Installing Exterior Door Trim

To prevent rot when replacing outside door casings such as brick mold use casing made from plastic composite material.

Installing exterior door trim. It s a good idea to measure the actual door too. The new door should be 1 2 inch less than the height of the rough opening and 3 4 inch less in width. Apply wood preservative to the end grain of the casing. Installing decorative trim around an entry door whether old or newly installed is a quick way to give your house a facelift.

Before you cut start installing by marking out the reveal the gap between the trim and the edge of the door jamb or door frame which is typically 1 8 inch. Use this also on empty openings like we did in this video. Also measure the jamb depth. Cut the trim pieces with a miter saw.

Measure the old door. Instruction on how to install exterior 2x4 trim around a new or old window. These doors work great for newly constructed walls and for replacing doors in newer homes. With the advent of urethane foam molding there is now a wide range of affordable molding styles to choose from.

Line up the trim and cut from the inside edge diagonally upwards to the outside edge. It s okay to leave the trim a little long at first. Finish the job by installing loosely packed fiberglass insulation around the edges of the door frame. Install interior trim following the manufacturer s instructions.

Before removing the old door have the new one on hand. Set the miter saw to cut at an angle of exactly 45. Urethane foam trim is light paintable easy to cut and will never rot ideal for exterior trim. If wood casing is used.

And 6 9 16 in and they usually include two inch wide brick molding for exterior trim. Cut a large piece of trim into the top piece and one of the sides. Remove the interior trim and measure the width and height of the frame. Exterior door casings that are exposed to the elements often rot at the bottom due to the absorption of rainwater through the wood s end grain.

Prepare to install door trim for a consistent look match the interior trim around your door to the style of the room. Common jamb widths for stock doors are 4 9 16 in. Most home centers stock prehung exterior doors in a limited number of styles. Certain wood front doors will also be heavier than others so take that into consideration before starting this project.

Installing an exterior door that is insulated and made of steel can be heavy and cumbersome due to the weight of the materials. Apply paintable caulk along all of the joints and intersections of the trim and the brick mold.