LESLIE: Don in Colorado, you’ve got The Money Pit. What can we do for you today?
DON: Hello. I have a question for you folks. I have a lot of south-facing windows, which are excellent passive solar, but they have wood frames which take a real beating from the intense sunshine we get out here in Colorado. I’ve tried various caulk and primer and latex paint but nothing lasts more than about two years, then it starts cracking and peeling. And I wondered if you folks no of any superior product that might stand up to that sun more than two years.
TOM: We talking about inside or outside trim?
DON: Oh, outside.
TOM: OK. Have you thought about wrapping the trim with aluminum?
DON: Well, yes I’ve thought of that. It doesn’t lend itself because my house is stucco and it’s not easily done the way the stucco mates with the sills. You know?
LESLIE: Mm-hmm.
TOM: Alright now, the trim itself; is it the standard brick mold style wood trim?
DON: Mostly, yes. Mm-hmm.
TOM: Would you consider replacing the trim if I gave you a product that looks exactly like that but doesn’t require any maintenance?
DON: Well, I would consider that. (Leslie chuckles)
TOM: OK, there’s a product out there called AZEK – A-Z-E-K. It’s extruded PVC; so it’s made of plastic but it’s sort of like a foamed structure. So it sort of cuts like wood, it sands like wood. It can be painted but you don’t have to paint it and the standard color is white. Now even if you did decide to paint it, you will find that the paint lasts a lot longer because it’s not an organic product.
LESLIE: Mm-hmm, it can’t hold moisture.
TOM: Doesn’t expand, doesn’t contract, doesn’t hold moisture, doesn’t have those sorts of issues. And if you’ve got an extreme weather condition like that that’s really giving you a hard time with the paint, this would be an excellent application for AZEK.
DON: OK. Well I might give that a try.
TOM: Alright, Don. Hope that helps you out. Thanks so much for calling us at 888-MONEY-PIT.
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