A lot of homeowners put a great deal of thought into the material they choose for their siding. Your home’s exterior plays a big part in its protection from the elements, as well as its curb appeal. So it makes sense that you’ll want to ensure that you purchase a material that’s going to be beautiful, durable, long-wearing, and low maintenance.
When it comes to the trim, however, many people end up overlooking this equally important area. Your trim completes the façade of your home, giving it a finished appearance, as well as helping to seal up the edges and areas around windows and doors. So when the time comes to choose a trim, you want to make sure that you also get a durable, beautiful product that will last as long as your siding does. And while you have a lot of options for your trim, including PVC, fiber cement trim makes the most logical choice in many cases.
Trim and Maintenance
You’re probably aware of just how much work your siding can be. The painting, scraping, sanding, and repairing of wood siding, as well as the cracking of vinyl are all well documented. Trim can sometimes be even more work. This is because trim is usually installed at the expansion gaps around your home – those areas that are more likely to move when your home cools and heats throughout the seasons.
Trim material like wood is more likely to peel, warp, or crack over time, needing more maintenance.
So if you’re looking to avoid the maintenance of real wood, your choice may come down to fiber cement vs PVC trim. Both are lower maintenance options than real wood, and neither will require the same amount of painting and scraping.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that vinyl, or PVC, trim can still require some degree of maintenance – sometimes even more maintenance than vinyl siding. Why? For the same reason that wood trim often experiences more wear; the area is more likely to sustain stress.
PVC is actually a type of plastic – polyvinyl chloride to be exact. And this plastic does have a tendency to melt in extreme heat as well as to crack in extreme cold. So when you pair the stress that trim may be under when your home heats and cools with PVCs tendency to react poorly to extreme temperatures and you have a product that is likely to crack or warp over time on the edges and corners of your home.
Fiber cement does not react the same way under the same circumstances. In fact, it’s fairly impervious to both heat and cold and doesn’t crack or warp under the same conditions. So fiber cement trim is going to give you that truly low-maintenance, durable option that you’re looking for.
Style Options
Trim is an important part of your home’s exterior. It gives any home that polished appearance it needs to look complete, whether your home is contemporary or rustic. So you need a trim that can match the style and appearance of your home.
PVC trim is made of plastic – and it looks like it. Even PVC with a “wood grain” is going to look like what it is – molded plastic pieces that are hollow underneath. This is because most PVC trim is fairly thin, meant only to hang on the corners of your home, not to give you the substantial look and appearance you need to complete its appearance.
Fiber cement trim is thick enough to be installed as siding – not a thin, hollow panel – so you get a trim that completes your house from a distance or from up close, giving you a truly complete curb appeal.
And because fiber cement siding can be painted in any color, you can easily match or coordinate your trim with any color of siding or paneling. PVC trim comes only in a set number of colors and can’t be painted if you want something else or if you need a replacement piece and can’t find a match.
Make the Right Choice
Fiber cement vs PVC trim can be a tough decision for homeowners looking for a low maintenance option for their homes. Only fiber cement is truly low maintenance, durable, and long-lasting, as well as able to provide you with the look you want for your property. Make the right choice for your home with fiber cement siding and trim to get a beautiful façade that lasts.
