What wood do you use for exterior trim?
prairiescl
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
I like cedar for the rot resistance, but I find it about as durable as balsa wood. I want to nail up door & window casings and trim out the corners. I’ll paint it white. The window trim can probably be cedar since nothing but birds and bugs are likely to touch it, but the house corners and the door casings are likely to take a few bumps.
Replies
Cedar. Lack of rot is very very important!!
If you were in the south or southeast, I'd recommend select cypress. At least as rot resistant as cedar or redwood, it's strength is probably closer to pine.
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
Dave, do the yards stock cypress around you?
I can get cypress down here. The quality isn't what others describe down south, but
it is good wood. Can't find cedar anywhere at all. Got a source?
Lowes, believe it or not. JKay used to have it, havent been there recently. Probably still do. i KNow that 84 will get it for you.
I'm calling Jk in the morning, thanks.
yep. no problem
Be prepared to pay for it. They seem to think they are selling gold plated material!
>>"Dave, do the yards stock cypress around you?"Some do, though it is rare to find in-stock select cypress. That would be a special-order item.The in-stock stuff is usually #2, sometimes some #1.
And it's never stocked in thicknesses other than 3/4" (standard "one-by").
I won't be laughing at the lies when I'm gone,
And I can't question how or when or why when I'm gone;
I can't live proud enough to die when I'm gone,
So I guess I'll have to do it while I'm here. (Phil Ochs)
It's not wood, but since you're painting it white anyway, you should consider Azek or Koma.
Its already white; it won't rot; it's dense enough that it doesn't dent easily; it cuts, glues, and nails very well.
There's 2 drawbacks- it does move quite a bit with temp fluctuations (but a lot of that can be minimized by proper design and installation), and its not cheap.
I use pine with a good coat of primer on all bare surfaces before it's nailed up.
Around here (So Cal) you see mostly see Doug Fir in old exterior door and window jambs and sashes, primed all around.
If there's a bare surface that's not even exposed to the elements, it will absorb water.
Gonna paint it white - Azek and don't paint it. Yes I know you said wood.
Edited 10/22/2009 5:07 am ET by Pelipeth
I've gone to Azec wherever I can
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