MITRE CONTRACTING, INC.

Wainscoting, Built-Ins and Mouldings!

On this post we feature several pictures of a home improvement renovation we just finished up in Burke,Va. There were a few different phases of the project:

• Built-In Bookcases with mantel feature
• Raised Panel Wainscoting
• New Oak Stair Railings
• Interior door replacements with new 6 panel doors
• Cased Openings
• Ceiling Mouldings in Dining room
• New Interior door lever locksets
• Crown Mouldings

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THE BUILT-INS:

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First let me post a terrible before picture... one of these days I will learn to hold the camera still.

Here is a picture right after the installation of the cabinetry... before the painting and finishing.

The construction is a 3/4" cabinet grade birch plywood casework with 3/4" poplar wood facings with a cabinet beading detail, inset square raised panel doors with concealed euro style hinges, fully adjustable 3/4" birch plywood shelving with a 1 1/2" beaded front edgings, straight valance with a one piece crown through out the room, plain stiles, and a recessed toe kick. On this particular unit we had to modify two HVAC vents into the toe kick, and the electrician had routed all the wiring for the TV and components before the install.
 

Here are a few more close up pictures of some of the details: hover the mouse over the picture for detailed descriptions / information

CLICK THE PICTURES TO SEE THEM FULL SIZE

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THE RAISED PANEL WAINSCOTING & RAILINGS

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The raised panel wainscoting was installed in the dining room, foyer, stairway and upper hallway. It consisted of 1x6 pine, base and rail, 1x4 pine stiles, 3/4" MDF solid raised panels with sticking mouldings, capped with a chair rail.

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DECORATIVE CEILING TRIM IN DINING ROOM

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703-615-3077 ~ 703-330-3486

Please call or email us anytime if you would like to discuss the possibilities of having your home or office dramatically improved by adding cabinetry and mouldings like this. We offer free in-home consultations and estimates.

Thank You, Roger Beesley

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FILL OUT OUR CONTACT FORM HERE

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NOTE:

All painting was performed by R.K.Morris Painting & Remodeling Company.

See there contact info here

Custom Home - Interior Trim Finish Carpentry

This page features some highlights of a new home we just completed the interior finish carpentry in last month.

The balustrade utilized oak boxed newels with square balusters. I liked the way that the newels complimented the door and window casings.

This house also featured a sanitary style casing with plinth blocks and entablatures on all the doors and openings.

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Click any picture to enlarge

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Click Here To Fill Out Our Contact Form

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Please give us a call anytime if you would like us to provide you with a free estimate for any home improvement project you are considering.

Thank You,  Roger Beesley

Mitre Contracting, Inc.

Slide Show Videos on YouTube

Just thought I would post my first attempt at a few slide show videos of some project pictures.

Mitre Contracting's YouTube Channel Link

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These are still a work in progress, and I will most likely be updating them a few times.

Wainscot

Here is some information on a project we just finished installing this month.

This homeowner wanted her foyer updated and enhanced with a wainscoting for more architectural appeal. This wainscot treatment gives a lot more depth and detail than the simple one piece chair rail that was existing.

This wainscoting project consisted of:

• Removal of small 1 pc. chair rail, base & casings
• Addition of 1x6, 1x4, SM-64 moulding - wainscot
• Addition of new & larger SM-2 casings on doors & windows

These pictures were taken right after the installation, so they show the product before any caulking, puttying, or painting. The walls have to be repaired in the places were the old chair rail was installed. You can see the way the previous "carpenter" had run the chair rail straight into the stairway... basically killing it into the floor, when it should have followed the angle of the stairs.

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A Couple Before Pictures:

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Click here to view some other styles of wainscoting we have installed!

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If you live in the Northern Virginia Area, please call or email us anytime if you would like us to come to your home and give you a free, no pressure, no obligation, consultation & proposal, for your next home improvement project.  Whether it is to upgrade your mouldings, install new stair railings, or renovate that old outdated bathroom or kitchen, let us help you design and build the space of your dreams.

Thank You, Roger Beesley, Mitre Contracting, Inc.

