Materials
Polyurethane crown against wood, MDF, and PVC
Spectis crown is high-density polyurethane. It is the material to spec when the profile has to survive weather or carry ornament that wood grain would interrupt. It is the wrong material when the client wants stain-grade oak.
| Wood | MDF | PVC | Spectis HDPWhat we sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outside, in weather | Checks, rots, needs repainting | Swells if it gets wet | Stable, can look plastic | Stable. Smooth or textured faces |
| Weight | Pine-like | Heavier than it looks | Light, flexible | Close to pine |
| Detail | Knife-cut, grain shows | Usually simple | Limited ornament | Molded dentil, leaf, and texture |
| Paint | Prime, then paint | Prime the cut edges | Often needs a bonding primer | Arrives primed white |
| Best job | Stain-grade interiors | Dry paint-grade rooms | Wet trim, simple profiles | Paint-grade crown inside and cornice outside |
When to stay with wood
Clear stain, a matched species, and a historic replacement that has to be the same board are still wood jobs. Spectis is a paint-grade or texture-grade product. Primer hides the fact that there is no grain.
When urethane wins
Exterior cornice, dentil that has to repeat for forty feet, and any crown that will see sprinklers, humidity, or a stucco wall. You get a primed stick, a published projection, and a profile that will not cup after the first summer.
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