Wood trim is an incredibly understated yet important piece of your home, defining the mood and aesthetic of virtually every room it’s present in. Bringing together different house trim styles and sizes will allow you to coordinate a beautiful home interior, and it’s important that you understand the differences between varying trim options to ensure that you’re prepared to make the proper decision.
In this article we’re going to explore the world of standard wood trim sizes so that you are ready to tackle your next renovation or upgrade project.

Overview of Sizes
Wooden trim moulding is available in a virtually unlimited number of formats, profiles, and dimensions, making it incredibly easy to find a style that fits your home. Experienced trim carpenters will rely on standard dimensions to ensure quality and fit across your home, but know that customizations can be made to the width and thickness you desire.

Doors and Windows
Most home wood trim designs will build upon the foundation of door casings. The most commonly used door trim casing size is 2 ¼ inches in width and ½ thick, although these numbers will regularly go upwards in the ½ inch range. Although it’s standard practice to have door and window casings the same size, there is absolutely no real set of factors forcing this. If you’re looking to create size and aesthetic contrast between the two, it’s encouraged that you experiment with different thicknesses and widths.

Baseboards
Baseboards are more substantial than your window and door casings, and are often an important aspect to the flow of your home. The average baseboard is no less than ¾ inch in thickness, ranging anywhere from 3-5 inches wide.

Sizing Formula
For experienced carpenters, there are simply, industry-standard formulas to be relied on for door, base, and crown-moulding casings. As an example, the standard door casing will be 2 ¼ inches wide. From there, you can add 1 inch to the casing width for the base size, and beyond that an additional 1 ½ inches to get an accurate crown moulding surface area. It’s important to note that these formulas are not written in stone, and that there is absolutely nothing stopping you from adjusting those dimensions to fit your personal preference.
Note that if you’re having a home built by an architect, it’s likely that they’ll follow these industry standards for casing, base, and crown house moulding.

Picture and Chair Rail
Whereas door and window casing, base casing, and crown moulding are used to conceal corners, cracks or gaps, picture and chair rails are used to enhance or break up spaces and create a luxurious feel across your home. This type of moulding is often applied on a flat surface, and at 2 ¼ inches wide and ¾ inches thick, it’s perfect for creating a sense of elegance in any room and for protecting your walls against chair dings and dents.
Beyond their purely functional use, most traditional carpenters will take advantage of picture and chair rails to create elegant grid patterns throughout rooms.

Crown Moulding
Note that crown moulding measurements are based on the thickest point in the profile – the top. The easiest way to measure crown moulding is to measure across the end from tip-to-tip. Crown moulding has widths ranging from 1 ½ inches to 8 inches and beyond, with the most commonly seen crown moulding coming in at 4 ½ inches. You can expect to see a thickness between ½ inch and ¾ inch, although variations and personal preference will often see these alter ever so slightly.

Exterior Trim
home, and will often be approximately 3 ½ inches wide. In terms of thickness, you can expect to see ¾ most commonly used, although varying window and siding sizes will require this to be custom cut for most projects.
Closing
Trim is an incredibly important element to the aesthetic and overall experience of your home, and it’s not a feature that should be taken lightly. When it comes to installing quality trim capable of standing the test of time, there’s no better choice than a professional trim team like VIP Classic Moulding. To learn more about how we’ve been helping clients across the GTA complete their dream renovation projects for years, contact our team today!