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Home Enhancement & Renovation Through Fine Custom Carpentry & Millwork Installation

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Some of the cities & towns we have worked in include:
Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Berryville, Burke, Catlett, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Culpeper, Dale City, Fairfax, Fairfax Station, Falls Church, Franconia, Fredericksburg, Front Royal, Gainesville, Great Falls, Haymarket, Herndon, Leesburg, Lorton, Manassas, McLean, Middleburg, Mt. Vernon, Nokesville, Oakton, Purcellville, Reston, Springfield, Stafford, Sterling, Vienna, Warrenton, Woodbridge. Also, we have worked in several locations in Maryland & Washington DC

Custom Archways

Here you can see just a few examples of some different custom cased openings we can build and install in your home. The possibilities are endless when you take into account all the different mouldings, features, and decorating styles.

We encourage anyone who is thinking of having work done in their home, to gather pictures from magazines or websites that spark your interest. They help us get a better idea of your likes and dislikes, so we are better able to come up with a design that suits your preferences.

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click any picture to enlarge it in a separate window

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This first picture shows a nice example of an archway supported by square fluted columns. The columns have applied shadowbox panels under the two-piece chair rail, that continues through the entire room. This can be made in any length, width or height. Also note that we can make it ceiling height, and incorporate the crown moulding through-out the entire room. (See the second picture)

These next few pictures show some different options for cased openings with arches and or columns:

This picture is simply a drywalled archway with added columns:

These next few show some custom openings that have added 1/2 walls with columns and arches added:

The following picture shows a room divider / custom opening with a straight header, square fluted columns, a three-piece crown moulding build-up, 1/2 wall bookcases with adjustable shelves and applied shadowbox panel mouldings.

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These have been just a small sample of some of the custom openings we have completed. If you would like something like this in your home, and you live in the Northern Virginia area, please contact us at your convenience. We would be glad to take a look at any ideas / plans / pictures you have, and provide you with a free, no obligation price quote.

Thank You,  Roger Beesley
Mitre Contracting, Inc.

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Services We Offer

Finish Carpentry

• Crown Mouldings ...any style or combination
• Chair Rails ...any style or combination
• Baseboards: new or replacement ...any type
• Shoemouldings: luan, oak, pre-finished, etc.
• Window Casings & Sills ...any style or combination
• Interior Doors: Replacement, Re-framing, Resizing and Repairs ...any style
• Railwork & Stairways ...all designs, wood types and styles
• Balustrades, Bannisters, Handrails, Newels, Volutes, Easings
• Wainscot: Beadboard, Panel, Raised Panel, Flat Panel, Wall Panel
• Shadowbox Wainscoting & Mouldings, etc. (paint or stain)
• Columns: Square, Round, Fluted, Paneled, Pilasters, 1/2 Columns, etc.
• Closets: Shelving, Pantry closets, Linens closets, Organizers
• Decorative Wall Panels, single, double, etc., any moulding

Custom Carpentry

• Built-In Bookcases: Offices, Libraries, Closets, Entertainment Centers
• Mantels: Design - Build - Install ... (paint or stain grade)
• Fireplace Surrounds & Mouldings
• Custom Cased Openings: Fluted, Paneled, Arched, Plain
• Entabulatures, Window Cornices & Valances
• Arches, 1/2 Walls, 1/2 Wall Bookcases, Architraves, etc.
• Coffered Ceiling Treatments ...any design (paint or stain grade)
• Ceiling Mouldings, Ceiling  Panels
• Beadboard Ceiling Treatments
• Niche Cabinets, Built-Ins

Home Improvements

• Kitchen Remodeling & Renovation, Cabinet Installations
• Bathroom Remodeling & Renovation
• Finished Basements, Game Rooms, Exercise Rooms, Rec. Rooms, etc.
• Wine Cellars Installed, Complete climate controlled rooms, Closet conversions
• Wet Bars, Coffee Bars, Kitchenettes, Breakfast Bars
• Cedar Lined Closets: tongue & groove, panels, etc.
• Stair Tread & Railing  Replacements, Forged Balusters Upgrades
• Porches: Ceilings, Columns, Rails, Flooring, Lattice, Stairs
• Pergolas & Trellises & Planters
• Sundecks: PT, Trex, Composites, etc.
• Gazebos, Arbors
• Garages: attached, detached, conversions
• Carports: repair, conversion

