http://sears-trostel.com/ Sears Trostel Lumber & Millwork - Blog RSS Feed 2.0 en-us Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:21:02 GMT Mon, 13 Apr 2026 07:21:02 GMT http://sears-trostel.com/userfiles/1220/images/Stained%2Dwood%2DMouldings%2Dweb2%2Ejpg http://sears-trostel.com/ http://sears-trostel.com/blog/13569/The-Beauty-Real-Wood-Has-to-Offer blog Wood itself has a long and storied history, being used for and in construction dating back thousands of years or more. The uses extend beyond building structures however, as boats, weapons, and protective pieces or barriers like shields and fences also often used the natural component. Uses even extended into everyday needs and still does today by providing fuel as a heat source, furniture for the home, and is even a major component of paper. The beauty of wood extends beyond its’ natural state and can still be utilized in the modern era by adding character and value to almost any project. Whether you are contemplating an addition onto your home or office, building a brand-new structure from the ground up, or updating an existing interior and/or exterior considering wood as the basis for the project can pay immediate dividends. Depending on the overall goal of a project, wood provides a means by which many different factors can each be accomplished simultaneously.  From the floor to the ceiling, wood can change the outlook of a room or even an entire building almost immediately. Changing existing fixtures and surfaces into wood offers a variety of positive features both pleasant to the eye and pocket book. The wide array of available choices in wood is often surprising as modifications both small and large can be utilized when choosing wood as the base component on a project. Various colors and designs are all attainable with the different types of wood naturally available and on the market today. The following are a few examples of areas where natural wood can take your home or office to the next level both inside and out: Mouldings Used in a variety of areas, wood mouldings can provide immediate improvements to a particular space or entire home when used correctly. Wooden  types of trim used in homes literally varies from the floor to ceiling and is one of the most beneficial aesthetic improvements available. From outlining doors and windows to providing a protective barrier for the wall, wooden trim and mouldings serve a variety of purposes. Most individuals are familiar with baseboards but crown molding is less common. While it can be used to cover imperfections in the drywall, crown molding serves the primary purpose of improving a room’s appearance. Flooring Choosing custom hardwood flooring provides a variety of benefits extending beyond an increased resale value of the property. In today’s market, having custom hardwood floors is often an immediate selling point, giving your home a one of a kind look and typically raising the purchase price past any cost of installation. But the benefits do not end there.  Hardwood flooring is also much easier to clean, providing a quality appearance to everyone who walks into your room. Depending on the wood used and color decided upon, dust, dirt, and debris is also often less noticeable when on a hardwood floor as opposed to a carpeted surface. Beams Solid wooden beams offer many positives including providing solid support while being extremely versatile. Exposed beams are also a trending consideration in real estate and having natural wood creates both a conversation piece and solid engineering design in many homes. Box beams provide the desired look of solid wood beams but at an affordable price.  Box beams are perfect for remodeling or adding to existing rooms because they are relatively easy to install and quickly adds character to a room.     Custom Millwork Used both on a building’s interior and exterior, custom millwork adds a decorative aspect to any project. The appearance of millwork is much like the use of crown molding, as it enhances the outward look of a building or improves the feel of an interior room. Often, the special attention to detail in the characteristics of millwork can significantly raise both the price at resale and selling potential itself by providing a unique look not readily available in most real estate markets. Millwork is also extremely flexible in its’ use and finished design. In many occurrences, the millwork will be sold unfinished so that a buyer can apply their own colors, finishes, or paints to match where the piece or pieces are to be added within the structure or project area. Creating custom millwork today also extends beyond the prototypical “railing” frequently seen above fireplaces and doors to include extra detail on garage doors, plank ceilings, wall paneling, cabinets, and other encasement around architectural details in homes and buildings.  