Policies & Documents

Sanding Policy

Sanding is a critical step in any good finished millwork job—regardless of whether it’s solvent or water based finish. In many applications, water based stain & top coats are quickly replacing solvent-borne finishes. The move toward water based finishes has a dramatic effect on wood (fiber). Wood fiber absorbs water then expands; causing the grain to rise and fur up. Ferche cannot be held responsible for the surface conditions when water-based primers, stains or top coats are applied without proper preparation which requires sanding. Ferche cannot respond to claims arising from situations where prudent and proper sanding could have or can resolve an appearance issue.

The industry's leading finish product brands agree that sanding is the key to a quality finish.

From the Minwax website:

DON'T SKIP THE SANDING! Sanding is a critical step in the wood preparation process for several reasons…. Sanding also removes the surface glaze created by the heat from the factory's planer blades as they come in contact with the natural resins in the wood. Left unsanded, this glaze can prevent stain or finish from entering the pores…. When working with water-based finishes… Dampen the wood first. Wipe the wood with a damp cloth to raise the fibers; after the surface dries, knock them back with 220-grit sandpaper…. Apply and move on.

From the Sherwin-Williams website:

Wood – Interior: All finishing lumber and flooring must be stored in dry, warm rooms to prevent absorption of moisture, shrinkage, and roughening of the wood. All surfaces must be sanded smooth, with the grain, never across it.

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Intended Use

We take great time, care and effort in creating superior quality products. Those products are manufactured with specific uses in mind. We don't recommend the use of certain products for anything other than their intended use. For example, our veneered door jambs and veneered boards are made for typical interior use. They are not made to be used as window extension jambs or for exterior use. We manufacture window extension jambs using different materials to handle that specific use. Similarly, our wrapped veneered jambs are intended for residential interior use or light multifamily use, they are not intended for commercial use. If you use any products outside of the recommended or intended use, you do so at your own risk. You wouldn't use drywall for flooring, so we ask that you consider the intended use when working with certain products we manufacture. If you have any questions prior to use, please consult your local Ferche sales representative.

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Product Handling Policy

We take great care in the manufacturing and handling of the products we make for our customers and it’s essential that our customers handle those products with the same care to ensure they retain their quality. In an effort to educate our customers and ensure products stay in their best condition, we have some basic handling requirements outlined below.

Keep all products stored in climate-controlled environments at all times. Wood, even finished wood, can take on and release moisture and extreme temperature or moisture conditions can compromise and even damage the product. Proper environmental storage is essential. If a product has been in an extreme environment for any extended period of time, we recommend it be brought into a stable environment for 24-48 hours to acclimate before modification or installation.

Keep products stored in a location that won’t subject them to being damaged from human, forklift or other traffic damage.

Keep all products in their packaging for storage and handling - this ensures that parts and pieces aren’t misplaced and products are protected.

Use good judgment when handling wood products by hand, leaning, stacking, etc, as wood can be damaged with careless handling, storage and transport.

Wood is a natural product with variations and character unique to each piece. We make all efforts to properly prepare and manufacture each product to meet the highest quality standard.

If products aren’t handled with proper care, that effort goes to waste so we rely on our partners, customers and the end users to do their part.

If you have any further questions, please contact your account manager for assistance.

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Ferche Fire Ratings / Spec Sheet

Ferche has received fire ratings from Intertek & QAI on door jambs and frames of 20, 45, 60 & 90 minutes. Each rating's parameters (min & max dimensions, etc.) can be found on the back Ferche Millwork Fire Rated Specifications Sheet (download below). Please refer to that document for current rating information prior to ordering. If your project calls for specifications that fall outside of our current ratings, we may still be able to make your product and receive an engineering exception (additional fees apply and the evaluation may delay production times). More information is available at the Fire Rated Frames microsite at fireratedwooddoorframes.com.

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Door Frame Spec & Machining Form

Download our Door Frame Specifications Order Form PDF.

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Credit Requests & Returns/RMA Procedures

Damaged Merchandise
If an item is damaged upon arrival, it should be noted on the receiving paperwork so a proper claim can be filed with the carrier. Please provide complete documentation of the damage including comprehensive photos documenting the damage and send to your Ferche Account Manager.

Production Errors
If you believe a product has been produced incorrectly, you must issue a request for review citing the issue in detail and showing thorough documentation of the issue. This includes complete photos/videos showing all measurements and dimensions. If the issue is related to hardware, you must submit photos of the specific hardware and the model number(s). Ferche will not accept any backcharges without complete documentation and an opportunity to review and determine the proper corrective action. Taking corrective action without approval is done at your own risk.