Handyman Services

• Exterior Doors: Replacement, Storm Doors, French Doors, Sliders, etc.
• Replacement Windows - Vinyl , Wood, etc.
• Door Hardware Installation: (Interior & Exterior)
• Attic Pull Down Stairs Installed
• Hardwood Flooring Installed: (unfinished, pre-finished, laminate)
• Exterior Cornice Work
• Rotted Wood Replacement & Repair
• General Carpentry

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Some of the cities & towns we have worked in include: Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Berryville, Burke, Catlett, Centreville, Chantilly, Clifton, Culpeper, Dale City, Fairfax, Fairfax Station, Falls Church, Franconia, Fredericksburg, Front Royal, Gainesville, Great Falls, Haymarket, Herndon, Leesburg, Lorton, Manassas, McLean, Middleburg, Mt. Vernon, Nokesville, Oakton, Purcellville, Reston, Springfield, Stafford, Sterling, Vienna, Warrenton, Woodbridge. Also, we have worked in several locations in Maryland.

Decorate With Mouldings!

Why do builders load up their model homes with mouldings? Walk into any upscale model home and you will see mouldings that include elaborate crown moulding build-ups, coffered ceilings, richly paneled libraries and offices, built-ins and bookcases, chair rails, wainscoting, archways, columns, detailed railwork and balustrades. Why? Because builders know that adding mouldings does more for the character, warmth, and atmosphere of your home than anything else you can do. Builders know that decorating with mouldings, sells homes!

Mouldings are one of the few things that you can add to your home that  can deliver immediate rewards, while increasing it’s value, all with minimal disruption to your household. Installing mouldings can offer more bang for the buck than any other home improvement project.

Decorating your rooms with  mouldings allows you to display your creativity to everyone that comes into your home. Mouldings offer you the opportunity to create and design the home you have always dreamed about.

If you live in the Northern Virginia area, and were contemplating installing some trimwork in your home please call or email us today to set up your free, no obligation, no pressure consultation today.

Let us get your ideas off the paper and onto your walls!

Thank You,

Roger Beesley, Owner , Mitre Contracting, Inc.

Fluted Moulding Decorative Wall Panel Treatments

The following pictures reflect a small project we just completed. The trimwork has just been installed and is waiting on the painters to prep and paint.

These decorative wall panels are well proportioned to size of the upper foyer wall dimensions. What was once a large blank wall space, now becomes a nice focal point with these custom moulding panels. The added architectural design gives this foyer an immediate visual impact to visitors, which lends to a great first impression of the home.

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AFTER PAINTING:

 

If you live in Northern Virginia or any of the surrounding counties and would be interested in getting some decorative panels like this in your home, please contact us through email or by phone anytime. We will come by your home at your convenience and help you design some moulding treatments for any room you are thinking of improving.

From simple crown mouldings to beamed coffered ceiling systems, or basic chair rails to custom raised panel wainscoting treatments, we can completely transform a plain and ordinary room to a room that demands admiration. The visual aesthetics that can be attained through the addition of mouldings is one of the most cost efficient and least intrusive home improvement projects you can do to enhance your living space, and add real marketable value to your home.

Is it any wonder why virtually every builder in the country always loads up their model homes with all the mouldings imaginable. Walk into any upscale model home and you will see mouldings that include, elaborate crown moulding build ups, coffered ceilings, richly paneled libraries and offices, built-ins and bookcases, chair rails, wainscoting, archways and columns, and detailed railwork and balustrades.

Why? Because adding mouldings does more for the character, design, and atmosphere of your home than anything else you can do. Builders know that decorating with mouldings, sells homes!

Please see our website and take a look though some of our photo albums for other projects we have completed, or let us know what other ideas you are thinking of for your house. We would be more than happy to get your ideas off the paper and onto your walls.

Thank You, Roger Beesley,  Mitre Contracting, Inc.

