Ok. Here's one.

I don't see any needed stucco repair, and that is flat stock not brick mould. You also don't appear to have any flashing above the trim so I would be worried about water getting into the wall...

So, as mentioned in my original post above, I want to remove the wood trim. It is of varying widths, and, imho, looks awful. I know it isn't brick mould. I want to put the brick mould that is made for the windows in place of the trim. The wood trim you see there now isn't flat stock. It's thick cedar wood laid into a depression. There is flashing. Marvin Windows does it differently -- it's plastic (like much of their Essential windows). You can't see it because it is clear and sits on top of the window itself between the window and the trim. The stucco repair will be AFTER the wood trim is removed and the brick mould put in (see stock photo showing what I am wanting to do -- in my original post above). Hope that clarifies.

Nice dig you worked in there @dottt1

If the brickmold is the style that can be affixed via the kerf in the frame, that is preferable because it tends to manage the water much better. I am not sure they will sell it in lengths as a raw material here though.

Yeah, still none too happy about the "plasticyness" of Marvin Essentials. The sun has already discolored the clear plastic parts and made the plastic tabs on the screen so brittle they are breaking off after a year. The metal ones from Andersen lasted 30 years and were still good when the windows went to the dump. Anyway, regarding the brickmould -- it sort of snaps in place to the window with a corner part. It would be coming precut from Marvin manufacturing according to the specifications the window company gave them for my order. Also, could you please clear up for me -- is it brick mould, brickmold, or brickmould? I see it at least those three different ways.

In your opinion, does the from-the-manufacturer brickmould deal with the water well enough to stucco directly to it (without a case bead)? Or are there other reasons besides water to not do that?

States = Brickmold

UK = Brickmould

Last I checked.

The kerf attachment is nice and guarantees a nice reveal vs. the human error effect.

Thanks. And that's what I'm thinking, too -- I'll never get a clean look without the brickmold/kerf attachment. And the door that has the brickmold, will never make sense until the windows have it too. I've talked to several stucco people, and the consensus seems to be to not use a case bead, but stucco right to the brickmold (placing the sealant first, then the stucco). Yet Marvin windows does not recommend it and still does not say why even though I've asked. And I can find nothing in their literature that advises against it or even addresses it. I really want to get all my ducks in a row with this by the time the warm weather returns. I've been struggling with these window issues for way too long.

Well, the brickmould was another Marvin WIndows disappointment. It just didn't work. It bowed in places leaving gaps. Two different installers tried various things to make it work and, in the end, said it was a lousy system. It didn't offer more than a fraction of an inch additional extension away from the wall anyway. I did find a stucco installer who will stucco to the windows in spite of there being no protrusion. However, there is a thin strip of clear plastic that folds over the top of the windows -- apparently what passes for a drip cap. It will inevitably need to be replaced due to sun exposure where I live. Is there something better to put there? I find it hard to believe that strip of plastic does anything much to protect the window. And with stucco on part of it, replacing it in the future will be extremely problematic. Does it or anything else need to be there at all in this kind of stucco-to-the-window situation?

Hi dottt1, we are considering getting Marvin essentials in black… how are your windows doing? Was the clear plastic discoloration you mentioned just on the screen?

I will be removing the windows and replacing them with Andersen windows next fall. The ABS plastic surround and base on the awning window is discoloring horribly (window not screen), and the clear plastic tabs have become brittle and broken (those are on the screens). The clear plastic piece that is supposed to be the exterior cap has also become brittle and discolored (on all the windows). The windows also remain drafty and not at all energy efficient. Worse purchase I ever made. I'm taking a big hit financially, but will be so glad when the Marvin Essential windows are gone. I've tried to accept their limitations, but in the end, I simply can't deny they are garbage.

Oh my gosh that’s horrible! Do you have photos of the pieces? Is the ABS plastic surround an interior piece? I was worried about the plastic parts on the interior fading differently than the fiberglass. And the clear plastic piece exterior cap - is that the z flashing that comes with the window?

Yes that's the flashing that came with the window -- I think it is called a drip cap. I can try and photograph tomorrow in natural light. It's pretty snowy and overcast today.