Returns
If products needs to be returned for any reason, they must be returned through the proper channels to obtain approval. Always work with the dealer or distributor from which they were purchased. Those entities will deal with Ferche for the proper credit or replacement. DO NOT return items directly to Ferche without paperwork and authorization or we will not be able to process your return request. As always, please work with Ferche Account Manager to ensure returns are handled properly and include the proper authorizations and documentation. Custom orders are not able to be returned and some standard products may not be eligible or will be subject to a restocking fee (amount varies by product). Please contact your account manager with any questions.

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Credit Application

Download the Credit Application (.doc).

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Storage & Demurrage Policy

We understand that construction delays occur. However, we do not have unlimited storage capacity and it should not be expected that we are able to hold orders indefinitely.

Demurrage Fee:
Orders that are stored at Ferche as a result a customer-requested shipping delay will incur a demurrage fee of 5% of the shipment value per month. Fees will be prorated and will be billed monthly or when the order ships, whichever happens first.

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Terms & Conditions

Download the Ferche Terms and Conditions PDF.

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bins of long, untreated wood mouldings standing vertically

Wood Species Info

Fine wood products offer a natural beauty and durability that is highly desirable for many uses. Consider the variables and differing qualities between species when selecting your wood.

Red oak wood texture

Red Oak

$ $

Timeless, classic and longlasting - a staple of American interiors. Rich grain patterns. Easy to work with and takes stain and finish well.

near-white poplar wood texture

Poplar

$

Versatile wood with consistent texture. Its natural color varies and may change over time. Stains, paints and finishes extremely well.

Hard maple wood texture

Hard Maple

$ $ $

Strong, durable and naturally beautiful. Typically finished clear or lightly tinted. Darker finishes may require pre-conditioning or other preparations.

soft maple wood texture

Soft Maple

$ $

A versatile wood. Takes stain and finish very well and is often substituted for or used alongside other species.

alder texture

Superior Adler

$ $

A soft, warm, natural-textured wood. Great for darker, richer design styles or to complement other woods. Not commonly available in long lengths or wide widths.

knotty alder wood texture

Knotty Adler

$

A soft, warm, natural-textured wood. Can have dark and deep knots for a rustic look. Not commonly available in long lengths or wide widths.

yellow birch wood texture

Yellow Birch

$ $ $

A uniform and clean style of wood that is strong and durable. Naturally light in color. Stains incredibly well and finishes nicely.

cherry wood texture

Cherry

$ $ $ $

Known for rich grains and warm colors. Typically darkens over time and is commonly finished clear to show the natural beauty.

hickory wood texture

Hickory

$ $

The hardest, heaviest and strongest American wood. Known for its wide range of grain color and character. Typically finished clear.

African mahogany wood texture

Mahogany

$ $ $ $

A historically luxurious wood with beautiful interlocking grains. Color typically spans a spectrum of warm tones. Requires care to properly finish.

dark walnut wood texture

Walnut

$ $ $ $ $

A rich, dark wood with a wide variety of figure patterns. Complementary as an accent to other species, or stunning on its own. Finishes well.

white oak wood texture

White Oak

$ $ $

A light-colored wood, typically consistent in pattern. Known for its extreme durability. Stains and finishes very well.

sapele wood texture

Sapele

$ $ $ $

Known for its incredible figure and texture. Often has wave, ribbon or other eye-catching patterns.

Custom

$ – $ $ $ $ $

We offer a wide range of wood species to fit just about any style. If you've got something truly unique in mind, we'll be happy to make your order in just about any type of wood that's out there. Contact us today for pricing and availability.

Group of hard-working blue-collar men working on machinery

FAQ

Are all hardwoods hard?

Hardwood is actually a botanical classification for a deciduous tree, one that loses its leaves every year. Hardwoods generally are harder than softwoods (coniferous trees). Does that make any difference in the choice of species for the mouldings you choose? It can, depending on the usage. For example; Red Alder is a medium soft wood that would not stand up very well as a stair tread. Cherry is harder than alder, but as a flooring material or stair tread, it will dent and show wear much more than a harder wood like red oak or hard maple. Poplar is a great wood for painting. It is 15% harder than white pine so will stand up to more abuse without denting. Continuing the same thought though, if one wanted a better, more dent resistant wood, hard maple or birch would be a good choice. Here is a listing of hardwoods and their relative hardness. Hickory is the hardest species listed and is assigned a hardness of 1. The rest are a comparison to this standard.