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A Few Other Decorative Moulding Wall Panel Designs:

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Our Featured Interior Trim Install for May 08

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Just thought I would post a few pictures of some of the interior trim finish carpentry we just completed a couple weeks ago. This house is being built by Creekstone Communities. You can visit their website here: www.creekstone.com  This was the first house we trimmed for them, but things went pretty smoothly for the most part.

Just a few of the trim work details in this particular house were:

• 5 1/4" baseboards throughout all three floors, with plinths on the 1st floor
• 3 1/2" Adams casings throughout
• Solid core 2 panel doors
• 4 piece crown mouldings
• 2 piece crown mouldings
• 2 piece chair rails
• Panel moulding shadowboxes
• Custom elliptical openings
• Custom cabinetry in the kitchen & wet bar
• Built-in cabinetry window seat

All the following pictures were taken during construction. You can see the stacks of hardwood flooring ready to be installed, and some of the granite counters haven't been installed. If get back over there I will get some pictures of the house after it is completed and all the flooring treatments, etc. have been installed.

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A FEW HIGHLIGHTS

 

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If you would like to know more about Mitre Contracting, Inc. and our finish carpentry & home improvement services, please don't hesitate to call or email me anytime. Take a look around our website to get a better idea of what we are all about. I would encourage any questions or comments you may have.

Thank You,  Roger Beesley

Wainscoting or Shadowboxes?

Is the application of an applied panel moulding under a chair rail a real wainscot?

I have been asked this question on more than one occasion, and I always have to say no. A real wainscoting, in my view consists of lining a wall with wood of some type.

Even though I have placed some shadowbox installation photos under the album "Wainscoting", and even use the term wainscoting when talking about shadowboxes, there is a definite difference.

Some different types of wainscoting are:

• a wall paneled wainscot
• a flat paneled wainscot
• a raised panel wainscot
• a beaded panel wainscot
• a beaded wainscot

You can see some of these styles in our gallery of past wainscoting projects here: Wainscot Picture Album .Or you can check out this page for some more pictures of the different types we've completed

All these types can be made from any species of wood, and have many varying design differences within each style. Wainscoting can be any height, but usually is either designed at 36" or 60" tall, or can accent the entire wall.

Besides the protection a wainscot treatment gives you from wall damage and everyday wear and tear, it can transform an ordinary space into a beautiful inviting room. The various different options available, allow you give your home  dramatic architectural impact, that can never be attained with other types of wall treatments, such as wallpaper or chair rail alone.

Entering a home that has been decorated with a wainscoting treatment in the foyer, and possibly up the staircase, creates a first impression that will have lasting effects on anyone that comes into your home. Is it any wonder why all your upscale builders utilize wainscoting or shadowbox treatments in there models. Because they know that decorating with mouldings sells homes!

But even using a chair rail and then using a panel moulding to define applied panels, with the right paint job, can make an enormous difference in a rooms appearance. It is a lot more economical, and seems to be what most homeowners choose.

If you live in the Northern Virginia area and would like to check into having an area of your home transformed with wainscoting of any type, please don't hesitate to call us anytime. We will be glad to set up an appointment, offer advice and provide you with a no obligation proposal.

Thank You, Roger Beesley

www.mitrecontracting.com

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WAINSCOT EXAMPLES

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SHADOWBOX EXAMPLE

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Click here for more wainscoting pictures!

Click here for our latest Raised Panel Wainscoting Project!

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Services We Offer

Finish Carpentry

• Crown Mouldings ...any style or combination
• Chair Rails ...any style or combination
• Baseboards: new or replacement ...any type
• Shoemouldings: luan, oak, pre-finished, etc.
• Window Casings & Sills ...any style or combination
• Interior Doors: Replacement, Re-framing, Resizing and Repairs ...any style
• Railwork & Stairways ...all designs, wood types and styles
• Balustrades, Bannisters, Handrails, Newels, Volutes, Easings
• Wainscot: Beadboard, Panel, Raised Panel, Flat Panel, Wall Panel
• Shadowbox Wainscoting & Mouldings, etc. (paint or stain)
• Columns: Square, Round, Fluted, Paneled, Pilasters, 1/2 Columns, etc.
• Closets: Shelving, Pantry closets, Linens closets, Organizers
• Decorative Wall Panels, single, double, etc., any moulding

