DIY Network

Exterior Siding: Trim and Detail From "Be Your Own Contractor" episode DBYC-105

Homeowner Alan Sain installed synthetic stone to provide a natural look to the house foundation.

In this segment of DIY's Be Your Own Contractor, the do-it-yourselfers talk about trim-work and detail on their house exteriors and some of the challenges they faced. Trim and detailing materials included vinyl faux-brick, synthetic stone and color-coated aluminum.

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House Exterior

• In conjunction with his vinyl siding, Alan Sain (figure A) used synthetic stucco to cover areas of the house foundation that would be partially concealed by the landscaping. For the front of the house, he wanted a more striking treatment for his foundation, and selected simulated stone to provide a pleasing, natural look (figure B). Steel mesh was first attached to the ICF foundation (figure C), which serves to help stabilize the stones as they are placed on a bed of mortar along the front foundation. The faux "stones" are actually concrete that has been poured into molds, and colored to look like actual stones.

  Figure A

  Figure B

  Figure C

  
  
• When installing exterior siding and trim on his home in Williamsburg, Virginia Michael Buchtel's had to abide by covenants set by his neighborhood association. All houses built in his neighborhood are required to have some sort of brick around the foundation of the house (figures D and E). The "brick" that he used was actually not brick at all, but a vinyl faux-brick. Michael saved money in several ways by using this material. The vinyl product was much cheaper than actual bricks and mortar, and he saved the cost of hiring masons to lay the brick.

  The faux bricks add curb appeal to the home and, from a distance, are practically indistinguishable from the real thing. The one difficulty that Michael ran into with this installation had to do with the corners of the house. Three separate methods were attempted to achieve a cohesive look in bringing the material around the corner. Heating and bending the material was the method that Michael ultimately used, but this method caused some stress fractures and breaks at the corners (figure F). The small breaks had to be repaired with caulk to prevent moisture from getting through into the foundation.

  Figure D

  Figure E

  Figure F

  
  

• Like Alan Sain, Skip Weahunt wanted the look of stone to complement his siding. The stonework works well against the texture and color of the stucco that Skip used (figures G, H and I). He found that using natural stone was extremely expensive, so instead went with the simulated stone cast from concrete. The faux stones are very strong and are made to make installation fairly simple. There are even corner-pieces molded to fit around the corners of the house.

  Figure G

  Figure H

  Figure I

  
  
• For his home in Hillside, Colorado Andy Beasley wanted trim that was attractive, easy to install and would require little or no maintenance. He went with aluminum fascias and soffets that have a baked-on color finish (figures J, K and L). The windows are clad with the same material. This pre-coated material eliminates the need to paint the trim-work after it has been installed. One of Andy's goals with respect to the exterior was low upkeep. This treatment suited that goal will achieving a look that complemented the house and setting. The arched gable vents, however, were wood painted to match the green-clad aluminum. Because of the extremes of temperature in this area of the country, and the intense sun exposure, the paint has a tendency to peel, so that portion of the trim-work did have to be scraped and re-painted every few years.

  Figure J

  Figure K

  Figure L