Easy Process Of Repairing Cracks In Exterior Wood Trim
Wood trim on every side of the exterior windows as well as doors can begin to wear, warp & rot with the passage of time. This can make it look bad & unattractive, & the trim in disrepair can let the water get underneath, which as a result can further create damage. As soon as the elements will start taking their toll, you can easily make repairs to or even replace wood trim without having a need to take help from any professional, which can be costly. When the wood trim has deep nicks or gouges as well as cracks then there is a way to repair it. There is nothing complex here and any user with some experience will be easily able to tackle these cracks and will be successful. However, all the items that will be needed are readily available at any hardware store, and even many items can be easily found in a toolbox or a workshop. Go through the below-mentioned steps carefully in order to repair cracks in exterior wood trim & achieve the desired result of your work:
- Sand And Clean: First of all, you have to start with the sanding part, due to the reason that sanding will help get rid of all the loose chunks of wood or flaking paint. You also need to sand the rough edges in or the edges that are immediately adjacent to the damaged area. Once the sanding is done you have to start cleaning process clearly to remove away all dust and debris by using a dry cloth or moistened tack cloth, if the user uses the later, then wait for the area to dry completely before heading to the next step.
- Wood Filler: Now the next step is to use the wood filler with the help of the putty knife. It's advisable to start from the edges of the damaged area. Slowly press the wood filler into the depression. Slightly overfill the wood filler in the damaged area, this is due to the reason that filler shrinks as it dries, now smooth out filled area with the help of clean part of a putty knife.
- Allow The Filler To Dry: Before moving to the next step allow the wood filler to dry completely. The drying time is entirely dependent on the depth of the application used and could take anywhere between 15 minutes to eight hours.
- Sand The Filled Area: After the filler is dry, sand the area so that it will be leveled with the rest of the surrounding. Lightly sand the area to smooth it out.
- Applying The Choice Of Finish: Once the sanding is done then clean it with the tack cloth, then apply the finish of the choice or the same applied in rest of the area. Apply the finish with a soft brush & let the first coat to dry completely before applying the second coat.
Replace The Damaged Wood Trim
- It is important to replace the rotted as well as damaged wood trim. This can be done by calculating each piece of trim to be replaced and note down the dimensions. Cut a new piece of trim in order to fit and get a matching piece of wood.
- When you are going to purchase new pieces of trim, it is important to add a few extra inches to the length so that there is a room for making errors in your cuts. Get rid of the damaged trim with the help of a pry bar, screwdriver or the claw of a hammer.
- Use a miter saw in order to cut the new trim pieces with the measurements of the old pieces. Position a piece of trim face up in opposition to the saw fence and place it so that your measurement marks are arranged in a straight line with the blade before turning the blade to a 45-degree angle and make your cut.
- Repeat the process on the other end of the piece of trim before making the cut at a 45-degree angle that is opposite to the first cut. The angles that you have cut in the new piece of trim need to correspond with the existing trim in order to make sure that the new piece fits with the rest and complete a square corner.