I am in the process of remodeling our family room and I am confused about how to trim the windows.
The windows are just over 6′ tall, but the bottom of the window frame is about 4″ from the finished floor. They are currently cased in drywall with MDF window stools. Under the stool is a piece of 3/4″ MDF extending to the floor that I suppose serves as the apron. The old 3 1/2″ base butted up to these MDF aprons (an unsightly joint in my humble opinion), but the old base/apron/stool was removed when installing the new maple floors. We’re planning on installing new 5″ base with an ogee base cap and would like to trim the windows, but with the window bottom so close to the floor, I’m unsure what to do with the base to window trim transition. Usually, I guess, the window is at least 16″ from the floor, so the base could run continuously under the window and the window could be trimmed with the standard casing/stool/apron configuration.
One idea I had was to case the window much like a door with ~6″ plinth blocks on both sides of the window that the base molding would butt up against. The side casing would extend up from the plinths up to the head casing. Between the plinths would be a piece the same thickness as the base (11/16″) that would be tall enough to cover all but 1/4″ of the bottom jamb extension (?, i.e. no stool).
Thougths? Ideas?
I appreciate any feedback.
Replies
From what you described I'd say that you're on the right track by trimming them much like a door. Having said that, it's such a visual thing that you might not be able to say for sure if that's the best alternative until one is trimmed out.
Tough to say without seeing the job. Sounds like you could run flat casing right down to the base, and have the cap run up and around the window as another option. Not sure if this will work, but running the cap like this...might tie everything together nicely, depending on the overall look of the room...
Gl - Mike
Edited 9/8/2005 10:44 am ET by Demon
Your proposal sounds like exactly what I had envisioned.
Treat it as a door. 5/4" plinths, one by stock between, with no stool. Leave the same reveal all the way round.
Quick sketch attached.
J. D. Reynolds
Home Improvements
very elegant solution
Thank you all. This is excellent feedback!
Either plinths that run to the top of the basecap, window casing sitting thereon. Or if the base is 3/4", case with 5/4" running to the floor. Or case with plinths that are 3/4", then wrap the base & cap around. Or use a 5/4" or bigger flat underneath the window from stool to floor. Insure the sill nosing horns extend an 1" past the casing widths. Case window as normal, dieoff the base into the fatter apron. You could then dress the flat apron with a scotia mold up under the sill and run the shoe along it on the floor treating it as one giant plinth block for the whole window. Or..., or..., or...
a truly elagant solution might be to miter the cap part of the base, and run a cut off section, or matching profile of "cap molding" around the window openings, similar to the way you would do an "in wall radiator" trim..?
I wish I could draw it to explain it....
Wrapping the window as you describe is a nice idea, so long as the casing is flatstock. I have two questions, one being beneath the window, flat to the floor possibly with shoe? I've done this often for HVAC grates but usually only a few inches above the base. I'd like to see a tall window done this way. I'd seem to think it might look odd as I, and many people, are used to seeing windows case so that the wider edge of the casing is outside the window. I'd like to see this sometime, an idea to keep in the backroom for future reference.