Blog

Three numbers on a Spectis crown plate tell you if the stick fits: projection, height, and length. This guide explains each one, gives a starting size for your ceiling or eave, and lists the sizing mistakes we see most often. It is written for homeowners, builders, and architects ordering crown for interior rooms or exterior cornice. Projection, height, and length Projection is how far the crown stands off the wall. A deep eave needs more projection than a bedroom ceiling. Height is how far it d …

Fypon and Spectis are both urethane millwork lines. A match is a specific profile, not the whole catalog. This page only names the cross-references already printed on Spectis product pages. MD1354 is listed as a compatible alternative to Fypon CCA32X10. The Spectis plate is 4 1/2 inch projection, 9 3/4 inch height, and 144 inch length. MD1900 is listed as a compatible alternative to Fypon MLD240-8. Read the Spectis plate for projection, height, and length before you treat it as a swap. A similar …

Base moulding covers the joint where the wall meets the floor. Chair rail is the horizontal trim at about chair height, used to stop chair backs and to break a tall wall into two parts. Match the base height to the room. A short base disappears on a tall wall. Chair rail should land on a level line, and the ends should die into casing or a corner block instead of stopping in the middle of a wall. Both are high-density polyurethane, factory primed, for interior or exterior. Most sticks are 12 fee …

A hollow Spectis shaft has no structural value. It wraps a post or a pipe that is already carrying the load. The plant can supply the shaft in two halves so the wrap closes around that support. Glue the halves with ADH100 and sand the squeeze-out before paint. A structural column is a different part. It has a 4-1/2 inch steel post in the center. The published maximum safe load for that steel core is 10,000 pounds. If the column has to hold the porch, order the structural part. Do not ask a hollo …

A sunburst is the fan-shaped piece in a gable or over a door or window. It is an accent. It is not a louver unless the catalog plate says the face is open. Set it in a framed half-round or in the peak, on a flat, finished surface. The diameter on the plate has to match the opening. A sunburst that is smaller than the arch leaves a gap. One that is larger will not sit in the trim. The part is high-density polyurethane, factory primed, and ready to paint. Use ADH100 on the bedding face. Fasten it …

Window sill and brick mould are the trim at the window opening. Brick mould is the frame around the window. The sill is the shelf at the bottom, and its projection is how far it stands off the wall. Match the sill to the wall thickness and to the casing above it. A sill that is too shallow leaves the window frame proud of the trim. A sill that is too deep looks like a shelf that was never planned. Both are high-density polyurethane, factory primed, for interior or exterior. Use ADH100 on bedding …

A Spectis drop-in ceiling panel is molded high-density polyurethane with architectural relief. It is not a mineral-fiber lay-in and it is not a thin vinyl tile. The CP2904 cut sheet shows the panel at 1 ft 11-3/4 in square and 1-9/16 in thick. CP2905 is 47-3/4 inches for a larger lay-in. Measure the clear grid opening before you pick a size. These panels are thick molded parts, so they sit on the tee rather than dropping through the way a thin tile does. If the ceiling is plaster or drywall, use …

Accent treatments are the smaller Spectis pieces that are not a crown, a column, or a bracket. The category includes quoins, finials, plaques, fireplace surrounds, festoons, rake trim, light blocks, stars, and grill covers. Quoins stack at an outside corner. Start from a level base and keep the reveal even as you go up. A finial sits on a post, a newel, or a peak, so the base of the finial has to match the surface it lands on. All of these are high-density polyurethane, factory primed, for inter …

Spectis trellis and pergola parts are high-density polyurethane, factory primed, and ready to paint. They are for a garden wall or an overhead frame. These parts are decorative millwork. They are not a rated structure. Do not hang a load from a trellis panel, and do not treat a pergola part as the beam that holds a roof. Fasten the panel to a sound surface. Use ADH100 on bedding faces and butt joints, and screws or nails where the plate calls for them. Paint after the joints are closed. The prim …

Textured Spectis mouldings are the same urethane shapes with a cast surface instead of a smooth face. The finishes are fossil stone, concrete, rough sawn, pecky cypress, wood grain, and stucco stone. Use a textured stick where the wall is stucco or masonry and a smooth painted moulding would look wrong. Fossil stone should read as cut stone. Concrete finish is for stucco and masonry. The geometry is the same family as the smooth crowns and bases. Match projection and height the same way you woul …

A Spectis niche is a shallow display recess. Surface mounted sits on the face of the wall. Recessed goes into the wall. Both are trim, not a structural opening. For a surface-mounted niche, the wall only has to be flat and finished. Bed the back in ADH100 and fasten it while the adhesive sets. For a recessed niche, frame the opening to the outside size on the catalog plate before you order. The niche does not carry the wall load around that opening. Pieces ship factory primed. Fill fastener hole …

Spectis shutters are decorative trim for the side of a window. They are not an operable storm shutter. The styles in the category are arched, closed louvre, two raised panels, and three raised panels. Measure the window height before you pick a size. The shutter should relate to the window, not run past the sill or stop short of the head trim. Order a left and a right if the pair is meant to flank the opening. The parts are high-density polyurethane, factory primed, and ready to paint. Use ADH10 …

THINGS YOU WILL NEED TO INSTALL A CROSSHEAD AND PILASTERS: Tape measure Saw  Framing square Hammer Putty knife Screw gun Exterior grade Stainless Steel screws or nails Caulk gun 2' or 6' level ADH100 Adhesive   Installation of the Pilasters  First measure the height of the door from the top of the door down to the landing.  Note: Be sure to include any existing trim such as brick mold in your measurement.  1. Once you have your measurement, mark the height on the pila …

Pediments and keystones are two of the fastest ways to give a plain window or entry door real presence. A peaked or arched pediment sets the frame; a keystone anchors it. Both are lightweight, factory-primed HDP urethane, so they install with basic tools and no special equipment — but a little planning up front makes the difference between a crisp, symmetrical installation and one that looks slightly off from the street.Before You Start- Confirm that the width of your pediment or crosshead …

A ceiling medallion is one of the simplest upgrades in the entire Spectis line, and one of the most noticeable. Most medallions install in under an hour around an existing light fixture or ceiling fan, with no rewiring required.What You'll Need- ADH100 adhesive construction adhesive- Low-profile finish screws (for larger/heavier medallions)- A caulking gun- A stud finder (helpful, not always required)- Painter's tape- Filler and paint for finishingStep 1: Turn Off Power and Remove the FixtureShu …