Completed Project

It seems that most projects I do, never get entirely completed. Some get about 85% completed, others get 98% completed, but never truly completed.

The front door is one of those projects. I replaced the front door in 2014 but never got it trimmed out. Oh I had excuses. First was that I was going to tear out all the sheet rock and replace it. That got done later in 2014. Next was that I wanted to do it at the same time I trimmed out all the new windows. Well, the windows got done in late 2016 into early 2017. but the door still looked like this:

My next excuse was that I was having difficulty with the trim. The issue was that the old sheet rock was 1/4" and the new sheet rock is 1/2". The door frame had been flush with the old sheet rock, so the new walls were raised. For the windows that wasn't much of an issue, it was just a matter of figuring out what pieces I needed to make the trim work. I assumed once I figured out the windows the door could be done in the same manner. One does not think of the door hinges and strike plate being in the way so 1" wide spacer pieces cannot be used.

I tried several things, but they were either too wide or too thick, or both. I finally came up with a solution which I implemented last weekend. I used a piece of PVC finish, that I believe is actually for finishing vinyl siding

Is it the right color? No, the windows have all maple-like trim and it would look better that way. But it is the right size both in width and in height, so I went with it. I installed the finish pieces and caulked around them last Saturday and left them overnight to dry. Early Sunday morning I installed the maple-look trim pieces that match the windows. I'm not entirely happy with all the white showing around the door, but it is better and I can live with it.

Good thing I had the 3 maple-look pieces downstairs - having bought them at the same time I finished the windows. Because I have waited long enough that this particular color is no longer available (although it was earlier in the summer). Looks like if I ever replace anything in the kitchen it will be real wood with a custom tinted stain, or a different color. Or, I could wait long enough for it to come back into vogue again ;)

Comments

[Cop Car]

I find the lighter trim around the door to be a design detail that is pleasant - especially since it matches the trim around the little window. But that's just me. At the very least, I like the innovative approach. It only took four years, so the work was accomplished in a timely fashion. *chuckling*

P.S. I have found that there is utility in having custom-mixed stains/paints. It makes repairs/replacements much easier. There is a tiny place in your dad's bathroom where, at some point (measured in years), the top 3/8" of the base molding has broken off. It is only a couple of inches long, so I've ignored it. One would think that we would have noticed a small length of wood just laying on the floor, but we don't (to my knowledge) have the piece, so, its absence gets ignored.

[bogie]

I have custom mixed stain from staining the window trim - but the door frame was already painted white when I bought it, so no stain was happening. And really, I wouldn't mind that little bit showing. I was really hoping the part between the frame and the trim would be the color of the trim. But, since the only thing I could find that would fit was white plastic, I gots what I gots.