Is there a name for molding that covers a gap?

[Jamie Buxton]

It is a common use -- molding to cover a seam or a gap. It gets used in furniture, in musical instruments, in housebuilding, and everyplace. Is there a name for it? The best I can come up with is "trim molding", which seems too generic. After all, we have these wonderful and specific molding names like astragal, and purfling, and bolection, and such. Why not a name for molding that covers a gap?

[Charles Wiggins]

Maybe a more experienced noggin might provide more insight, but I think trim molding is about as close as you're going to get. In most cases that I've seen molding is referred to either by profile (e.g., egg and dart, ogee) or specific application (e.g., baseboard, crown). The purpose of trim molding is to decorate and this often involves covering gaps. In fact, I thought that most architectural molding had it origins in covering gaps.

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I believe it depends on where the gap is. For instance, between windows, I believe it is called 'mullion'. Around windows, it is called 'case molding'. Where a wall terminates at the floor, it is called 'base molding'. On exterior doors and window, it is called 'brick molding'. If it's to cover up a screw up, it is called a 'Jeffrey Makiel' molding.

Jeff

[Rod Sheridan]

I . If it's to cover up a screw up, it is called a 'Jeffrey Makiel' molding.

Jeff

LOL, Darn, I was hoping it would be named after me.............Rod.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

In the construction trade a "batten" is used to cover gaps between roof panels, siding etc. It can be used on the interior or exterior.

[Henry Ambrose]

Its called "panel molding".

[Bill Edwards(2)]

BeTRIMming
IsoTRIMorphic

Ah! Trim-o-mine

Mo-Trim

[John A langley]

For the gap between the wall and a cabinet,is called a scribe, which has long since taken the place of scribing a cabinet to the wall

[David Helm]

Try "astrugal". Covers gap between french doors and other uses.

[Moses Yoder]

We always just called it 1/4" putty.

[dan grant]

good one

We always just called it 1/4" putty.

[Bruce Wrenn]

We always just called it 1/4" putty.

AKA beauty cream. Caulk, putty, and paint makes a carpenter what he ain't!

[Don Bullock]

I have no idea what you call it, but I sure have used a lot of molding to cover up gaps. My wife can't begin to count the number of times I've gone to the "molding store" as she calls it. She's sure that someone out there has a patent on the stuff and is making a mint.

[mike holden]

It is a common use -- molding to cover a seam or a gap. It gets used in furniture, in musical instruments, in housebuilding, and everyplace. Is there a name for it? The best I can come up with is "trim molding", which seems too generic. After all, we have these wonderful and specific molding names like astragal, and purfling, and bolection, and such. Why not a name for molding that covers a gap?

Jamie,
You are confusing function names and shape names. Astragal and bolection are shapes.
As to your question, let me quote from "Theory of Mouldings" by C. Howard Walker: "At the places of contact of the pieces occur joints through which, if the construction is of wood, air and rain can penetrate, and water cause rot. Therefore, these joints were protected and covered by small strips of wood, or cleats, from which most classic mouldings are derived."
So, the proper term for a strip of wood covering a gap is a "cleat", the other part of the name, bead, cove, astragal, scotia, torus, cyma recta, cyma reversa, refer to the shape of the outer surface of the cleat. Cleats may have a specialized name depending on where used, casing, plate rail, crown, etc. but this refers to their placement, not their shape.
Hope this clears this up somewhat, though it may just "muddy the waters" (shrug)
Mike

[Aleks Hunter]

HI Jamie,
On stringed instruments like guitars, the black/white stripes on the edges are called binding, and are made of layers of veneer strips, between the binding and the wood of the soundboard or back there often is a decorative strip which is called purfling, which is also the name of the inscribed strips around the edges of the soundboard of violins, violas, cellos, etc. Sometimes there is a strip between the two bookmatched panels of a guitar's back that is simply called a backstrip. As far as cabinetry goes none of these names really apply. There are myriad forms of molding used in cabinetry for deco reasons and to hide seams, but they are named by their form, like cove, egg and dart, dentil, etc. I do not think there is a generic word for a strip of molding that simply covers a visible joint seam. Perhaps its time to create one and see if it catches on?

Someone mentioned mullion, but that is a structural member between two openings in a window.