What Type of Wood is Used in Window Casings?
The type of wood you select for window casings can make a big difference in the look of your home, inside and outdoors. Casings stand out and accent windows like a frame accents a picture. The wood you select will serve as the transitional structural material between the brick, stucco or wood materials for your exterior windows. You also need to choose the right wood species, grade and properties for interior window casing to enhance your indoor decor. Does this Spark an idea?
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Douglas Fir
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Douglas fir is a popular choice that is hard and durable. It holds nails and screws well and doesn’t easily scratch, crack or split. Those qualities are beneficial, especially for outdoor window casings. Douglas fir comes in two grain styles: vertical and mixed grain. Vertical grain (also called edge grain) has a tight grain pattern that gives the molding a consistent flow and texture. Mixed grain (also called flat grain) has a looser and wider grain pattern, and the colors of the grain can vary from light to dark.
Pine
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Pine is an easy wood to work with, affordable and a good choice for window casings because it can hold up to movement from windows being opened and closed. Like all natural woods, pine is pressure treated with preservatives for outdoor use. Southern yellow pine is often used for pressure-treated casing boards. Another popular choice is ponderosa pine, because it has a straight, uniform grain and smooth surface. Pine is also used for indoor window casing and stained or varnished instead of painted so the color of the wood and the character of the knots and heart are visible.
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Finger Jointed Wood
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Finger jointed wood is made from fibers of lower-grade woods which are glued together with weather-resistant adhesives such as melamine-urea and resins to form long panels. This makes finger jointed wood an economical option to solid woods. Finger jointed panels used for casing come in widths from 4 inches to 1 foot, and lengths as long as 24 feet. Builders cut the panels to the specifications for the window casing. Finger jointed wood comes in clear vertical grain and clear flat grain choices. Vertical grades display the “heart” and knots of the wood. If you live in a climate that gets lots of rain or snow, you might want to use finger jointed wood for indoor applications and another choice for outdoor window casings, as the glue can lose its bonding strength over time when exposed to moisture.
Hardboard Trim
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Hardboard trim is an engineered wood option if cost is a factor and you want an alternative to solid wood. Hardboard trims are made from hardwood chips that are heated with steam and hot water and passed through discs to create fiberboard material that’s suitable for interior and exterior use. The heated milling process produces a natural adhesive, called lignin. The lignin improves the hardboard’s resistance to decay, which can be advantageous for exterior casing applications.
Laminated Veneer Lumber
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Laminated veneer lumber (called LVL) is a “new school,” low-cost alternative to solid wood. LVLs have low-grade wood cores and high-grade veneer face surfaces. For example, the core might be made of Douglas fir and the face might be made of alder or cedar. LVLs for exterior use are overlaid with resins to protect the veneer from wet weather. LVLs are also used for interior window casings when the owner desires a wood versus a painted casing.
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References
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