Why does newly installed exterior trim look bad so quickly?
Exterior trim can start looking worn or develop gaps between rake boards shortly after replacement, leaving homeowners wondering if it indicates a serious defect or just normal expansion and contraction. Cleaning the material with soapy water often proves difficult and makes little difference in improving its appearance.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
- 1Trying to clean the trim with soapy water
- 2Applying caulk and paint
- 3Covering the gaps with custom wooden medallions, squares, or battens
- 4Using wood putty
In their words
Unedited, most upvoted first, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I walked around the house today and I noticed there are gaps between where rake boards meet. Is this something that’s needs to be fixed asap or it is normal contraction and expansion?”source ↗
“Recently replaced 22 windows in my home for around $24k. In general they have been great but Im starting to notice that the outside trim work (that was also redone) looks to be on bad shape.”source ↗
“I believe it’s only cosmetic, as they replaced the trim with PVC, but Im annoyed tat already looks so bad.”source ↗
“I’ve tried cleaning it with soapy water but its pretty difficult and doesn’t make much difference.”source ↗