Blog

Mouldings are the trim that finishes a room or a facade: they cover joints, frame openings and add shadow lines. The names can be confusing, so this visual guide shows the main types, what each one does and where it goes, with a real Spectis profile for each. Every piece shown is polyurethane, ships primed white, and is ready to paint. Quick map: crown at the ceiling · casing around doors and windows · baseboard and base cap at the floor · chair rail mid-wall · pane …

Corbels are one of the oldest details in architecture, and one of the easiest ways to add depth and character to a plain roofline, porch or mantel. This guide explains what a corbel is, the main types, where they are used, how to size them and how to choose between polyurethane, PVC and wood. When you are ready to shop, browse our full range of exterior corbels. What Is a Corbel? A corbel is a bracket-shaped piece that projects from a wall and supports, or appears to support, something above it. …

A ceiling medallion is one of the simplest ways to make a light fixture look intentional and to give a plain ceiling some architecture. The hardest part is picking the size. Too small and it hides behind the canopy; too big and it competes with the chandelier. This guide gives you simple rules for sizing a medallion to your fixture, your room and your ceiling height, with a quick-reference chart. When you are ready, browse our full range of ceiling medallions. Start With the Fixture The medallio …

A pediment over a door with a pilaster on each side is the classic door surround. It makes a plain entry, fireplace or interior opening look built in. Spectis pediments and pilasters are molded high density polyurethane (HDP), shipped primed and ready for paint, and they are cut and fastened much like wood trim. This guide covers the pediment styles Spectis makes, how to size a pediment and pilasters to your opening using the Spectis entrance system chart, where a surround works indoors and out, …

A half-round arch over a window or doorway is one of the quickest ways to make an opening look built-in. Spectis arch trim is molded high density polyurethane (HDP), shipped primed and ready for paint, and it is handled the same way as wood millwork. This guide covers how to choose the right arch for your opening, which straight casing matches each profile, and how to install arched window trim indoors and out. What Arch Trim Is (and What It Is Not) Arch trim is curved casing that frames the hal …

Balusters carry the look of a railing, so it pays to choose the profile and size before you order. Here is how to narrow it down. 1. Decide the look: square or round Square-ended balusters (turned in the middle, square top and bottom) suit traditional and craftsman porches. Round balusters give a slimmer, more modern line. Spectis offers both, from slim 1 1/4 in. round profiles to heavy 7 in. square-ended designs. 2. Pick the height Spectis balusters run from 10 to 42 inches. The baluster is onl …

.lv{color:#1d2b3a;line-height:1.65}.lv h2{color:#0B3558;margin:34px 0 12px}.lv h3{color:#0B3558;margin:18px 0 8px} .lv-hero{width:100%;height:auto;border-radius:6px;display:block;margin:0 0 18px} .lv-note{background:#eef3f8;border-left:4px solid #0B3558;padding:14px 18px;border-radius:4px;margin:18px 0} .lv-grid{display:grid;grid-template-columns:repeat(auto-fill,minmax(210px,1fr));gap:16px;margin:18px 0} .lv-card{background:#fff;border:1px solid #d8e1e8;border-radius:8px;padding:14px;text-alig …

CP2904 is a molded polyurethane drop-in ceiling panel for a suspended grid. It is not a mineral-fiber tile, and it is not a glue-up panel for plaster or drywall. The architectural cut sheet shows the panel at 1 ft 11-3/4 in square and 1-9/16 in thick. Measure the clear opening in the grid before you order. A panel this thick sits on the tee. It does not slip through the opening the way a thin acoustic tile does. The face is a stepped square frame around a flat center. The panel ships double pr …

SPECTIS MOULDERS INC. herein referred to as the "seller", warrants its products against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of five years from date of purchase, to the original end user, when used and installed under recommended conditions. If the product is not painted immediately following installation, the warranty will be for a period of 1 year from date of purchase.  Failure to follow the seller’s storage and recommended installation instructions will void this warr …

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SPECTIS MOULDING PRODUCTS DENSITY  SPECTIS products are made with high density polyurethane with an overall density similar to white pine at 14 to 18 pounds per cubic foot. The Spectis process provides a greater skin density than core density for increased durability.  SURFACE PROPERTIES AND FINISHES  All products are manufactured with a white or beige colour coating. Further, these products receive a primer finish coat before they are shipped to customers. …

Porch. A hollow column wraps a post that already carries the load. A structural column, with a 4-1/2 inch steel core, is the part that can hold the porch. Brackets and decorative corbels under the eave are accents, not framing. Measure projection from the finished wall to the fascia. Gable. An open louver passes air. A closed louver is the look without the air path. Compare both in our gable vents. A sunburst is a fan, not a vent, unless the plate says the face is open. Window. Brick mould frame …

Spectis parts ship factory primed, ready to paint. Do not prime them again. The primer is the base coat, not the weather finish. Use a high-quality latex suited to the exposure. Interior and exterior are the same material. Outside, the paint is what takes the weather. Gel stain or a glaze can go over the primed face where the manufacturer notes it. Clean the surface before you coat an exterior piece. Fill fastener holes and close the joints with ADH100 first. Paint after the part is in place if …

ADH100 is ADH100 polyurethane adhesive. Spectis requires it on every bedding face and every butt joint: crown, columns, brackets, louvers, shutters, and the rest of the line. Do not substitute another construction adhesive. Other chemistries can attack the polyurethane. Finish nails or screws hold the part while the adhesive sets. Nails, screws, and adhesive are sold separately. Where two halves were joined, sand the squeeze-out before paint so the joint does not show.

On a Spectis column, the shaft is one line. The cap and the base are separate lines. A neck ring, if you need one, is separate too. Match the hole in the cap or base to the shaft diameter. A 12 inch shaft with a 10 inch base is the wrong part, not a variation. A Tuscan base is the classical foot under a round shaft. A neck ring sits at the top of the shaft, under the capital. A hollow shaft wraps a post that already carries the load. If the column itself has to hold the porch, order the structur …

An open gable louver leaves a passage between the slats so air can move. A closed louver keeps the outer shape and uses a solid face, so the wall looks like a vent and does not act as one. Use an open louver in a framed opening when that gable is part of how the attic breathes. Use a closed louver where the wall is already sealed, or where the elevation only needs the profile. Both versions are in our range of decorative gable vents. These parts are not a ridge vent, a soffit vent, or a roof tur …