Window Casing??

james · 05-29-2005, 10:06 AM

Okay, here's a dumb question. I want to replace my winodws. What type of wood should I use for the casing? Pine, treated pine, Cedar or others [please specified]? I will be painting the casing. Thanks in advance.

jim

housedocs · 05-29-2005, 12:17 PM

Hello Jim,

Window casings can be made from about any kind of wood that fits your tastes and the decor of the room. You can buy pre-formed casings from you local lumber yard or home center. Alot of folks opt for using a product called MDF (Medium-density fiber) for window & door casings, baseboards etc. This comes preprimed and ready to paint in various lengths from 8' tp 16', you just cut to length, and cut your miters & then install and paint.

If you opt for a hardwood casing like oak, you will need to predrill holes for your nails.

Hope that helps.

james · 05-30-2005, 10:50 PM

HOuseDoc,

Thanks! I appreciated you dropping by. However, I apologized for not making my question clearer. I should've said "EXTERIOR" casing replacement as oppose to interior trims casings. Please advise.

jim

Teetorbilt · 05-31-2005, 12:09 AM

IMHO Cedar is your best bet. You will need to prime it with something like GARDZ (my latest find) to keep the color from coming through.

james · 05-31-2005, 04:06 PM

teetor,

Your suggestion was what I was gearing toward in the first place. I just needed a professional opinon.

Where can I find GARDZ? Home Depot/Manards, etc?

Another question...What size of nail [type of nail] I should use to prevent the Cedar from "spliting" when I nail it? Thanks in advance...

jim

CarpenterDon · 06-28-2005, 02:54 AM

The best option for exterior casing, nowadays, is polystrene extruded casing material. It comes in many profiles, so you have a variety of choices and it is readily available at stores like Home Depot, Menard's, etc.

It cuts, goes up, and finishes just like wood, but is not susceptible to the weather or the changes in the weather.

It WILL NOT rot, warp, or twist and will never need to be replaced.

Cedar would be my second choice, if you do not want to use the poly material.

I always use a bead of silicone caulking on the back, where the casing meets the window frame. 6d finish nails are the best choice for securing the casing.

If you pre-drill your nail holes in the casing you won't have to worry about the (cedar) wood splitting. You don't need to pre-drill the poly casing, it won't split.

If you do use cedar, it is best primed with a good oil-based primer, then paint it with a latex paint.

The poly casing comes pre-primed and only need to be painted with a good quality latex paint.

The paint I always use is behr premium exterior latex paint. It goes on very nice, doesn't fade as quickly as other paints and lasats a longggggg time!

Good luck!!