What's hot, what's no Ntfl._

n NCE a taken-for-granted conV struction material. moulding has blossomed into a red hot d-i-Y item. But some moulding manufacturers think their products could be moving even faster. Here some leading moulding experts speak out on what's hot and what's not in today's growing market. and how dealers can heat up their own sales.

Q: What's hot in the moulding industry today?

Neal Heflin, manager, moulding dept., Georgia-Pacific Corp., Atlanta, Ga.: Mouldings. More total mouldings are being used and their overall popularity is greater, especially the more ornate profiles. Traditionally, in the last 15 to 20 years, people only used plain casing and base mouldings. They were commodity items used to cover cracks and joints. Now we have more decorative casing, bases, big crowns, chair rail mouldings, and so on.

Q: Are there any definite trends as to what is popular in mouldings?

Harvey Ross, president, Foreign & Domestic Woods Inc., Bowling Green, Va.: Various patterns go in and out of style. Some are popular only in certain parts of the country. Yet there are really only two basic styles, colonial and ranch style. Overall, the decoratives have become popular. The crowns and chair rails are in, while the stark modern appearance is out.

Moulding in all kinds of designs is a recent trend. lt was originallY employed just to cover cracks and joints. We're in the business of hardwood mouldings, and not many hardwood people are in mouldings. Different parts of the country are discovering hardwood mouldings right now. Currently the Midwest likes hardwood mouldings. But dealers in all parts of the country should look into the availability and marketability of hardwood mouldings. They buy the pine mouldings and don't know there's anYthing else.

O: Whatare the best selling profiles?

Frank Cordova, sales manager, Duke City Lumber Co., Albuquerque, N.M.: The biggest movers are naturally the casing and base mouldings. The volume is greatest because they are your basic, mosl necessary items. Third is crown moulding, the trim bordering the ceiling.

O: But could mouldings be selling even better than theY are now?

Pete Walker, product manager, MW Manufacturers, RockY Mount, Va.: In marketing moulding and millwork, there is tremendous room for improvement. Neither receives the emphasis it deserves. I think the key is in the merchandising.

Q: What can the retail dealers do about this?

Walker: Dealers should take advantage of what the manufacturer has to offer and do a little work of their own. They should feature mouldings in more prominent displays in better locations in the store, and use "in use" applications, trimming a window out, putting some paint on it with wall treatment around it, and identifying what the moulding is and how to use it. They shouldn't take it for granted that the consumer knows what everything is. He doesn't.