Removing the sliding glass doors from our sunroom was exciting, but it left a less glamorous—and important—task: finishing the exposed edges where the metal door frames had been.
With all the metal frames gone, the openings showed raw wood that looked unfinished and was vulnerable to moisture. We wanted to address this quickly to prevent rot, so we tackled the trim replacement as a priority.
Because our house recently needed exterior rot repairs when it was painted, we were extra cautious. Instead of filling the gaps with wood, I chose PVC trim. It costs a bit more—about $5 extra per piece—but it resists moisture and won’t rot, so it should last for decades. For the tops of the door openings, where direct contact with standing water was unlikely, I saved some money by using pre-primed wood pieces.
The boards I bought were 1″ x 6″ x 8′, slightly wider than the gaps, so I trimmed them down and ripped a small amount off the sides on the table saw. Once the fence was set, the cuts were straightforward and quick.
With the pieces cut, I applied construction adhesive to the backs, then secured them with a nail gun. It felt good to get back to using the nail gun—and yes, there was some inevitable posing for the camera.
For the ceiling trim boards I added a few screws in addition to adhesive and nails. I didn’t want to risk anything coming loose overhead, so the extra reinforcement made sense.
Installing the trim took a couple of hours, then I spent several more on caulking. Our goal was to seal every gap around the new boards to keep moisture out and create a finished look.
While sealing the trim, we also filled other cracks and gaps around the room. This step not only helps prevent water intrusion but also makes the new frames look tidy and complete.
For the bottom edges against the brick, I used clear silicone caulk instead of white. Caulking against brick often looks uneven because the mortar and brick surface are rough; clear caulk lets us seal tightly without drawing an obvious, lumpy white line. After smoothing it with a finger the bead looks much cleaner and more discreet.
It may not be the most thrilling work, but the finished trim made the room feel considerably more polished and protected from the elements.
And clearly, someone is already enjoying the newly opened space.
We still need to paint the inside of the room—the interior is currently cream while the exterior trim is white—but before we grabbed the paintbrushes we couldn’t resist opening up a section of the ceiling to see what was inside.
We’ll share more once we’ve had a chance to inspect and finish the ceiling. Fingers crossed we can create a useful loft space up there.