What Does Cladding Trim Do?
When tongue and groove cladding is installed at dado height - running from the skirting board up to the midpoint of the wall - the top edge of the cladding run is the most visible junction in the scheme. Left uncapped, the raw board ends and fixing points are exposed. A cladding trim moulding covers that junction cleanly, creating a deliberate horizontal line that frames the cladding below and provides a natural visual stopping point for the eye.
Think of it as the counterpart to the skirting board at the bottom of the wall - one finishes the floor junction, the other finishes the cladding junction. Together they give the installation a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Astragal Cladding Trim
A small half-round bead flanked by flat shoulders on each side. The astragal has been a staple of British joinery for centuries precisely because it is versatile - refined enough for period rooms, understated enough for contemporary ones. As a cladding trim it adds a quiet decorative note at the top of the run without drawing attention away from the cladding itself.
Georgian Cladding Trim
Stepped and layered, the Georgian profile brings an unmistakably formal character to a cladding installation. The strong horizontal lines created by its tiered cross-section suit entrance halls, dining rooms, and any space where architectural precision is part of the brief. Combine with our Victorian architrave for a consistent period language throughout.
Scotia Cladding Trim
A concave quarter-round that draws the cladding and wall surfaces together with a smooth inward curve rather than a projecting profile. The scotia sits close to the wall, casts minimal shadow, and suits rooms where the cladding scheme is intended to recede into the background rather than announce itself. Particularly effective in spaces finished in a single colour from floor to ceiling.
Pairs well with our thin architrave in minimal interior schemes.
Half Round Cladding Trim
A clean semicircular projection that sits confidently at the top of the cladding run. Where the scotia curves inward, the half round pushes outward - creating a bolder shadow line and a more assertive top edge. Straightforward to cut and join at corners, and equally at home in modern and traditional settings.
Bolection Cladding Trim
The most substantial profile in the range. The bolection stands proud of both the wall and the cladding surface, with a complex curved section that creates deep shadow lines and strong visual presence. It is the profile of choice for formal period rooms - panelled libraries, reception halls, dining rooms - where the moulding scheme is intended to be the defining architectural feature of the space.
For a fully realised period interior, browse our cornices and plinth blocks and rosettes.
Fitting Cladding Trim
Cladding trim is applied after the boards are fixed and before the scheme is painted. Score a level pencil line along the top edge of the cladding run as a guide, apply a continuous bead of grab adhesive to the back of the trim, and press firmly into position. Pin through the face at regular intervals while the adhesive cures. Mitre at 45 degrees at internal and external corners, fill all pin holes, caulk the top and bottom arris where the trim meets wall and cladding respectively, then paint through in the same pass as the rest of the scheme.