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Replacing exterior wood trim

15 years ago

I need to replace some rotting exterior wood trim. This is the second time I have had to do this since moving to my home and I am concerned this will be a continued problem. I had a suggestion from my brother to use pre-primed cedar. I asked a contractor about doing this and he suggested PVC board. I have never heard of this stuff, so I don't know if its a good idea. How well would it blend with the wood that I am not replacing? Does it hold up well? Does it look good? What is a better choice cedar or the PVC?

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Comments (8)

User
15 years ago
PVC boards are simply the same (similar) plastic used in pipe molded into boards. Paintable and rot proof. As for the match, that depends on the existing boards, but the match would probably be better than the cedar.
brusso
15 years ago
PVC sometimes wont match an existing piece. For example, if you are changing out a sill nose that is wood, a PVC sill nose only fits a PVC sill!!! Beats me why they dont make them the same but they aren't.
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Thank you all for responding. You have helped decide to repair the existing damage rather than replacing the wood. This past weekend I repaired the porch header by first coating the rotted wood sections with Minwax wood hardner, then filling in with Plastic Wood. (I will be ordering the Liquid wood for future projects - thanks premier) Brickeyee - good point about old wood is better than new wood. Had not thought of that. During my days of stripping the woodwork on the house, I did notice how the wood in the house is so clear - very tight grain with no knots. I am using your tip (I think it was yours in an earlier post) about coating the cut ends with wood hardner then priming and painting. I know that once I get gutters installed, the trim will not be take such a beating. The gutters will also help preserve the original windows and trim. Thanks again!
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brickeyee
15 years ago
You can also use Hardiplank (and other similar cement based products).
fandlil
15 years ago
Why does it rot in the first place? If water is getting inside, maybe you have flashing that was not installed right.
rredogg
15 years ago
haus,

Before hanging the exterior trim (brickmolding) I paint/seal the bottom of the trim so water does not wick in. Also I have the trim resting a 1/8 or 1/4 inch off the stoop and seal it on the exterior side with caulk.

Just my two cents, rredogg
brickeyee
15 years ago
Dip end grain exterior trim into Minwax wood hardener.
It is plastic resin dissolved in solvent.
It wicks up into the end grain and hardens, preventing moisture from entering the same way.
drywall_diy_guy
15 years ago
I replaced my brickmolding with PVC. It will never rot and painted looks identical to the previous trim. Still, I need to touch up and inspect around the brick molding every year or two since mine gets the full force of the weather.

If I could, I would use the modern J-trim around my windows. This is weather-proof and maintenance free. But my old lap siding is too thick for this product.
mike_kaiser_gw
15 years ago
Take a look at Azek (dot com). They have a large variety of products available and it's top quality. It's also not inexpensive and it installs a little differently than wood so read the directions.

Good luck!

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