Wood You Know?

Side-by-side it’s hard to tell the difference between real wood mouldings and urethane woodgrain mouldings. However, long term the determination is easy: urethane products resist warping, rotting and insect infestations, so they hold up longer and better than real wood mouldings.

“In our woodgrain pieces the mold is cast from pieces of real wood to achieve authentic wood grain patterns and the unique characteristics inherent to each piece,” says Greg Wolf, marketing director for Fypon. “Coupled with the product’s low-maintenance aspects, these features make urethane woodgrain mouldings appealing to homeowners and building industry professionals.”

In addition to mouldings, Fypon offers woodgrain products in frieze boards, louvers and decorative millwork, such as brackets and corbels. The woodgrain affords homeowners the look of real wood both inside and outside the home while eliminating the maintenance hassles of real wood.

“Whether you’re adding a functional louver to the outside of a home or a miterless crown moulding system to the inside, woodgrain urethane products are ideally suited for all types of projects,” says Wolf.

Woodgrain pieces from Fypon come with a neutral colored primer coat that accepts both non-penetrating stain and paint in any color. Unlike wood, the Fypon pieces require no sanding in between coasts or sealing of the pieces when the final local is achieved. Most importantly, the products are not deteriorated by high temperatures or humidity levels, freezing temperatures or salt air. This makes them ideally suited for bathrooms and kitchens inside the home, and for all areas on the exterior of residential and commercial projects.

Fast Staining Tips

Experts at Fypon recommend a good quality, non-penetrating gel or solid color latex stain be applied to the woodgrain urethane product with a two-inch natural bristle brush. Begin by applying a thin amount of the stain in a circular motion, dabbing into the woodgrain contours of the pieces. Then, feather the stain in the direction of the grain.

For a darker finish, apply a heavy coat of stain with light pressure. For a lighter finish, apply a thin coat of stain with more pressure. For the lightest possible stain coverage, the stain can be immediately wiped off with a soft cloth.

“In many ways, staining urethane millwork is actually easier and more rewarding than painting it,” says Wolf. “You immediately see how the stain transforms the woodgrain in the millwork and you can totally control the depth of the shading. Whether you’re adding an oak finish to a flat trim for the home’s exterior or staining interior decorative brackets in deep walnut hues, this is an easy and rewarding project.”

Popular Woodgrain Products

As an example of the growing popularity of Fypon woodgrain products, the Dallas branch of Huttig Building Products recently sold 325 woodgrain corbels for a single model home in southern Texas. “The builder recognized that the urethane corbels have more long-term value than wood,” says Don Crowley, product manager for Huttig Building Products – Dallas Branch. “As with other Fypon products, we believe the southwestern style corbels are ideally suited to meet the needs of custom builders throughout our Texas and Oklahoma selling area.

“We special ordered these corbels for a dealer working with a prestigious Texas builder who is creating high-end homes. Once they installed the corbels, the builder immediately requested 80 additional corbels for a model home in north central Texas. The future sales potential for this product is tremendous.”

Fypon offers thousands of decorative millwork elements in a variety of architectural styles to enhance the interior and exterior of America’s homes. Each piece is crafted from tough, weather-proof, high-performance materials that are impervious to decay, insect infestation and water damage for long-lasting beauty and low maintenance. Part of consumer products company Fortune Brands, Inc. Fypon is a brand name leader in the synthetics millwork industry. For additional information, call 1-800-446-3040 or visit the company’s web site.