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Project Difficulty:
Moderate
Estimated
Project Time: A few hours
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Power miter saw or miter box and backsaw
Power drill/driver
Hammer
Saber saw
Safety goggles
Side trim (casing)
Window stool, apron, and return pieces
Finishing nails
Wood glue
Wood filler
Sandpaper
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Once a new window has been leveled, shimmed, and nailed in place, it's time to begin working on the trim. "Trimming out" the window is the last step before painting it. The trim in this case refers to installing the stool, apron, and casing of the window.
Wood trim can be installed in all sorts of ways to accentuate a particular decorative style, and may be anything from simple and understated to whimsical or even wildly imaginative. Many classic old houses feature ornately detailed window trim composed of many different shapes and sizes of wood. In fact, such trim sometimes served as the builder's signature, providing an occasion to showcase skills gained over many years. Factory-built windows won't have anything beyond the bare essentials for trim, and what's there might not match the style used on your house. Mixing and matching from stock molding shapes available at lumberyards, however, will surely produce a custom-designed combination that does the job for you. Flat or clamshell shapes generally are best suited to casements and fixed glass windows, while double-hung windows can be trimmed with beaded casings and corner blocks. When planning a new trim design, it's probably best to tack samples to a wall so that you can step back and take a look.
Nearly all installations of trim, however, will use some version of two basic joints: the miter joint and the butt joint. A miter join occurs where two pieces of wood are joined together at an evenly divided angle. The angle most used in trim carpentry is 90 degrees, which means that each meeting trim piece must be cut to a 45-degree angle. A butt joint is the simplest of all; one of the meeting pieces is cut at a 90-degree angle and simply "butted" into an adjoining piece. Most window trim calls for combinations of miter joints and butt joints. The instructions below are for installing basic trim pieces around a window.
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1.
Cut Top and Side Pieces
Cut the top and side trim pieces at 45-degree angles, using a power miter saw or a miter box and backsaw. Predrill holes for finishing nails. Then add glue to the joints and secure them using finishing nails. (Fig. 1)
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2.
Cut Window Stool
Use a saber saw to cut the deep, interior sill (the stool) where it extends beyond the window frame and side trim pieces. (Fig. 2)
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3.
Install Stool
Predrill holes in the stool for the finishing nails that will fasten the stool in place. Add glue at the joins, set the stool in place, and drive finishing nails at an angle into the window frame. You can fill and sand the holes later. (Fig. 3)
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4.
Miter Apron Pieces
Use a power miter saw or backsaw and miter box to cut a miter at each end of the trim, called the apron, that supports the stool. (Fig. 4)
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5.
Install Apron
After predrilling holes for the nails, set the apron in place, and then drive finishing nails at a slight upward angle through the apron and into the wall and window frame. (Fig. 5)
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6.
Install Return Pieces
Make and glue on small return pieces to complete the apron miters. Without this step, you would see the apron end grain. (Fig. 6)
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