Anyone done this? If so what did you think?
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do it all the time.. we get two pieces of sill stock out of every Trex
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike, what do you paint it with? How does it hold up over time? Joe H
any primer... but we use oil... and any finish...
stands up better than anything else we've used.. and it ain't gonna rot out Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike, I was asking how the paint held up. Seems that stuff would be hard to get paint to stick to, but your picture says it all. Thanks, Joe H
Mike,
Thanks for the pic. Are you using Trex for the casings, too?
Ragnar
no we use GP Prime Trim.. usually 5/4Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
Mike,
Using trex for the sill seems like it may be a good idea.
However, I'm always very cautious at first, so I'd like to ask you a couple of questions if you don't mind. ;)
First, how long have you been doing it this way (so that a track record may be established)? Second, are you aware of a different rate of thermal expansion for trex compared to wood and primetrim?
Thanks,
Ragnar
i think we started using trex for trim like this about '96..
yes the thermal expansion rates are different... but for a sill it won't effect anything, IE.. most of the trex expansion is along the long axis...
most woods expand / contract with moisture content.... we minimize this by backpriming everything.. GP Prime Trim is very stable..
trex is milkbottle plastic & wood fiber... the plastic and the paint will keep moisture out of teh wood fiber... so thermal expansion / contraction is mostly from the plastic componentMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
That's good news that you've been doing it since '96. Must be working!
You said "the trex expansion is along the long axis..." By this, do you mean it increases in length (as opposed to width)?
Do you nail/screw from the bottom of the sill into the end grain of the casing? And finally, what sort of connection do you use to hold the trex to the window subsill and/or the house sheathing/framing?
Thanks for the info, Mike!
Ragnar
we screw right thru the face of the sill into the window sill frame... we countersink the screws and either plug them or bondo them..
no nails from the sill to the casing , we do caulk that joint.. and our sill has a 10 deg. bevelMike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
trex rox
I used Trex two years ago for sills and casing on my own home. Painted with one coat 100% acrylic primer and two topcoats of 100% acrylic. Caulked with siliconized acrylic latex between the prime coat and the top coats where needed. It worked well and the paint still looks new, except for dirt.
Easy to work with, though, since its made from recycled material, will contain an occasional bit of metal. So, you'll damage fine tools like planers and jointers or cheap table saw blades.
Some folks may not like the texture, but it did not bother me.
There was another post not long ago about using corian for window sills, also seemed to work well. Window sills seem to be the ideal place for flying termites to land and start eating.
-- J.S.