I have a very old house and the window moldings/trim are chipped, gouged and very uneven. In some spots they are sunk in the wall (lathe and plaster) and sticking out in other places. They are an eyesore and full window treatments have to be used in order to cover them up. It would be very costly to hire someone to remove and put in new. Stripping the paint and sanding is out of the question as there are layers and layers of paint on them and they are pieced together with junk wood. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can cover them up so they do not have to be hid by curtains anymore. Thanks....

 

Sounds like an impossible thing to do.

 

How to cover them? I don't have any ideas in that regard that would improve the appearance. If it looks as bad as you say, perhaps some wood putty (or Durham's rockhard putty) skimmed over the gouges followed by some sanding and a fresh coat of paint would help.

Other than that, I'd suggest you try your hand at removing the trim and installing new trim yourself. If it looks as bad as you say, could it look any worse if you tried to fix it on your own?

There are a lot of books on the subject of trimming, some of them might give you the ideas and confidence you need to give it a try.

 

You didn't ask how to fix the problem but asked how to cover it up and at the same time saying that using full window treatments would work. Then you ask how can you cover them up so you don't have to hide them behind the curtains anymore.
So you are actually asking "how do I hide something so I can unhide it?"
Therefore my answer is the same as johnam.

 

No more difficult than it is, I would pull the trim and replace it, but not before I smoothed out the walls where the trim was, filling it in and making a good surface to put new molding on. Prime and paint your molding before you cut it and put it up, so you will have a minimal amount of painting to do.
Just to see if you can do it, start in a room that is seldom used, or in the laundry room, etc. and go for it. If you mess it up, you can learn how to do it right without doing the picture window in the living room.
Post back if you need more help.

 

By covering up I actually meant if anyone knew of any products that fit over old moldings/trim. I've heard of one company that makes styrofoam coverings or if anyone had ever covered some up by using stucco or maybe even fabric. I was looking for suggestions. I do not like full curtains. Thanks for the reply.

 

Is there any chance you could post some pictures of your mouldings? Some moulding styles can be dressed up but it's hard to say without knowing what style yours are.

 

OK now I understand, but still can't give you a solid answer. But what I can do is tell you to stay away from any styrofoam because they dent very easy and (after a while) will look like crap. If you do find something that works for you, then let us know.