About trim & door repair
Exterior trim, fascia and door frames are where houses in a humid climate tend to fail first. They are the parts that take the water, and they are usually made of the least protected timber on the building.
Rot starts at the bottom
Door casings and jambs rot at the base, where rain runs down and sits on the threshold. Corner boards and window trim go the same way at their lower ends. The tell is timber that gives under a thumb or a screwdriver while still holding paint — paint bridges over soft wood surprisingly well, so trim can look sound and be gone underneath.
Fascia and gutters are one problem
Rotten fascia is very often a gutter problem. An overflowing or leaking gutter pours water down the board behind it every time it rains. Replacing the fascia without sorting out what is overflowing means replacing it again. The gutter line is worth looking at whenever fascia rot appears.
A sticking door is a diagnosis
Doors stick for different reasons and the fix depends which. Loose hinge screws in softened timber let the door drop; that is straightforward. Seasonal swelling comes and goes with humidity. A frame that has moved with the house is a different job again. Planing the door to fit works until whichever cause it was reasserts itself, which is why the reason matters more than the symptom.
What moves the price
- How many linear feet of trim or fascia are affected
- Height and access, particularly for fascia and second-storey work
- Whether rot has reached framing behind the trim
- Timber, PVC or composite replacement
- Whether priming and painting are included
This is why a photo prices most jobs without a visit.