Hickory - 1.0, White Oak - .94, Hard Maple - .88, Red Oak - .88, Yellow Birch - .86, Black Walnut - .80, Soft Maple - .78, Cherry - .73, Yellow Poplar - .63, Red Alder - .58, Aspen - .55, White Pine - .55, Basswood - .50.

How should I finish Ferche mouldings?

Ferche hears from Prefinishing companies that the surface finish on our products is one of the best in the industry. It gives them a good "canvas" on which to apply their finishes. Ferche doesn't sand their mouldings. That great finish is what we get right from the moulders!

Generally a prefinisher will have a sanding wheel or two in-line with the finishing system that they run. The fine sanding which occurs doesn't change the moulding shape but merely "softens" the surface left from the cutting action of the knives, providing a surface which accepts finishes more uniformly.

Different species of wood take stains and finishes in varying ways. Some wood like soft and hard maple, pine, some mahogany and brazilian cherry, to name a few, absorb stain in an inconsistent manner causing blotchiness or streaking. Using a conditioner before staining will help the wood appear more consistent in color and stain absorption. Follow the instructions listed on the stain and/or finish container for best results.

Sanding is the key to a quality finish, so don't skip the sanding!

How do I decide what mouldings to use?

Viewing homes during a Parade of Homes, looking at photographs in magazines, on the web and in the Ferche Literature are all great ways to see how others have used mouldings in various ways and can help you refine your thoughts about what you like or dislike.

The size of the space in which you are installing the trim can dictate the general size of the mouldings used. A house with eight foot ceilings would look fine with casing from 2 1/4" to 3" in width and base from 2 3/4" to 4 1/4". Crown and chairrail could be used as an accent in one room or more. Nine foot ceilings would see larger mouldings. Casing might range from 3" to 4" in width, possibly with a back band, and base being 4" to 6" tall. Crowns will be larger, ranging from 4 1/4" to 5 1/2" in width, or, building up the height of the crown assembly by using a 3" to 5" base beneath the crown. Incorporating other features such as transom windows or toppers above doors and windows can add distinctive styling to these areas. Larger homes or taller ceilings allow designers and homeowners to really express their creativity with mouldings and details that can add rich dimension to a home's interior.

We manufacture mouldings in any species of wood you can imagine. The most common being red oak, hard maple, poplar, cherry, soft maple and birch. The decision on type of wood becomes one of personal preference, budget and style you are trying to create. Again, the best way to determine what you want is to see as many examples of mouldings as you can.

Which is better, stain or paint?

You've heard the expression "the warmth of wood". A room with wood floors, paneled walls, crown, tall base and wide casing all add to that feeling a room has which makes you want to spend time in it. The many species and variety of patterns Ferche offers gives a homeowner countless options for designing a house moulding package that will give them the home of their dreams. And for those who must have painted trim, Ferche's fine finish is available in poplar, birch or maple.

How does moisture affect wood?

Add moisture to wood and it expands. Decrease moisture in wood and it will shrink. Wood expands and contracts most across the face or width of a board, less in the thickness, and minimally in the length. These simple properties of wood need to be considered in the storage, use and handling of mouldings.

Special care is taken to produce mouldings with a moisture content of 6 – 8 percent. The reason for that moisture percentage is that at 70 degrees and a humidity of 25 – 30 percent (an average between summer and winter temps and humidity), wood will naturally reach an equilibrium moisture content of 6 – 8 percent. Place wood in an environment that is more humid than this and it will expand. If later it is subjected to drier conditions, it will shrink. This dimensional change can be problematic if you fit parts together while they are expanded and later, in drier conditions, the fit is no longer acceptable.

You may have seen miter joints in casing that have a space between the two joined ends. If it had been properly fit during installation, it means the moulding had too high a moisture content when installed. This could have been the result of the lumber being too wet when the mouldings were manufactured (couldn't be a Ferche moulding), or, the moulding may have taken on moisture after being made. In new construction, a home's interior is very humid due to the concrete, lumber and drywall all drying out. If unfinished mouldings are stored in the home during a high humidity period for an extended period (say 2 weeks) they will take on moisture. The worst scenario in new construction might be if mouldings were stored on a freshly poured concrete floor. The mouldings will pick up moisture and expand. During the heating season, the mouldings will dry and shrink noticeably.