Wainscot Essentially millwork on a much larger and less detailed scale, wainscoting provides both an improved appearance to an interior wall or hallway while serving the purpose of a high-end appearance. Similar to paneling, as the two are often used in relation, wainscoting typically appears on the lower portion of a solid wall and serves solely as a decorative feature in today’s home or office. Butcher Blocks These unique pieces can spice up a kitchen simply from their immediate addition on top of an existing counter, built-in countertop, or a separate kitchen island cart made from all-natural wood. Serving a two-fold purpose, natural wood butcher blocks provide a pleasing sight and conversation piece in addition to providing a functional apparatus in the kitchen for your cooking enjoyment. A wooden butcher block provides one of the best options for both durability and cleanliness inside a kitchen. Hardwood butcher blocks provide a clean, safe and beautiful surface.  For decades, Sears Trostel has served our community with integrity and quality. We are proud to offer the best value without compromising quality or customer service. Our manufacturing processes allow for unrivaled flexibility in custom profiles, and our commitment to quality has earned us the trust of our customers through Colorado, Wyoming, and the surrounding areas. Feel free to contact us today with your needs or visit our retail sales and showroom located at 1500 Riverside Avenue in Fort Collins, Colorado. For commercial and residential sales please call 970-482-1928 or for wholesale and manufacturing, 970-482-0222 or 800-950-1928 with any other general questions about our products and services. We can also be reached by email at Sales@sears-trostel.com as we look forward to showing you the effects quality beautiful natural woods can have. Fri, 29 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT http://sears-trostel.com/blog/13569/The-Beauty-Real-Wood-Has-to-Offer http://sears-trostel.com/blog/13545/Why-Choose-Hardwood-Moulding-Over-MDF- blog Until you begin the process of planning your remodel or build, you often don’t think of the options and weigh the benefits of one type of product versus another. When it comes to choosing the right type of moulding, businesses or homeowners would have the option of incorporating either MDF mouldings or solid hardwood mouldings. While you could determine your needs based solely on cost â€" this is not generally the smartest option for you, as most renovation or build projects have associated costs to consider long-term, like the durability of the product as an investment. Typically, hardwood offers many options for finishing - staining, clear coat finishes, or paint are possible. When using MDF, paint is the only option and is necessary in order for the product to be properly sealed. In addition, making a choice to use hardwood will expand your design and moulding profiles to an endless number of custom designs.  MDF however, is usually only available in mass quantities of limited stocked profiles. To help you determine the right product for your needs, Sears Trostel can offer the benefits of hardwood and detriments of MDF along with our strong recommendation to use hardwood moulding in Denver for most construction projects Environmental Impact MDF (medium-density fiberboard) is similar to particle board in a way, because instead of a solid piece, it is formed out of many fine fibrous pieces of wood bound into one. Most people would automatically think that this would be environmentally sound, as it can use wood waste, but the chemicals used in the binding process are actually quite harmful. Typically resin and formaldehyde is used in the binding process, which is known to be a carcinogen. Formaldehyde has a chemical reaction that results in continuous gassing-off for lengthy periods of time â€" months, or even years. Generally sealing it with paint can help alleviate this issue, but won’t completely, and all MDF should be sealed and painted before installing to reduce the potential of these serious issues. MDF is not a sustainable product the way it is used now. It is usually not recyclable, so once used, it will remain in a landfill and continue to release these harmful chemicals, which can have adverse effects over time. Most wood products have some formaldehyde in then, but hardwood will not come with any added formaldehyde, so in terms of satisfying an environmental responsibility, MDF is not your best option. Installation Issues with MDF The base structure of MDF can seem strong and solid, but typically will not be as strong as solid hardwood mouldings. Woodworkers and installers have to be very careful when cutting MDF as it quickly dulls the blade, and can cause your miter saws to run into issues getting a clean cut.  