You want your building or home to reflect the quality and pride you have put into its design and construction. Whether you are just upgrading or building from the ground up, the details that you use will make or break your building's impression. Sometimes adding special details to a construction project can absorb a good portion of the budget because of the time dedicated to the design and needed for the installation of the features. Adding decorative cornices to your design is an impactful way to enhance the appearance of your building by adding visual interest. The variation in depth of cornice molding creates visual interest when used either indoors or out.
Using decorative cornice moldings dates all the way back to ancient history. Greek and Roman architecture used moldings extensively and their design is considered the founding of modern molding architecture, many of the designs used today are very similar to the original designs from thousands of years ago. Not only was ancient molding and cornice work decorative, but it also served the function of visibly dividing areas of buildings.
Early exterior cornices served two major functions: embellish the structure by "crowning" it, and to protect it from the elements, rain, and snow.
Cornice is indeed Classical, because it comes from the Latin word coronis, meaning curved line. The Latin is from the Greek word for a curved object, koronis — the same Greek word that gives us our word crown.(Thought.co)
Durable Materials
In the past, installing details such as exterior cornice molding created maintenance issues and possessed durability issues. If wooden cornices were not consistently and regularly inspected for damage and/or needed repairs they could rapidly disintegrate and end up adding significantly to a maintenance budget. Buildings from the 1800's used metal cornices in some cases and you can still see this work on older buildings in some cities. It was fairly durable and lasted for a long time when maintained, but if you wanted to use metal now for a new installation it would be prohibitively expensive for most situations. Metal cornice work has been largely relegated to restoration work.
Today's materials take the maintenance and durability worry out of the equation. Specifically, fiberglass cornices made from fiberglass resin (FRP), reduce installation time and practically eliminate maintenance. At Worthington Millwork, our FRP cornice molding is all made in America where the quality is rigorously controlled. Our tagline, "American Made Architectural Products", is much more than just a slogan. It is backed by a limited warranty on all of our FRP products. While other companies try to cut costs by importing products made overseas, we stand behind the durability and reputation of our U.S. made goods.
Key points about FRP Cornices:
Highly Durable and lightweight Optional Class A fire rated resin Limited Lifetime Warranty paintable FRP version Made In America Distinctive Design
A visit to our website will show you some examples of exterior cornices in actual application. Worthington Millwork offers a wide range of exterior cornice and cladding to suit any need. Our products will enhance any exterior facade or soffit installation or restoration. The FRP product is simple to install, which will save many hours of labor and is available in either 8 foot or 12-foot lengths depending on the profile and the project requirements. The FRP product is fully customizable regarding the profile and is also available in radius and arched custom configurations. In addition to these customizations, specified colored FRP can be protected with a gel coat, enhancing its beauty and providing extra protection. The addition of decorative corbels, dentil blocks, or even decorative leaves and custom shapes are also available. To simplify and speed up installation even further, we can provide optional inside and outside corners.