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Discussion Forum

Exterior window trim styles

lunabean1 | Posted in Construction Techniques on July 26, 2005 12:21pm

We finally finished with the housewrap and are going to start trim and siding in a little while.  We’re going with Koma trim, and would like to use a fairly wide trim around the windows, probably 5 1/2″. 

We don’t want anything too elaborate.  Our house is a kind of modified cape and we have Andersen casement and awning windows. (I’d like to post a pic someday, but when I get the photos on disc they’re each over 1m and I don’t have a program that’ll let me resize.)  My husband and I have differing ideas of what looks good, so we’re looking for different styles to see if there’s something we can agree on.

Does anyone know of a good source for finding different styles of trim?  Or what is your favorite?

Shauna

(Just read the posts about materials you hate to work with – can we pretend we’re not using the Koma?)


Edited 7/25/2005 5:30 pm ET by shaunaw

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  1. doodabug | Jul 26, 2005 02:09am | #1

    I like exterior windows with the crown mold on top. You could take a ride around some historical neighborhoods and get some ideas.

  2. DougU | Jul 26, 2005 04:38am | #2

    Shaunaw

    If you need a program for resizing try http://www.Irfanview.com, its free and easy to use. Used by a lot of the people on this site.

    Doug

    1. lunabean1 | Jul 26, 2005 05:14am | #3

      Thank you!  Do you know if files have to be any particular type (jpeg or gif)?  I tried to attach them - they're saved as jpegs - but I'm getting an error message when I hit the upload button.

      Shauna

      1. DougU | Jul 26, 2005 05:25am | #4

        Shauna

        Jpegs are the most common used on here, seems to work best for everybody to view.

        Try to keep the size down under 100KB, there are those with dial up and they cant/wont open up to large a file.

        I'm not sure why your getting the error message, others on here will respond as to why. I'm barely able to do the fundamental tasks!

        Doug

        Edited 7/25/2005 10:32 pm ET by Doug@es

      2. DougU | Jul 26, 2005 05:31am | #5

        You say your getting an error message when you hit the upload button.

        Did you brouse and find the photo that you wanted to post?

        Doug

        1. lunabean1 | Jul 26, 2005 05:47am | #6

          Hit the attach files button at the bottom of this reply screen, hit browse on the window that opened up, selected my photo from 'my documents' (a 51KB file), then when I tried the 'upload' button I got the error message. 

          Just tried it again to make sure, but I'm still getting the error/try again message.  Maybe I'll try Wednesday after all the re-registration stuff.

          Shauna

          1. DougU | Jul 26, 2005 05:52am | #7

            Good idea, things will probably be so screwed up that nothing will work!

            Doug

          2. piko | Jul 26, 2005 07:14am | #8

            There's a thread recently re this, and I haven't found it yet. But it was posted that if you've a pop-up blocker, you might want to disable that.    Try this:  http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=60028.77ciao for niao

            To those who know - this may be obvious. To those who don't - I hope I've helped.

             

  3. User avater
    hammer1 | Jul 26, 2005 01:34pm | #9

    Anderson's have a vinyl nailing flange around the perimeter. You need to rabbet out the back of the trim so that it will lay flat to the wall. I don't know what Koma is. Another issue is having enough thickness for the siding you are using. You don't want the siding sticking out beyond the trim.

    I used 5/4" pine on the houses below. I added a simple cap to the header and notched the ends so the siding could slip behind the molding and not have to be cut around to fit. The sill piece and ends of the side casings were also rabbeted so the siding could fit up under. I figured the width of the trim to come close with the siding exposure. I didn't want a little half inch of siding to have to go under or over. You also need to know how the siding will come so that the notches and rabbets are sized correctly.

    Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

    1. lunabean1 | Jul 26, 2005 04:19pm | #11

      When you do the rabbet for the nailing flange - is 1/8" enough?  Can we just run the stock through the table saw once?

