Improving and Upgrading Your Home’s Exterior Trim

Your home’s exterior trim not only performs the function of sealing out moisture and the elements, but it provides an aesthetic statement for the visual appeal of your home.

The failure or deterioration of exterior wood trim is one of the most common maintenance and improvement issues that homeowners face.  Many older homes have trim from wood products.  These trim pieces surround the more vulnerable areas of the home, such as windows and doors, breaks in the siding, and the edging where facings of siding end.

Some of these spaces may become gathering places for moisture buildup.  Over time, the wood can absorb water leading to cracking, peeling, and blistering of the finish. Ultimately, the wood members soften and crack.  Rot happens – even in the best and newest of homes.

The DIY Approach

Isolated damage on exterior trim can generally be a straight-forward DIY repair. However, to fix it, you need to find it.  Take a screwdriver and gently probe anywhere there’s end grain on a piece of wood trim. This portion of the wood wicks up water like a slow and steady sponge. Closely inspect all the joints in the wood pieces.  These areas dry out more slowly so this is where damage can start. Pay close attention to all wood that’s close to dirt, concrete, or masonry. If you’re able to push the tool’s tip easily into a suspect board, then it’s time to root out the rot.

The Comprehensive Approach

Remember: if your home has a lot of trim, it often makes sense to replace all trim at once for consistency in appearance and functionality. Even if it’s only rotting in a few places, you may have additional damage to address in the very near future.

Don’t forget the aesthetic improvement that new trim can add to the appearance of your home, too. At Tri County Windows and Siding, we have completed projects where high-contrast trims wind up making a dramatic difference in that home’s curb appeal. Homes with lighter exterior finishes can have sharp and defining relief with darker trim colors. Conversely, darker homes might benefit from trim that is many shades lighter.

Trims offered by Tri County Windows and Siding are all weather and rot resistant. We are very proud of the long term benefits our clients receive when upgrading their home’s trim. Here’s a gallery of some of our recently completed projects –