Trim Repair
Rot Stopped At The Lines
Trim rots first because trim catches water first — sills, corner bottoms, and surround feet take every drip. Repaired properly, with the drip corrected, before the rot invites itself inward.
Cut It Out, Build It Back, Dry It Up
Soft trim gets opened to sound material, not skimmed with filler that fails by spring. Sills rebuild with proper slope, corner bottoms splice or replace in kind — increasingly in PVC that ends the rerun — and everything seals at the joints water exploited. Then the actual fix: the missing drip cap, the overflowing gutter, the sprinkler head baptizing the corner nightly.
Trim Rot Is A Canary
Rotten trim frequently announces water problems the wall hasn’t confessed yet — we check the adjacent siding and sheathing edges while the trim is open, because a surround repaired over a wet wall is a receipt, not a repair. Small honest looks now; not moisture investigations later.
Asked At The Kitchen Table
Can rotted trim be filled instead of replaced?
Epoxy has a place on ornate irreplaceable profiles; on standard trim, replacement in rot-proof material costs similar and ends the cycle instead of scheduling it.
Why does the same corner keep rotting?
Because the water that rots it keeps arriving — the repair that lasts is the one that fixes the drip, which is why ours includes finding it.
Is peeling paint on trim just cosmetic?
Peeling is often moisture pushing from behind — the paint is the messenger. Worth the free look before repainting seals the evidence in.
Can rotted wood trim be repaired instead of replaced?
Epoxy has a place on ornate irreplaceable profiles; on standard trim, replacement in rot-proof material costs similar and ends the cycle rather than scheduling it.
Why does the paint on my trim keep peeling?
Often moisture pushing from behind — the paint is the messenger, not the problem. Worth a look before a repaint seals the evidence in.
What is the best filler for rotted exterior wood?
Two-part epoxy systems on profiles worth saving — but on standard trim, replacement in PVC usually costs similar and ends the rot cycle instead of pausing it.
Why is the bottom of my door trim rotting?
Splash, wicking, and end-grain drinking from the sill — the most abused inches of trim on the house. Rebuilt right with sealed ends and the splash source addressed.
How do I stop trim rot from coming back?
Fix the water first — the drip cap, gutter overflow, or sprinkler — then rebuild in materials that don’t feed. Rot is a symptom wearing a wood costume.
Lines & Their Care
The trim department.
Soft Spot At A Corner?
Free probe-and-source visit — the rot and its water, both handled.