Custom Carpentry

• Built-In Bookcases: Offices, Libraries, Closets, Entertainment Centers
• Mantels: Design - Build - Install ... (paint or stain grade)
• Fireplace Surrounds & Mouldings
• Custom Cased Openings: Fluted, Paneled, Arched, Plain
• Entabulatures, Window Cornices & Valances
• Arches, 1/2 Walls, 1/2 Wall Bookcases, Architraves, etc.
• Coffered Ceiling Treatments ...any design (paint or stain grade)
• Ceiling Mouldings, Ceiling  Panels
• Beadboard Ceiling Treatments
• Niche Cabinets, Built-Ins

Home Improvements

• Kitchen Remodeling & Renovation, Cabinet Installations
• Bathroom Remodeling & Renovation
• Finished Basements, Game Rooms, Exercise Rooms, Rec. Rooms, etc.
• Wine Cellars Installed, Complete climate controlled rooms, Closet conversions
• Wet Bars, Coffee Bars, Kitchenettes, Breakfast Bars
• Cedar Lined Closets: tongue & groove, panels, etc.
• Stair Tread & Railing  Replacements, Forged Balusters Upgrades
• Porches: Ceilings, Columns, Rails, Flooring, Lattice, Stairs
• Pergolas & Trellises & Planters
• Sundecks: PT, Trex, Composites, etc.
• Gazebos, Arbors
• Garages: attached, detached, conversions
• Carports: repair, conversion

Handyman Services

• Exterior Doors: Replacement, Storm Doors, French Doors, Sliders, etc.
• Replacement Windows - Vinyl , Wood, etc.
• Door Hardware Installation: (Interior & Exterior)
• Attic Pull Down Stairs Installed
• Hardwood Flooring Installed: (unfinished, pre-finished, laminate)
• Exterior Cornice Work
• Rotted Wood Replacement & Repair
• General Carpentry

To Cope Or Not To Cope?

Coping Mouldings ... Does it even have to be a question? 

I've always considered coping to be the "standard" for joining the inside corner of mouldings. That's what I was taught. Whether it's baseboard, chair rail, crown moulding, etc., in my view it is  proper procedure to cope all the inside joints of any type of moulding. I don't even remember questioning it, we just did it. Back in the day, if someone just mitered all their inside joints it was considered to be lazy, a short-cut, the wrong way to do it.

It seems to be a lost art nowadays, at least around this area. I'm noticing more and more that no one seems to cope anymore. In the past, it seemed rare to find someone just mitreing all their corners, now it's rare to find carpenter's who cope their corners.

A few months back I was on a jobsite talking to a lead carpenter for a trim crew and he actually laughed and made fun of the fact that I coped my trimwork. He just thought that was the stupidest thing he had ever seen. Nobody on his crew  even owned a coping saw, never mind used one. I honestly believe he had never even heard about the technique before.

What's ironic in all this, is the fact that I lose contracts to companies like that. It seems that neither the builders nor the homeowners seem to care or know the difference anymore.

I have even noticed  a lot of these, do it yourself how to articles and videos instructing people to just mitre the corners. It's frustrating when you see a television show, and they are just mitreing all the inside corners, then to top that off you see them installing the crown moulding upside down sometimes. What have things come to? The other day I was at your local big box supply store and they sell a book on crown mouldings that blatantly discouraged the practice. In my view, when he did describe the coping process in the book, it wasn't anything I have ever done. I would be firing people if they tried to cope moulding like he described. It isn't any wonder he discourages the practice.

Now there are instances that you need to mitre inside corners. I will mitre them if they are really short returns. Usually under an inch or so, for instance around keystones, mantels, pilasters etc. And another example is certain types of crown mouldings don't cope well, some have almost negative angles on the profiles that are impossible to cope without cutting into it. Another example would be certain conditions encountered on cathedral or vaulted ceilings.

This article seems to be one of the better ones I have found to date concerning the practice: Coping Moldings

Whether or not to cope mouldings... not a even question in my book, and never will be.