The Purpose Of Architraves

Architraves have been around for a very long time. In fact, you can trace their origins back to Ancient Greece - back when building infrastructures was very different to modern practices and was much riskier to do.

This was where the term architrave was born. Architrave was used as a structural support beam across the middle of the building. This was usually seen where the door met the roof line in these ancient structures.

Now that you know a little bit about the history side of the term, let’s get into what architrave is today and how it's very useful for a house.

The term architrave today describes the detailed pieces of wood that surround a door opening. The fittings consist of a head (top piece) and two legs (sides).

Architraves in this case cover up the seals of a door. This not only protects the wall but, it covers up the plaster by the door opening, thus allowing the door archway to appear tidier and to stand out a bit more.

You’re probably thinking is that all there is to architrave? Well, no there’s quite a bit more to go over.

Architraves can be also used around window frames to enrich them and give them a bit of enhancement. Architraves, much like skirting boards, can also be customised and given different profile options to suit your needs.

You can really start to make the architraves fit in with the rest of your house along with the skirting you currently own. This helps to complete the look of the house.

Also, like skirting boards, you can also paint architrave too. White is a popular choice for architraves, or you can go all out and paint them a different colour of your choice.

It’s clear that architraves have come a long way since the days of the Greeks and thanks to modern building techniques, architraves as stated before can be used in many more ways than just doors.

It hasn’t been mentioned yet but, you can also use architraves around ceiling lofts to make them stand out, just like the doors.

Summary

Ultimately, architraves are very important, just like the skirting boards. There’s so much you can do with architraves now. 

Make sure to give them equal importance and when used correctly, they will help to complete the look you are going for inside the house. They can also help liven up ceiling lofts and even windows!

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Lee Watkinson

Digital Marketing Director at Skirting World with 10 years of experience in Home Interiors & Manufacturing.