Window trim finishes the window.
Window trim comes with many profiles and in many types. You can find similar or identical profiles in all the materials used for window trim, so choosing comes down to the value you place on materials and personal preference. Natural window trim materials like wood can be more challenging to work with than composite materials like medium density fiberboard. Wood, however, may make a quality statement that composites and plastics cannot.
Wood
Wood is an easy type of window trim to work with and is acceptable for many architectural designs. Installed inside with mitered corners and stained a rich color, wood grounds the windows when the design features chair rails and crown molding. Kept thin and in its natural color wood will add a touch of definition to a modern motif. Wood comes already cut with profiles for trimming windows. It is also available as finished lumber that can be cut to the desired width and length and used as is.
Outside, wood window trim should be a wood species that does not deteriorate easily or encourage insect infestations. Cedar, redwood and pressure treated wood all stand up well in exterior window trim applications.
Medium Density Fiberboard
Medium density fiberboard is a composite material that molds well to surfaces, is easy to cut and is durable for window trim. It comes in as many profiles as wood trim so it can be matched to existing trim quite easily. The material takes paint very well and it is generally less expensive than wood. It is largely used inside but new formulations are rated for exterior use. Use high grade caulks, sealants and paint on MDF to protect it from moisture.
Finger-Jointed Wood
Widely accepted by builders as an alternative to solid wood, finger-jointed wood will work inside and out for trimming windows. Manufacturers take short pieces of high grade wood from poor lumber and fashion it into straight and clear (no knots), pieces of trim. There are different grades but according to the University of Massachusetts' building and construction technology department, the best choice is clear, vertical grain all-heartwood.
Hardboard
Hardboard is created with a process that shears hot wood fibers and then compresses them under tremendous pressure. This causes the natural binding agent in the wood to flow and act like a glue. Hardboard is more resistant to brown rot than untreated spruce, pine or fir, and often primed. The products made from this process are good exterior window trim options. The surface can have a wood grain so the trim fits in with other natural wood elements of the building.
Tags: window trim, window trim, color wood, comes already, exterior window, exterior window trim