Finding an easy to install molding to add flair to a home project has been a difficult challenge for me in the past. While most of the molding products available on the market today can add that "custom touch" clients are looking for, the arduous installation process typically takes several days to complete and requires a great deal of manpower. We all know what that means: several specialized craftspeople and their tools, plus considerable delays and job site costs. And just as important, is that with the vast majority of these molding products, creating a finished, seamless look is difficult.

Just when I was about to resign myself and accept the difficulty that is inherent with this process, I was introduced to NMC's wood-alternative molding line at the Surfaces trade show in Las Vegas. Not only have they been producing wood-alternative products for more than 50 years, the products are reasonably priced, and fast and easy to install with no nails required. Some of the products are also pre-primed, another manpower saver. Additional benefits of these moldings include mold, mildew, termite and insect resistance. These are maintenance free as they will not split, crack, rot or warp, and they have saved me costly service calls to recaulk seams.

I tried these products on a project shortly after the show. The results were impressive. Installation time was cut in half by using Arstyl and Nomastyl, as compared to other products on the market, which often require pieces to be cut the full length of the room and take days to install. When installing these moldings, the size of the piece doesn't matter. To hang the moldings, we used the Adefix adhesive. When I used this adhesive, the excess glue was easily cleaned off with a wet rag or sponge. It holds the molding immediately without requiring tacking nails and cures in approximately 15 to 30 minutes, which gave us plenty of time to line up everything properly. The adhesive is multi-purpose, as it can be used for bonding, caulking, as well as for filling the seams. What's more, it is solvent and toxic free. I had only one person doing the entire installation, which saved me valuable labor time.

The Buffalo roam

Just to give you an example of how revolutionary this product is to our industry, we recently completed a rather large home in the Buffalo area with a great deal of crown molding in almost every room. This included the master bedroom, entire downstairs and columns previously built into the home. We used the Arstyl and Nomastyl products and installed four niches in the homeowner's house. It took one person four days to complete the entire job. It would have taken a trim crew up to two weeks using other materials. In addition to cutting the installer's time in half, the job required less caulking and also reduced the painter's time by 50 percent. There was an impressive savings in the labor cost, something the client appreciated.

A key factor in the user friendliness and cost efficiency of these products is that they're lightweight. This is what enabled the installer to complete the entire job by himself, as opposed to using a full-trim crew. The finished look was neat and clean. No unsightly seams.

The products are also a good choice for remodeling work, providing ease of use in a previously finished space. The products are so convenient and easy to handle, the installer no longer has to worry about knocking holes in walls or breaking anything when he enters a finished home.

Everyone is looking for a competitive edge and for products that reflect the latest design and technology trends that appeal to our customers. NMC products offer beauty and customer appeal with reduced mess and cost. This provides you and your customer with a solid design, ease of installation, as well as a financial advantage.

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