US Molding and Trim Demand to Reach $9 Billion in 2016

US demand for molding and trim is forecast to rise nearly 11 percent per year to $9.0 billion in 2016.  A sharp rebound in new housing construction and a partial recovery in nonresidential building construction will drive gains.  However, this revival in new construction activity will still not be sufficient to raise molding and trim demand in 2016 to the level achieved in 2006. These and other trends, including market share and product segmentation, are presented in Molding & Trim, a new study from The Freedonia Group, Inc., a Cleveland-based industry market research firm.  

Exterior trim is one application in which material shares are expected to change slightly over the forecast period.  Wood will remain the market leader but face increasingly stiff competition from plastic and engineered wood, which better resist degradation caused by insects and exposure to the elements.

Engineered wood molding and trim is forecast to advance at the most rapid pace of all materials through 2016.  The increasing use of these materials in the fast-growing new residential market will spur advances.  Home builders will choose engineered wood products because they look like wood, but do not need to be painted or stained prior to installation.  This will support the use of engineered wood as molding and exterior trim.

Stairwork demand is forecast to advance more than 11 percent annually through 2016.  Because most stairwork is installed in new structures, rebounding new building construction spending will drive gains. Wood will continue to dominate residential stairwork demand, while metal will account for the majority of the nonresidential market.

Demand for molding -- defined here as molding and trim products only used in interior applications -- will be driven by strong growth in housing completions.  Wood will remain the leading material used in its production.  Consumers prefer the appearance of wood to that of other materials, while construction professionals specify wood due to its low cost and their familiarity with the material.

The Freedonia Group is a leading international business research company, founded in 1985, that publishes more than 100 industry research studies annually. This industry analysis provides an unbiased outlook and a reliable assessment of an industry and includes product segmentation and demand forecasts, industry trends, demand history, threats and opportunities, competitive strategies, market share determinations and company profiles.