Moldings and trims are quite common parts for giving a car a beautiful appearance, which are now installed on almost all cars. However, you should not think that such elements are decoration and nothing more. They also play the role of a protector that prevents damage to the appearance of the vehicle. This article talks about why these seemingly simple elements are needed.
What kind of service is this?
Automotive moldings are designed to protect the bumper and doors from damage when they come into contact with third-party objects. Installing moldings on a car allows you to absorb shock and distribute the load.
But the molding cannot protect the entire body panel or bumper surface. If there is contact above or below the molding, damage cannot be avoided.
These accessories are the most popular and in demand in car tuning. Molding is also a decorative element, making adjustments to the exterior of the car, just like replacing the rear bumper. Some motorists install moldings on the sides and bumpers of their vehicle to change its appearance. With their help, the side line is well emphasized, the car becomes more expressive and elegant. Thanks to the moldings, the car gains grace and an inimitable style.
Today, the automotive industry offers various types of moldings. They can be divided according to material:
- made of high-quality plastic (sometimes chrome-plated);
- rubber;
- made of stainless steel, which have been polished.
If your goal is to install door moldings to protect them from damage, then plastic accessories will do the job best. They can be painted to match the car body color. Rubber pads do not stain easily, so they can be used unpainted. Polished stainless steel moldings most often serve decorative functions. When damaged, they lose their appearance and need to be replaced.
The main advantages of moldings are:
- increased strength;
- reliability;
- wear resistance;
- aesthetics;
- ease of installation;
- resistance to adverse weather conditions;
- long period of use.
Installation of moldings at home
If you decide to install moldings on your car, then you can do it without contacting a car service center. The installation procedure can be performed at any place and time. To do this, you can contact the “My Mechanic” service and a mobile technician will install the molding elements quickly and efficiently at your home or work, and you will not need to waste time visiting a service station for these purposes.
How to glue new moldings so they don't fall off
If the car manufacturer did not initially provide for the presence of decorative overlays, then the whole technology looks like this.
Carefully inspect the lower parts of the doors. Installation is carried out on convex areas, measuring the distance from the highest point to the bottom edge of the car doors.
Make a mark at the resulting distance on both sides - in the front of the door and in the back. Use masking tape to visually limit the area where the work will be done.
The attachment points are treated with degreasing liquid. The chosen adhesive is then applied to the molding and carefully and precisely applied to the door. Then all that remains is to hold the element for a while and press down for better fixation. Remaining glue that is squeezed out from under the element should be immediately removed with a cloth.
You need to understand that any liquid glue will not provide maximum tightness. It will not be possible to apply the adhesive evenly, nor will it be possible to ensure hardening in each area. In places where there is no glue, moisture will accumulate.
Video installation instructions
It's better to see once than to read a hundred times. This also applies to gluing decorative and protective overlays. The video will tell you in detail and show how this operation is performed.
Keep in mind
The “My Mechanic” service works only with trusted suppliers of automotive accessories who are responsible for quality and offer affordable prices. Therefore, every car owner can be sure that the installation of moldings, the price of which is much cheaper than that of competitors, will be performed by our craftsmen quickly, reliably and inexpensively. Each technician will also explain how a particular service is performed, including how to install a roof rack on your car.
Set of car moldings
Marking for installing molding
Installation of molding on ATV
Varieties
Where exactly should moldings be used? What are they for their purpose? Trims for doors and windows, frames for mirrors, baseboards, cornices, as well as wall panels - all this is moldings.
Their abundance is simply impressive. Moldings for arches, for windows, for furniture... What kind of moldings should we use on entrance doors and how, for example, should we combine wallpaper with molding in the interior? Head is spinning! Let's find answers to these questions by examining the types of moldings and their purpose.
Wall moldings made of polyurethane look elegant even in the interior of the corridor
Ceiling moldings. Moldings are used between the wall and the ceiling, which are usually called ceiling skirting boards. We know them as cornices. Their purpose is to create a neat transition between the ceiling and the wall.
Ceiling moldings in the interior can be found in two types: simple and complex , which are produced with various patterns and stucco moldings.
The width of such moldings varies. It ranges from a few centimeters to tens of centimeters. Wide ones are usually used for tall rooms with a fairly large area. In small rooms, simple versions of moldings are used.
Ceiling moldings can have different widths
Ceiling moldings are made from natural materials. For example, from plaster, wood and clay . But there are also artificial ones: they are made of polyurethane and polystyrene .
Experience shows that it is easier to work with artificial products .
