Exterior trim for a three-quarter cape.
I have a relatively new three-quarter cape in Maine I’m gradually renovating inside and out.
One thing I would like to do is remove the very cheap plastic shutters and “beef up” the trim around the three front windows as well as the front door. I’d like to keep this as traditional as possible, staying in the Colonial style. I know shutters are traditional for Capes, but I’ve seen a fair number of older ones that don’t have them.
Problem I’m looking at is that the two left windows on the house are fairly close together. They currently have about 3″ trim around them, and 6″ space between them. I was playing around with the idea of joining them together with a single piece of wider trim above both windows, wrapping down around and between them with more trim. I have a feeling 9″ of trim between them might be overwhelming for a house this small, though. Any other suggestions what I might try?
While I’m at it, does anyone have some close-up detail shots of colonial-style exterior window trim?
Thanks,
-Sean
Replies
I'm thinking your roofline may be too low for a larger header moulding across the front. You may begin to loose the detail of the windows and doors in going larger. (large enough to incorporate the two windows as one anyhow.)
If the seperation of the two "bothers" you that much, you might consider removing them and pushing them closer together. That's an awful lot of work though....yet I know that I've done what many people think is more work than its worth when attempting to achieve a desired effect on my own home.
An idea that might achieve your goal and still keep the trimwork small enough as to not overwhelm, might be to run a continous header as you suggested, and replace the shakes betwenn the windows with a thinner piece of a flat stock. This way you maintain the definition with the shadow line of the leg casings.
Attached is a quick sketch of what I'm talking about. (Red shows shakes removed, flat stock added.)
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
Edited 9/19/2006 10:44 am ET by JDRHI
Our pool house is not a cape. We have three windows (one twin,0ne single) and a door that are connected but our drip line is 11'6''. 41/2'" sides. 8" mullion and 6" header with scotia to cover flashing. I hope the pic is not to big. Maybe rez can resize.
live, work, build, ...better with wood