Millwork: What Is It?

Millwork may be found in virtually every home, yet many people are unaware of the distinction between it and other forms of woodwork despite seeing it or dealing with it frequently. Trim, baseboards, molding, doors, wall paneling, and any other components of a house made in a sawmill are all considered millwork.

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This used to exclusively apply to goods manufactured from unprocessed timber, but contemporary millwork may be made from a wide range of materials, including metal and composites, in addition to wood components.

Understanding more about millwork, where to use it in your house, and how much it will cost to buy it can help you find the perfect material for your project.

What Does Millwork Mean?

Professionals use the word “millwork” to describe any building item, such as wall and door trim, that was manufactured in a sawmill and incorporated into the house. Flooring is not categorized as millwork since millwork is primarily cosmetic rather than structural.

The term “millwork” has several meanings. Think on these instances of millwork to have a better understanding of what it is:

Baseboard

Forming

Doors

window trim

ornamental trim

Corbels

Paneling on walls

Railings

Balusters

Mantels

Millwork now encompasses products created from a variety of woods, including pine, oak, fir, poplar, hickory, maple, and others, in addition to raw timber. Fiberglass, MDF, particleboard, and finger-jointed wood can also be used to make it.

Certain millwork goods, such as windows, doors, and staircases, can include glass, aluminum, or steel in them. These items are made to install with the least amount of modification possible. The majority of content come in forms that are ready to use. Because of their prefabricated design, they are simpler to assemble utilizing adhesives, screws, or nails to fasten standard millwork elements.

Where to Look for Millwork in Your House

You may find several instances of millwork just by strolling around your house because it is widely used both indoors and out.

Doors and doorframes are an excellent source of discernible millwork. In a similar vein, millwork includes most closet doors and windows and their frames. Internally, millwork may also be observed in the separate parts of stairs, mantelpieces, crown molding, trim, and wall paneling. Outside, there are just as many examples, such as sidelights, transoms, door surround trim, louvers, corbels and brackets, and pediments.

Although a lot of these items are mass-produced, if you want to give your home’s design a distinctive touch, you may locate millwork that is specially crafted to order. Your house may stand out with something as basic as a bespoke mantle or distinctive door surround trim.

Casework vs. Millwork

Flooring and other goods manufactured in a sawmill are not considered millwork. Despite their numerous similarities, casework is a different kind of building material from millwork. Casework only includes boxed components such as bookshelves, cabinets, drawers, or racks; millwork is widely defined as any product made in a sawmill as a decorative building element to be put into a home.

Standard measurements are usually used in the mass production of casework, which lowers the overall cost of the materials and facilitates installation planning. Some manufacturers do, however, provide bespoke cabinets and other casework elements.