Dentil molding is recognized by it's closely spaced, rectangular blocks used to trim a home's exterior. It adds depth to a home's facade by emphasizing roof lines or adding architectural detail to soffits. While most often found below the roofline, this trim style is used for decorative purposes in many other parts of a home.
The historic Nantucket MA home shown here illustrates how various moldings are used to enhance this house from the roof down to the windows, pillars and more. The dentil molding is found in 2 places:
- Immediately below the roof line.
- Underneath the horizontal soffit running across the front of the house.
While the moldings on most Nantucket houses today were hand crafted on site hundreds of years ago, today's homes use stock trim available in standard sizes from manufacturers like Richwood Exterior Finishings (details shown here).
Dentil Molding Also Found Inside Homes
More typical on a home's exterior, you will also find dentil molding used inside homes with high-end finishes. Here are photos showing the various places you'll might find this molding inside houses.
- Kitchen cabinet photo from Cardell Kitchens.
- Fireplace mantel photo from Miller Musings Blog.
- Ceiling trim from the Georgian Marquess Blog.
- Dentil molding on newel posts with glass ball finials, from SVDesign on Houzz.