Floor moldings. Moldings are also used for transitions between the floor and walls. In this case, we will talk about floor-mounted ones. They are selected taking into account the same parameters as ceiling moldings - the size of the room and the height of the room .
Photos of wall moldings in the kitchen interior
Wall moldings. This type of molding is used quite often. They are combined either with wallpaper or applied to painted walls , creating a specific pattern or frame that emphasizes a certain area of the wall. Wall moldings in the interior create a unique decoration on the surface of the wall.
This is how you can use wallpaper with molding in the interior
We suggest selecting wall moldings, taking into account the shape and color of the plinth on the ceiling and floor , as they should be in harmony with the overall interior design. They come in different shapes and lengths. The choice will always depend on what decorative element you want to create from the moldings.
Photo with decorative polyurethane moldings in the interior
Door and arch moldings. Do you want to purchase molding for an interior door or arch? Then you can't go wrong if you decide to bring this idea to life. Interior doors with molding will look simply wonderful. You can't go wrong with an arch either. Moldings for such a design are called door and arched .
This is what interior doors with molding look like
If you've worked with window moldings before, you won't have any problems with door moldings. They are also designed to mask joints . In our case, between the wall of the room and the door frame.
In everyday life, such moldings are called platbands. They can be oval, rectangular and even curly .
Such platbands are purchased depending on what material the doors are made of . This makes it possible for the platbands to “fit” well into the overall picture.
This is the look of moldings for stucco arches
Moldings on arches make it possible to hide certain irregularities and errors in the arch itself . In addition, they decorate it.
Important! Due to the complexity of the work, it is better to entrust the installation of door or arch moldings to professionals.
Furniture moldings. We don’t think it’s worth talking much about the purpose of furniture moldings. After all, everything here is quite simple and clear. These products are classified as furniture decor. That is, furniture moldings are used to decorate furniture and various carpentry products .
Furniture moldings made of expensive wood - stylish design and luxurious appearance
Most often, manufacturers offer three types of furniture decor: smooth, textured and metallized . The first is used for furniture with a smooth surface, the second - for decorating facades (veneered) and for products made of hard wood. The third type is designed to imitate furniture for various metals - gold, silver, bronze and copper.
Our recommendations
Installation of moldings can be made from materials that the car owner purchases independently. It is possible to use and order the necessary elements from us.
If moldings are purchased by the owner of the car, then it is recommended to buy painted models. It is better to order parts from official dealers, this will give confidence in their originality. Painted moldings will cost the owner less than unpainted ones, for which you still need to match the paint color.
Some vehicle owners, in order to save money, purchase linings that need to be adjusted to the parameters of the car. Our craftsmen advise choosing ready-made kits, where the moldings have protected edges and well-chosen fasteners.
Installing window molding
Installing the side molding on the door
New moldings on the car
Materials for production
Moldings differ both in the method of application and in the type of material from which they are made. A fairly wide range of materials are used for their manufacture. Let's look at them, sorting them by type and weight of material - from lightest to heaviest.
Foam and plastic moldings. These foam products are the most popular on the market. First of all, they are cheap. Secondly, they became popular due to their light weight, lightness and resistance to moisture . But foam moldings also have their disadvantages: they are characterized by weak strength and ease of damage . Plastic moldings have almost the same pros and cons.
Polyurethane moldings can have different patterns
Polyurethane moldings. This type of molding is increasingly being used in interior design. They fit great, look great and don't break. The special bending structure allows polyurethane moldings to take on any shape. In addition, such moldings attract buyers with cheap prices .
Wood moldings. Wood, as you know, is valued not only for its pleasant appearance, but also for the fact that it is an environmentally friendly material . Its high price only emphasizes their sophistication. Therefore, wood moldings are always held in high esteem.
Marble, plaster and metal moldings . Such moldings look extremely beautiful, but they are used quite rarely . Moldings made of plaster, metal and marble are commonly used in interiors to create historical styles. If you use such moldings in the interior of the living room, you will immediately see their main drawback - high price and heavy weight .
Such decorative plaster moldings will decorate the wall and add special splendor to the interior.
Please note! Self-adhesive molding will be a real gift for any buyer.
It is most often made of plastic and rubber. A striking example of such molding will be curb tape, which is made of rubber. Groove molding is also widely known . The first one is most often used to connect the bathroom with the walls, and the second one is used exclusively as a decorative one.
See a selection of photos of furniture slides for the living room and possible design options with them: solid, compact and modular slide walls - this multifunctional and compact furniture will be the ideal solution for your hall or living room.