Putting a sealer or varnish on mouldings will reduce the amount of moisture the wood will absorb. Sealing the wood on one side only though will still allow moisture absorption on the unfinished side, which in turn, will cause the unfinished side of the board to expand, forcing the board to cup. The lesson is to seal both sides of the wood.

Do you have more info about wood and moisture?

More information on wood and moisture from Lignomat. Click on the link below:

www.moistureproblems.info

When do I start planning for mouldings in my house?

Before you dig the foundation! As you start gathering information on floor plans, exterior design, and interior elevations, think about the moulding styles and the desired size or proportions that the mouldings will have. If you decide on a wide casing or a tall base (larger than what might be considered standard trim), there are considerations that may need to be given to wall structures, hall widths, distance back from doors to adjacent walls or possibly even ceiling heights that will affect how the house is designed and built.

For example: Let's say you decided to use casing F130 in red oak which is 3 ½" wide. You chose this pattern because you want your mouldings to have a heavier look that imparts richness and warmth to a home's interior. If the framers didn't know you were planning to use a wider casing they may not leave enough room around a door or cased opening where the wall intersects another wall. An extra framing member needs to be added to the framed opening to give enough space for the wider casing.

Or, let's say you want to install a "Topper" (a frieze board with an attached crown that rests above the doors) on the main floor. The crown's projection and its return to the wall will necessitate leaving additional space on the side of the door for the crown to return to the wall. This will amount to an extra 2" to 3" more on each side of the door. If that door is at the end of a hall, the hall will need to be 6" wider to accommodate the topper. This same consideration needs to be given for any opening which comes close to an intersecting wall.

A customer decides he wants an impressive built-up ribbon of crowns and other mouldings at the ceiling line. He also wants the toppers previously described over a transom window in the living room. The ceiling is 9 feet. There isn't enough height to do what the owner had envisioned.

The owner decides after the house has been drywalled that a "heavier moulding package would be nice and decides to put in an 11" mopboard-style base and wide casing. The air handling grills are 7" above the floor. It's either time to tear into the drywall in order to move the grills or abandon the desire for a mopboard base.

The point is to bring the moulding decisions into the early planning stages of a project to be sure that installation goes smoothly and with the desired products.

Why choose Ferche?

One of the biggest reasons to choose Ferche you may not even see—how the lumber is dried. If the boards used for mouldings aren't properly dried, the mouldings won't be as stable and may cup and change shape after being manufactured. Properly dried lumber machines to a smoother finish and results in a better surface for finishing. Also, lumber which is dried too much can lead to casehardening causing the mouldings to become brittle and more susceptible to cracking when being nailed. We have the capacity to dry over 1,000,000 board feet of lumber at a time, giving us the control over the drying schedule of the boards we use to ensure the moisture content is correct and the boards have had the proper conditioning to make the best mouldings.

We have several types of Weinig moulders, each designed for a specific type of production run. This gives you mouldings which have been manufactured efficiently and accurately. Our moulder operators have an average of 20 years experience at their craft. They are very good at what they do! They maintain the tolerances on the mouldings to ensure consistent results and mouldings that match from one run to the next.

Last year we manufactured  13,000 different products in over 90 different species. That's variety! We produce solid mouldings, flat veneered products such as skirtboards and door jambs, and, wrapped veneered jambs. Whatever your moulding needs, we can accommodate. From custom to commodity, we do it all, and, with the same high level of quality on every piece.

We can respond quickly to your order. Most items that we manufacture have a two week lead time. Many items can be shipped immediately from our extensive inventory.

We have been pleasing customers for nearly 60 years. We sell our products from coast to coast as well as internationally. We produce the highest quality products, offer outstanding service and stand behind everything we sell. We worked very hard to earn the reputation as being the standard by which other moulding programs are measured. We continue to invest in equipment, people and new technologies to ensure the continued satisfaction of our existing and new customers.

heavy cutting machinery

Literature

Book of Mouldings

The multi-award-winning book is a must for any designer, showroom, design center, or anywhere else customers are looking for inspiration or ideas.

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Book of Profile Line Drawings

The Book of Profile Line Drawings is detailed catalog of all of our standard products' 3D line drawings complete with dimensions and part numbers—a must for those in the trades.

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Fire Rated Frames Spec Sheet

Ferche has received fire ratings from Intertek & QAI on door jambs and frames of 20, 45, 60 & 90 minutes. Each rating's parameters (min & max dimensions, etc.) can be found right here!

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Ferche Frames Overview Sheet

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Need a hard copy?

If you’d like a copy of any of our literature, send us a request through the Contact page.