Mid-Cape Home Centers sets the standard when it comes to building, design and craftsmanship. What you might not know, however, is that Mid-Cape has a Custom Millwork Shop in its Dennis location that can meet a variety of specialty needs. Do you need to match a design profile in a historic restoration or home addition? Are you looking to save time and money by using one-piece oval trim kits? Do you need custom moulding in AZEK? Mid-Cape Home Centers’ on-site Custom Millwork Shop can meet those needs and more.
Mid-Cape Home Centers has the resources which allow it to offer much faster turnaround times to its customers. The Custom Millwork Shop allows staff with over 60 combined years of experience to create a wide variety of custom millwork every day for delivery or pick-up.
“Mid Cape does a great job matching profiles needed for remodels or additions on older homes,” said Kim Tokarz, Millwork Program Coordinator for Mid-Cape Home Centers. “We have the machinery to manufacture in-house for the smaller jobs or, if it requires a larger amount of materials, we have other suppliers that can provide us a quality product.”
Here on Cape Cod, maintaining the charm and “flavor” of historic homes is important. With all the options available to the end user, Tokarz said, they still do see mostly the Cape Cod look – basic flat, square profiles, and simple lines – in her area of specialty, which is interior trim for doors, windows and stairs. “Most of these products are made from wood or MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard). Our custom shop does supply a lot of PVC exterior decorative pieces for newer construction and historic renovations.”
Any existing home that falls into the Historic District must meet the strict standards of the Historical Society, whose main goal is to maintain the historical look of Cape Cod, according to Connor Madden, who works in Interior Millwork Sales for Mid-Cape.
“When dealing with new builds not falling within the Historical District, I have noticed more of a modern style coming around,” he said. ”Clean lines, very square trim, almost very plain and simple with the occasional crown pediment detail. Rustic styles have also become very popular specifically sliding barn doors with the hanging strap – these are selling all over the Cape.”
For the exteriors of Cape homes, harsh weather conditions must always come into play. Brutal winters and hot summers can take their toll on a home’s exterior, so materials, especially for special trimwork, must be given some consideration, if you want it to be able to last in Cape Cod weather.
“For exterior trim, we typically use PVC or a primed exterior pine, which will need to be primed again and painted in the field to stand up to the harsh conditions,” Madden said. “These are low-maintenance, not no-maintenance, especially in this climate. Often, we need to match exterior trim for existing buildings. We will take a sample of the existing trim and have a custom knife made (if we don’t already have one) and then run the new trim in our moulding machine.”
Most of his customers use PVC and wood, but mostly PVC, he said. PVC is popular because the main concern of the contractor is not having any call backs and this is the most low maintenance option. “However, I have noticed some of my higher end builders will use wood whether it’s primed pine or cedar, because of the movement of the boards. Wood is less likely to expand and contract than PVC. It needs a little more maintenance but that is expected.”
Builders like to keep it simple, added Tokarz, “But with HG TV and HOUZZ, we find the homeowners and designers are more aware of what they can really do to dress up the interior of their home. We are seeing them change up the stairways by adding Iron or other decorative balusters and stair treads to match their hardwood flooring.”
Madden also said it depends on the customer and the style of the house. Some houses, he said, call for a more decorative look, where other modern houses are better suited for a simple and sharp trim detail.
Whatever specialty work your home or building might require to keep it looking new inside and out, Mid-Cape Home Centers Custom Millwork Shop has what you need, and its experienced staff can guide you each step of the way. Visit the Millwork Shop at www.midcape.net/mid-cape-custom-millwork-shop/ and see what they can do for you.
Sponsored Content
About Ann Luongo
