintaining its all important revenue stream.