Solid or Hollow Stop Molding? - DDM Garage Doors Blog

The garage door industry uses two different types of PVC stop molding – solid and hollow. So which one is better?

At DDM Garage Doors, we have kept both the solid and the hollow stop molding pieces as stock items for as long as we’ve been in business. Recently we decided to discontinue the hollow stop molding, and for one simple reason – our customers prefer the solid pieces. The shape, size, and material are all about the same for both, but some key differences impact installation and use.

Even though PVC material makes up both types, the hollow stop molding is more rigid and brittle than the solid. Being less flexible makes the hollow stop molding vulnerable to breaking when bent. This can occur either during storage or when handled before installation. Furthermore, the hollow stops are extremely susceptible to cracking during installation. This is especially true when there is a stray hit from a hammer. This problem is even more likely to occur when installing the stop molding in cold weather. This is due to the hollow PVC being more brittle.

The main advantage of the hollow stop molding has always been the fact it costs less but is this slight savings worth it? Based on what we have seen over the years, customers prefer solid molding over the hollow, which is just a small fraction of the total sales.

At DDM Garage Doors, we endeavor to provide our customers with the best possible product. We also believe that the solid PVC stop molding is the superior choice.

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