What Is Stop Moulding and What Is It Used For?

Moulding and trim are essential features in home design. They serve multiple purposes and are both decorative and functional. Ask any expert in home improvement – no home is truly complete without moulding and trim.

As with most things in the home, moulding has grown in popularity and evolved in many ways. In fact, there are several different types of moulding you can install in your home. 

One type is called “stop moulding,” and it can be integral to a home’s functional design while also adding aesthetic benefits.

What is Stop Moulding?

Stop moulding is an often unseen and sometimes neglected part of every door. When a door is designed, the builder puts a space between the edge of the door and the door jamb. This enables the door to swing in and out of the door frame without obstruction.

When you close a properly-made door, there’s typically a strip of wood or other material that stops the door from swinging through the frame. That’s called stop moulding.

The History of Stop Moulding

Stop moulding has been around for a long time. There’s no clear indication of when it was invented, but it’s been a practical part of a door’s design for thousands of years. Many doors in history were able to swing freely on their hinges, but many more had a mechanism in place to stop them.

Of course, this nifty piece of technology has been modernized, and it’s even been adapted for windows as well as doors.

The Ways to Use Stop Moulding

Stop moulding has a few practical and decorative uses. It’s used to stop doors from swinging through door frames and holds them in place. Doors are built with open gaps, so stop moulding also stops light from leaking in and out of rooms.

As a bonus, stop moulding also creates an added layer of insulation and privacy. It prevents cold and heat loss and creates an additional sound barrier, further enhancing a room’s privacy. It also stops people from seeing inside rooms when doors are closed – which is important for privacy.

For windows, stop moulding is used to stop sashes that swing in or out. For instance, you can use them to hold the bottom sash of a double-hung window in place. This innovation has enabled window makers to create windows that are much more functional and easier to clean.

Why is Stop Moulding Important?

Stop moulding is vital for all the reasons listed above. It covers the gap between doors and door jambs, boosts the door’s overall aesthetic look and increases privacy, insulation, and energy efficiency. This innovation in stop moulding technology has also been used to revolutionize modern windows.

4 Beautiful Stop Moulding Design Ideas

Stop moulding comes in many different styles, colors, shapes, and sizes. You can use it in several different ways, some more focused on functionality while others are more focused on design aesthetics. When you’re choosing stop moulding for your home, go with your gut and choose the style that’s right for you.

Need a little more guidance? Here are four gorgeous stop moulding design ideas to help get you started.

1. Add Dimension to Your Doors

One of the best ways to use stop moulding is to create added dimensionality. This multi-dimensional design is proof that stop moulding can do much more than stop your door. It can look great too!

2. Create a Unique Style

Is your design aesthetic super modern and unique? You can use stop moulding to take your home’s design to new levels. In this gorgeous hall, the stop moulding is used to separate the main door from the accordion sliding door. As a result, you get functionality and style, all wrapped up into one elegant package.

3. Keep it Simple

If you value simplicity and minimalism, stop moulding can be your best friend. There’s no need to get complicated. Sometimes, the best stop moulding design is straightforward.

4. Add Stylish Stop Moulding to Your Windows Too!

If you have hung windows that swing in or out, you can use stop moulding to add a stylish and modern yet functional dimension. The stop moulding featured in this image is styled with dark wood grain to match the windows, and the result is breathtaking.

Stop Moulding Can Be Utilized Beyond the Door

Beyond the door, stop moulding can be used as a decorative panel mould on walls, and many utilize them as shoe moulds to cover the gap at the bottom of baseboards or between floor and base. This can be very handy in new flooring projects when you want to avoid removing the baseboard.

Get the Right Stop Moulding for Your Home

Are you interested in finding stop moulding for your next project but don’t know how to get started? At Metrie, we have a comprehensive catalog of high-quality moulding products and finishing touches to complete your home’s design.

If you need help choosing the right products, check out Option {M} today. It’s a design tool that pairs different moulding styles with popular design trends, so you never have to worry about purchasing the wrong moulding or trim for your home.