Method and apparatus for coating a decorative workpiece

A workpiece comprising:

• an elongate core having an exposed exterior decorative surface defining a contour visible when said workpiece is mounted, and a flat bottom surface for positioning against a flat structural surface;
• a single channel oriented longitudinally along an entire length in said flat bottom surface for engaging with a complementary rail on a coating apparatus, the channel having opposed side walls positioned relative to one another at a location and an orientation that facilitates movement along the rail and substantially prevents lateral and vertical movement during a coating process of the core;
• a plurality of spaced apart surface grooves oriented longitudinally only along the exposed exterior decorative surface;
• a peelable mesh having a tacky surface adhered to only the exterior decorative surface and a portion of outside bottom edges of the flat bottom surface;
• and
• at least one layer of coating material over only said mesh and exterior decorative surface and the outside bottom edges of the flat bottom surface forming a lip on the bottom surface, said coating material infiltrating and impregnating the mesh into the surface grooves while maintaining the visible contour;
• wherein the mesh extends beyond said lip and is peelable from the outside bottom edges of the flat bottom surface for mounting to the flat structural surface.