What's the Difference Between Trim and Molding
Are you weighing the pros and cons of trim vs. molding for your home? Here’s what you need to know to get the maximum benefits from each.
When touching up a new home or adding a new feel to a room you love, trim or molding can be used. Both work to cover surfaces, fill in gaps, or cover harsh lines between two types of surfaces (such as glass and the wall, or the wall and the ceiling).
While both trim and molding serve the same purpose, there are some key differences between the two, which lead many to assess trim vs. molding in their interior design processes. And while both have their benefits, trim may be just what you need when it comes to a mix of function and convenience.
Molding
Molding can refer to the covering of any type of transitional areas, most commonly via ‘crown molding,’ which is where the wall meets the ceiling. While the utility of molding is the same across the board (regardless of where it’s needed), molding can include:
- Wood
- Plaster
- Rubber
- Styrofoam
Wood or plaster are the two most popular choices for molding, but it can be hard to opt for do-it-yourself molding in any area of your home because the mold typically needs to be custom-made according to dimension and shape.
Trim
Trim, on the other hand, is a much more adaptable and flexible option for achieving the look of molding without the hassle. Rather than choosing from a host of molding options and outsourcing for help, InstaTrim provides seamless trimming options for a fraction of the cost and tenfold the ease.
Trim looks identical to molding and accentuates transitional areas beautifully. Trim is a self-adhesive strip that can be used anywhere within your home for aesthetic purposes, to fill in gaps, or to prevent dust, mold, or bugs.
The Difference Between Trim vs. Molding
In addition to the difference in ease, here are other key differences in the trim vs. moulding debate.
- Trim requires no cleanup. Molding, or ‘caulking,’ can be a messy and involved process. With trimming, you peel, press, perfect, and you’re done. (Learn more by reading up on how to use InstaTrim!)
- Trim is DIY friendly, whereas molding typically requires some outside help. First time home renovators or anyone who wants to spruce up their space can easily use InstaTrim on their own without the concern of making a mistake. If any errors are made, or one is hoping to take off the trim, the peel-off process is seamless. Adhesive may be left behind on the wall, but this can be easily removed with a razor blade.
- Trim can be used anywhere. Molding requires different materials or shapes for different areas of the house, which means crown molding (for the wall to ceiling conjunction) will require a different process than banister or kitchen molding. With just a few rolls of InstaTrim, all of your molding needs can be met, regardless of where the need is within the home.
- Many opt for trim in the trim vs. molding debate because of cost. The average cost of molding is about $7-$16 per linear foot. Ten feet of InstaTrim is $19.95, and 100 feet is $98.95. Even for the lowest cost option of molding at $7 per linear foot, the cost difference is enormous. For 100 feet, this would cost $700 for molding, and 1/7th of that for trim.
There is one key similarity between trim and molding: its classic look. Trim doesn’t sacrifice the look of molding, it just introduces ease and cost efficiency. Not all caulk strips produce the same, seamless look, which is what differentiates InstaTrim from other strips on the market.
For your next home renovation project, try trim instead of molding.