      Koma is the same as Azek, it's just what we can get locally.  We're using 5/4 so that it's thick enough to use with the Hardie siding.  We experimented with a piece of the Koma the other day - it works up really nicely, but what a mess with the little plastic shavings everywhere.  I'm thinking the less we have to cut this the better, but I like your cap on the header.  What about using a pre-made cap with the Koma?  Are we defeating the purpose of using the Koma if we put a piece of pine on top of it?

      Shauna 

      1. User avater
        hammer1 | Jul 27, 2005 05:09am | #16

        I find that a 1 1/8" x 3/16" rabbet is about right for the Andersons, you don't want it too tight. I cut mine with a stack dado on the table saw. One thing I have found to watch with the Andersons, is the bottom flange. There is a lip that is the thickness of the vinyl which sometimes hits on the sheathing, preventing the window from sitting flat on the wall. You have to lift up on the window when installing in order to clear this edge. This is barely noticeable until you go to cut a rabbet on the trim. I haven't used synthetic trim so I don't know how a cut will affect the boards integrity. One product a salesman gave me had a foam like core. I don't remember the product name. It doesn't look like you have enough room on the sides of your windows for a wide piece of trim, if any. Are you using corner boards? If space is as limited as it looks, you may only have room for a cornice piece over the windows. The Koma website mentions moldings and gingerbread as well as sheets. This leads me to believe that it is solid throughout and can be sawn and molded. Contact the company. I don't think I would mix materials, they may weather differently and require different maintenance, but I'm guessing. This won't be an issue if the Koma is workable. The best way to handle the plastic snow is to use a form of dust collection at the saw or router like a shop vac. Don't forget to come back and show us pictures of your results.Beat it to fit / Paint it to match

        1. lunabean1 | Jul 27, 2005 05:38am | #17

          Thanks for all the info.  The test piece of Koma we tried out does mill very similarly to wood (except for those shavings!).  It's a solid piece, so we can cut just about anything that I can convince myself we have time for! 

          Because we're working with a foundation that was already in place (with some crazy angles), each of those two rooms in the front only has one window.  We went with bigger windows to try and maximize the amount of light coming in, so I was thinking of running the trim right to the corners, similar to what you might find on a bay window.  There is also a brick legde around the perimeter of the foundation, so we're still toying with the idea of stone up to the bottom of the front windows and around the bottom part of the garage.

          It'll takes us forever to get anything done, but I'm sure someday I'll have a picture of a finished house.

          Shauna   

  4. cmzimm | Jul 26, 2005 02:08pm | #10

    Here's is what I did on our house.  Azek sill, Miratec 5/4x4 casing, and Azek drip cap.  Pretty easy to do.

    1. lunabean1 | Jul 26, 2005 04:26pm | #12

      What do you use to fill the holes in the Azek sill?  I've seen plugs cut from scraps of the Azek.

      Koma makes their own 'bond and fill' that they say can be used to fill holes, but it's ridiculously expensive and we have a lot of windows.

      Shauna 

      Okay!  I finally got the pictures to upload... and didn't do anything differently than I did last night.  This computer is my material that I love/hate to work with.  Now the only problem is that I attached the back of the house twice and left out the front.

      Edited 7/26/2005 9:28 am ET by shaunaw

      1. lunabean1 | Jul 26, 2005 04:30pm | #13

        Here's the front.  So we're looking for a simple style to match the feel of the house.  Sorry I don't have a pic with the windows in; I can't find the disc.

        Shauna

      2. cmzimm | Jul 26, 2005 04:36pm | #14

        I haven't actually filled the holes yet, but my plan is to cut plugs from some scrap pieces (that stuff is too expensive to throw any of it away!) and touch up with some bondo if required. 

  5. Dave45 | Jul 26, 2005 04:36pm | #15

    Here is a picture of a trim I make when I do window replacements.  I use kiln dried 2" x 4" and make a frame that goes on over the nail flange.  The bottom board is angled at 10* - 12* so water runs off.  Most of my customers like them because they add a bit of architectural detail - and they make it much easier to remove the window if it's ever necessary.

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