Dentils.......

Classical architecture includes many decorative elements from the Greek influence. When this country was growing up as a young nation, it brought everything with it in architectural style. A lot of the houses and buildings were decorated with elements from the Greek Parthenon.
Being aware and a fan of classical decoration, I am amazed at the way the old farmhouses of America had decorations of the classic applied to their facades. The original molding on my house had cornices on it's windows and on all of the fascia of the roof. So when I built my porch, I didn't hesitate to add Greek columns and other classic details.
Inside my home I have always added crown molding with dentil decoration to my newly installed windows. But on the new door, I had an opportunity to add dentils.




With my new saw, I was able to recycle wood from the trim boards of the old door. Here you see a pile of squares, ready for use.




Above the door is the area I am going to decorate. Normally the crown molding is very decorative, but mine is the brick molding that was originally on the door. I removed the brick molding as I wanted the five and half inch facing boards around the door. So I cut out the length I needed form one of the discarded pieces.





After a little figuring in my head and on paper, I marked the areas that the squares will go with the proper spacings. Here is block number one, right in the middle. I have only 16 more to go. I applied wood glue and used one finishing nail, praying that it wouldn't split the wood. It didn't.





Ten dentils on now and it is starting to take shape. You can buy molding like this in strips, but they are usually a lot smaller and they are now making it out of the styrofoam now. I like to reuse wood and work the proportion the works best for the area. On one of my inside windows I have larger dentils than this.




I was really glad that then ends turned out evenly spaced.




There we have it, ready for paint. It looks good but now I will have to repaint the siding to bring it up to new looking also.





Now some white primer paint makes it look finished. I will still paint the door its light green but not today. I can not believe how much warmer the room is now with a well hung, tight fitting door. Thanks for reading..... I got my battery in the mail tody.