Exterior Trim Corners – Miter or Butt?
Jeff_Clarke
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I tried a search – surprised I couldn’t find any relevant posts –
For exterior trim corners in running trim (5/4 x 4, 5/4 x 6 etc. Spanish cedar primed all sides) do you prefer to butt or miter exterior corners? Fastening technique is stainless gun nails and polyurethane glue at corners.
If your preference is for butt joints, have you had callbacks or problems with extractive bleeding from exposed end grain on wood such as Spanish cedar and the like?
Thanks in advance for your response.
Jeff
Replies
I've done both and have had more success with butt joints. I think the miter joint initially looks better but always opens up in time. Also it depends on what trim you're doing. Rakes, facia and corner boards I butt. Others like post wraps call for a miter joint.
If it's end primed with a good exterior stain killer there should not be a problem. Spanish cedar leaks stain about like its cousin WRC.
Forget that..... Use azek pre-made corners.... 10' & 20' lengths available... no leaks... no joint seperation.. perfect
>> Use azek pre-made corners.... 10' & 20' lengths available... no leaks... no joint seperation.. perfect <<The problem with that is they only come as big as 6".Joe Carola
Jeff,
How much do the corners swell or shrink when they are premade? I'd love to use the premade corners.
I've seen at the lumberyard too, Real Corners (http://www.woodtone.com) but they only come up to 12' sections I think. We've used the Real Posts with good success.
There is very little expansion or contractions. We sell a ton of them in the lumberyard I work at. Have never had a call back or complaint.
Check them out.
Moderator!!!
I am offended by the use of the term Butt in this thread!!!
:)Peace
"I am offended by the use of the term Butt in this thread!!!"
I guess I'll pull my question regarding the use of tongue and groove, then?Jeff
No no no ...
Tongue in groove is my fav Hobby!!!Peace
Just watch out for blind nailers ....
;o)
Jeff,
I like a rabbett joint that is glued and nailed in both directions. These are 5/4 SYP. This can be done on a table saw or with a router.
View Image
They were, puttied, sanded primed before installing.
View Image
View Image
Chuck S.
That would be my vote. Nice looking joints
Western Red Cedar - buttttt joints. Like the rabbit done up above, but have never done it.
For good new rock music, click on: http://www.wolfmother.com
I would have to agree with rabbets or butt joints - miters will eventually open, and they're kinda' fragile to handle on heavy long boards while you assemble them.
Forrest
Jeff,
I've cut 4x4's to make a real nice corner. You can make them any thickness you want to stand out from the siding, and you can use the leftover strip for the inside corners. No seams to open in the future. Have fun.
Thats a good idea. :-)
There's an 1830's house I can see out my office window right now, a big 4 over 4 center hall.
The (4) main structural corner posts/studs are 20' 8x8s, cut into an L-shape like that, to form both the exterior corners for sheathing, and the interior corners for the plaster.
Forrest - amazed
well forrest-get out a camera and show us an effen picture already !!!!!
then we can ALL be amazed, LOL
Best wishes, Stephen
They moved the house over here and restored it when I was in third grade. I'll visit my neighbor and see if I can scan his old pix of the corner posts au naturel.
Forrest
Thank you for your replies - our vertical corners boards ARE premade - 3/4" beaded spanish cedar pre-fitted, pre-glued and pre-primed. We've continued with gun-nailed butt joints on the running trim (also Spanish cedar, pre-primed) but I still have a concern about extractive bleeding out the end grain.
Jeff
How do you think they rabbeted out that amount of wood back in those days? A massive circular saw seems like the way to do it, but those wouldn't have been available except at the mill in those days.
That's a lot of time with a chisel.zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
Yeah, we figured it was just a slick and time!
Forrest
You dont think they could have used some sort of plane? I dont think a slick would have made much sense to them anymore then it does to me right now! :)
Doug
I think an adze and a slick would probably be the way. But it's almost inconceivable to do that these days.
zak- pining for days of yore.zak
"When we build, let us think that we build forever. Let it not be for present delight nor for present use alone." --John Ruskin
"so it goes"
zak- I have been wondering about that myself for a day now.
Stephen
Adze and a slick??????
CSmith -- what a wonderful corner solution -- no waste except the sawdust -- very enlightening
i use butt joints and stainless steel hand nails. never had a prob since i started using hand nail's and i do many corners and post cladding
Either works, but preseal ends with thined down PVC glue to prevent it from looking ragged a yeear from now. I use Weldbond thinned about 3:1.
Phill Giles
The Unionville Woodwright
We'll be filling nail holes with West system epoxy - I was thinking of treating the ends too.
Jeff
Any fiberglass resin will work (and marine versions can be had much cheaper than West), adjust viscosity for wick-depth, I suggest a retarder to allow it to soak in well before setting up. The Weldbond solution is a fraction of that cost.
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