We install vinyl siding on
many of the custom
homes we build. It provides
the traditional
look of clapboards
while
satisfying our
customers' desires for a low-maintenance
cladding. As an alternative to the
standard J-mold trim at doors and windows,
we've created a detail using 5/4
pine with a 5/8 x 5/8-inch rabbet that
conceals the ends of the siding while
maintaining the appearance of traditional
wood trim.
The rabbet begins at the ends of the
head trim, travels down the outside of
the casing, then turns and runs along
the bottom side of the sill trim (see
Figure 1). All of the edge milling is
done ahead of time using a table saw
on full-length 5/4 pine; the trim is