3 Reasons To Keep Exterior Trim in Good Condition

The exterior trim of your home is the frames that go around the doors and windows. It can be simple or ornate, but it is always visible. When some people talk about exterior trim, they also include the soffits and fascia of the roof, but everyone includes door and window frames when they talk about it. If you have noticed problems with your exterior trim, you may have wondered, “Should I hire a carpenter handyman near me to repair it?” Here are some reasons why you should. 

1. Increase Your Home Value

If you are planning to sell your home, you want to maximize its value so you can get as much as possible for it. If you aren’t planning to sell your home now, you may want to do so sometime in the future. Therefore, taking steps to increase your home value now may pay off significantly in the future. 

One obvious reason to keep your exterior trim in good repair is to improve your curb appeal. First impressions have enormous sway over homebuyers’ decisions. If prospective buyers do not like the look of the outside, they are unlikely to stop and see what it looks like inside. Therefore, your exterior trim certainly improves your home’s aesthetics, but there are also other, more fundamental ways in which it helps to improve your home’s value. 

2. Protect Your Home From Water Damage

Any opening in the walls of your home, such as the holes cut out for windows and doors, and any joint where two surfaces meet, such as the walls and roof, is a weak spot where moisture could potentially get inside your home. If water does get into your home, it can be absorbed by soft materials, such as insulation, and porous surfaces, such as drywall or wooden joists, causing these materials to become weaker. Moisture can activate fungal spores to promote the growth of mould. 

Mould feeds on organic material, meaning that it can weaken the structural integrity of the wood, drywall, and other building materials. It can also cause or contribute to respiratory conditions, such as allergies or asthma. If you or a family member has one of these conditions, mould growth can make your home very uncomfortable. Once mould has water and food, it can keep growing and spreading. The bigger it grows and the further it spreads, the more difficult it can be to get rid of. 

The exterior trim presents a barrier to prevent water from seeping in where it is not supposed to go. This helps to prevent structural damage and mould growth. 

3. Prevent Wood Rot 

When the moisture content of wood is more than 20%, it makes the timber vulnerable to particular types of fungi. The growth of these fungi and their consumption of the organic material in the wood can cause a condition called wood rot. 

Wood rot is insidious and can spread from damp wood to new timber that is adjacent. Some types of fungus can travel through or across plaster or masonry to infect new wood. This is a matter of necessity as the fungus grows larger and has to become more widespread to find food. 

The exterior trim of a house is usually made out of wood. This is true even if the siding is made out of vinyl or there is a brick facing on the home. To prevent the exterior trim from absorbing water and putting it at risk for wood rot, it needs regular maintenance. This often involves sealing it to protect it from water. Once the exterior trim has rot, it could then spread to the interior structure, such as the wooden frame. From carpentry to storage solutions in Kitchener, Handyman Connection handles home improvement tasks large and small. Learn more about all the services we offer.