install wider wood window trim on stucco house
aspen_boy
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Hi, First post.
We are interested in widening the wood window trim on our stucco house. What is the proper way to do this? Can the stucco be cut so that the new trim can fit or will the stucco need to be patched?
One possibility that I’ve been thinking about is since the wood trim is even with the stucco, how about nailing the new wider trim on top of the old trim (so the new trim sits on top of both the old trim and some stucco)? If properly caulked would this be okay?
thanks in advance
Replies
aspen
Laying over and caulking would not be ok. Over time (how long depends on quality of caulk and luck) the differing movements of the trim/stucco/window will break the caulking bond, water will get in probably deteriorating the trim, window or framing.
Since you're widening the opening, this will make the interuption in the drainage plane longer. Proper detailing on the head, sides and sill are required for a problem free install.
You MAY be able to slip flashing behind the stucco and the felt behind it to direct the water away from the frame.
Do a search for stucco flashing detailing for what I'm talking about.
EDIT: http://www.ci.bloomington.mn.us/handouts/53/53rrstucco.pdf
And welcome to Breaktime.
The proper way to do it would be to remove the old trim, cut back the stucco, install new flashing and then trim. But I wouldn't do it that way unless I were replacing the windows as well.
I'd do pretty much as you suggested with a few minor changes. I'd use a product like Harditrim instead of wood since it won't move around much at all. I'd bed it in with polyurethane caulk and I'd screw it down, making sure the outside screws went through the stucco into the framing and through the existing trim into the framing on the inside. On the top I would run a neat bead of untooled poly to turn water away. As long as the windows were properly flashed to begin with the worst that could happen would be the original trim would rot under the new trim if water got in. Try one on the back of your house first and see if it's worth the effort.
how install wider wood window trim on stucco house
hello
First of all, you can The trim needs to be installed so that it's centred against the window. Mark the middle of the frame and the sill so that the window trim is fixed accurately. When you're ready to fit the trim it's simply a matter of lining the marks up.