And in this article there are photos of small living rooms with a fireplace: comfortable, warm and homely if there is a home fire in the room.
Where should I glue it?
Usually the car has a certain stamping of space for protection equipment.
View gallery
But there are times when there is no space or it is indicated incorrectly. Then you need to navigate yourself and choose the most convex place, which is most likely to be subject to damage when opening the door (or, if it is a bumper, when parking). In this case, it should be located at the bottom of the vehicle. It is better to stick the element with an assistant, as this will make the task much easier and save a lot of time. When using silicone-based glue, drying will take about half an hour. If you used double-sided tape like ZM, you can hit the road immediately after applying the sticker.
So, we got acquainted with such a means of protecting the car from damage as molding. What it is is now clear to everyone.
Universal instances
The most suitable option is universal molding. What it is? What are its advantages?
Their versatility is due to the fact that they fit most cars and are approved by installers.
· flexibility, which facilitates ease of installation;
· made of high-quality material, similar to the original product models;
· have been tested and researched in laboratories;
· the material is not natural;
· lack of correct rigidity of forms.
Removing old moldings
Original linings, even of the best quality, lose their attractiveness over time. Scratches, cuts, peeling from body parts, stains of unknown origin - all this spoils the appearance of the car. But one of the tasks of molding is to make it look more attractive. In such cases, there is only one way out - to change the unsympathetic part. But, most likely, the entire system of linings must be replaced, especially if it is not possible to find the same color and size.
Meanwhile, removing moldings is a non-trivial task, since it is usually unknown what method was used for fixation.
Let's look at the two most universal and common ways to remove moldings from doors:
- The heating method is easy to use and requires an ordinary hair dryer, not necessarily a professional one, as the main tool. Moreover, it is not recommended to use a powerful construction hair dryer, since there is a risk of damaging the paint layer of the body in the area where the trim fits. If such a problem occurs (which, by the way, is possible with a household tool if you use it with fanaticism), it can only be corrected by gluing on a wider molding (or repainting the body part, which will definitely be more expensive). The optimal heating temperature is 40ºС. As a rule, most modern adhesive compositions under such conditions lose their adhesive properties, due to which the part will be safely separated from the door or bumper without the use of extreme forces.
- The method using a solvent is more expensive in terms of time, money, and labor, but it gives a guaranteed result. And since there is no temperature effect, the paintwork does not suffer. If you remove the moldings to repaint the car and then plan to stick them on the old place, the thermal method is not recommended at all, since the linings themselves, especially plastic ones, may be damaged. To remove moldings from doors using this method, you need to apply solvent along the entire perimeter, using a soft rag soaked in the solution. Only the joints should be softened. After a few minutes, the glue will begin to dissolve, and the pad can be separated quite easily.
The task will become more complicated if, when installing the moldings, special antennae were used, which attach the trim to the body through small-diameter holes. In this case, most likely, it will be necessary to dismantle the internal lining, which will allow access to the tendrils, which should be trimmed. If you are not going to use the pads again, don’t bother – just pull them, the tendrils will break off on their own.
Installing protection on a car yourself
If you decide to install and purchase the specified product, let’s take a closer look at the installation procedure.
Necessary conditions for installation of molding:
– cleaned and degreased surface of the element installation;
– the air temperature should not be less than 21 degrees.
1. Remove the protective film from it, first exposing the mounting tape.
Please note that only the corners of the molding are freed from the tape. In this case, the ribbon must extend beyond the part. Attention, make no mistake. It is forbidden to completely remove the protective film. This way you make it harder for yourself to move parts.
2. After correctly removing the tape from the corners, move it.
3. Treat the area where the molding is installed with a primer. This product will react with the glue on the mounting tape. This will improve the adhesive properties.
4. Complete the final installation of the element in its intended place. To do this, you need to pull the edge that sticks out and remove it from the mounting tape.
5. Press the bar firmly against the body.
6. In order to improve the adhesive properties, keep it for 24 hours in a warm room.
This procedure completes the installation of the new product. To secure the adhesion of the element to the vehicle body, it is recommended to keep it for 24 hours in a warm place and not to wet the body.
Concealed molding
Comes in two variations. Let's take a closer look. The first is a kind of rear molding that covers the gaps between the body and the glass on the rear windows. The second involves attaching it with tape to the inside of the glass. The second part of this protection involves closing the cracks between the frame and the glass. There is also a rain model. Its design assumes the presence of a special rain channel to allow water to flow down a special groove.
There is also a capsule version. In other words, cassette. This type of protection is a one-piece structure and is cast at an industrial plant along with glass.