Perfectionists will not be all too keen on the final look or the installation process, as MDF often buckles or creates a indention when nailed into, which looks messy and is much more difficult to fix then dealing with hardwoods. More sanding and filling is usually required for MDF installations, as well as a lot more cleanup in the dust department. Because MDF is made of fibers â€" basically a lot of fine wood fibers glued together â€" the resulting dust from sanding is increased by the simple nature of the product. It can take many attempts to install MDF moulding professionally, without any bumps, warping, misalignment, splits or non-smooth surface, which really contributes to more waste in the process as well. Durability of MDF vs Hardwood Probably the most important and easily measured benefit of using hardwood moulding over medium-density fiberboard is its wear and tear over time. Solid wood is much more durable and lasting than MDF in many ways. The natural fibers in hardwood provide a more lasting hold on nails and other fasteners as opposed to MDF, which typically loosen after installation and over time. MDF moulding is not water resistant and typically will swell in size when introduced to water or humidity, so in this Colorado climate, your investment could easily be ruined by water alone. General durability also becomes an issue with scratching, chipping, or denting â€" the material is less dense than most hardwoods, so it is easy to look worn and old in a short span of time without taking a lot of care in maintenance and protection. Hardwood moulding tends to be a lot more resilient in terms of durability â€" its hardness allows for a lot of wear and tear before it becomes noticeable, and beyond that, can typically be refinished to look like new over time.   If you have pets, it is a much smarter choice in terms of your investment to choose hardwood over MDF. Unintentional scratches will always happen, especially with children or animals, and knowing that your investment is safe from everyday use and occasional accidents can offer great peace of mind when making the decision to use hardwood. While generally more expensive than MDF, hardwood moulding will always last longer, in better condition, proving to be worth the investment years down the road. Above all, hardwood is going to look more professional than MDF giving you rich looking trim for years to come. Which is Right for You?  While the benefits of hardwood moulding heavily outweigh the positive aspects of MDF, as every project has different requirements and your needs may change over time. Consider working with hardwood to save yourself a headache down the road â€" we recommend using hardwood for most installations. Although MDF is cheaper in terms of cost, that cheap quality is passed along to the product itself. While MDF is easily dented, can crumble easily when drilling or nailing in close proximity, and not environmentally-friendly, it can provide a low-cost solution for projects that don’t require high quality or lasting durability.   If you are leaning toward using MDF in your construction project, consider talking to the experts at Sears Trostel before making your purchases. Our team can help walk through the potential outcomes for your space and weigh in environmental factors that may have an effect on things over time. Our team is well-versed in all things regarding mouldings and can direct you toward your best options across the board.   Looking for more specific information? Read more about the types of moulding we offer and the many varieties available to you. Because we are the leaders in Colorado millwork, we can assist in producing the right solutions for your renovation, remodel, new construction project, or commercial build.   Contact our team today to get started and truly understand the benefits or detriments of the materials you intend on using. From moulding to furniture, Sears Trostel can provide unique materials of the highest quality, with the service to match. Thu, 14 Dec 2017 06:00:00 GMT http://sears-trostel.com/blog/13545/Why-Choose-Hardwood-Moulding-Over-MDF- http://sears-trostel.com/blog/12998/Miller-Custom-Carpentry blog By the time a fine home is nearly finished, it reflects a balance of design, style, taste and experience â€" a blend of ideas contributed by the architect, builder and home owner.  But when craftsmen arrive and begin to install custom cabinets, built-ins and mouldings, the home owner’s influence really shines through.  This is where a home owner can add a signature that is distinctive and completely personal. Allen Miller leads a team of superb carpenters who are among the most talented and respected in the region.  They are experts in creating custom cabinets, built-ins, mantels, and mouldings that truly bring a home owner’s vision to life â€" while they meet a contractor’s need for a turnkey job that finishes on schedule and on budget.  Allen matches the needs of each project with a crew of two to six that applies the right manpower and talent to the job. Larger crews are always available to accommodate more substantial projects. With long experience and extraordinary talent, the craftsmen on Allen’s teams offer flexibility you’ll appreciate.  They always construct cabinets and built-ins in place, but their work can include any combination of pre-manufactured and custom components.  They can work straight from prints or collaborate with you to conceive something completely new.  To see some examples of their remarkable work, call Allen Miller at 970-567-3926.   Fri, 13 Oct 2017 06:00:00 GMT http://sears-trostel.com/blog/12998/Miller-Custom-Carpentry http://sears-trostel.com/events/5863/Festool-Experience-2025 events Join us - Festool representatives will be at Sears Trostel to introduce you to the new Festool products making their 2025 debut Tue, 09 Sep 2025 07:27:28 GMT http://sears-trostel.com/events/5863/Festool-Experience-2025