Before we could install the trim around the windows, we had to install the jam extensions.
Jam extensions are pieces of wood that "extend" the window to the edge of the drywall.
We needed these because we have 2x6 walls with an inch of extruded foam sheathing on the
outside of the walls. The windows are installed from the outside and rest against the foam
sheathing. Most windows are made for a 2x4 wall and a 1/2" OSB sheathing and do not require jam
extensions. Once the windows were installed in the house, we could still see the 2x6 studs in
the walls and the edge of the drywall.
A window without jam extensions.
The jam extensions cover both the edge of the drywall and the studs so that all you see is the
window and then a small "box" around the window. This is the next area that you find out how
straight your walls are. When you install the jam extensions, you may find that they stick out
past the drywall a little. If you don't level the jam extensions off, when you install the trim,
the trim will bow out over the high spots. The jam extensions need to be leveled out by running
them through a planer so that when they are installed, they are even with the drywall.
A window before and after the jam extensions have been installed.
Once the jam extensions fit the way you want them and you have nailed or screwed them in, you
have to fill in the holes with some sort of wood putty. We used long finish nails so we had
a relatively small hole. Before you can fill the holes, you need to decide how you want to
finish the jam extensions.
The jam extensions are usually unfinished wood, so it would be wise to at least put a coat of
polyurethane or some sort of sealer to protect the wood from moisture over the years. Depending
on the type of windows, you may also have to put something on those also. Our windows were wood
and we decided that we wanted the windows and the jam extensions to match the wood trim. In
order to find the right color of wood putty, you may have to mix a couple of colors together.
Take a piece of scrap jam extension, drill a couple of holes in it, then mix some different
colors of putty together and fill in the holes, keeping track of which holes have which color
combination.
The putty may change color after it has dried, so let it set before you begin applying the putty
to the holes on the real jam extensions. Also, apply a coat of sealer over your test holes as it
may also change the color of the putty. Once you have picked a color that matches the wood, you
can begin applying it to the real holes. A friend of ours who is a painter had taken a piece
of trim to the paint store and was able to find a color that would stain the bare wood jam
extensions and the bare wood of the windows so that they matched the wood trim around the windows.
Margaret then stained the jam extensions after we were done planing them, but before we installed
them. Our windows are the type that can be easily removed so Margaret took them out of the frame
and stained them on the floor. After the first coat of stain, Margaret took steel wool and
lightly sanded both the jam extensions and the windows. She then applied a coat of 6 parts
polyurethane mixed with 4 parts thinner to the widows and jam extensions followed by another
session with the steel wool. Finally, she applied full strength polyurethane followed by a
final sanding with steel wood.
Here is a window that has the jam extensions installed and stained.
We ended up with a nice glossy finish that was smooth to the touch with no visible nail holes.
After the window and jam extensions were stained, we were ready to put on the window trim. The
trim was already put together, so all we had to do was space the trim evenly around the window
and nail it to the wall. Overall this process went quite quickly with a few minor exceptions.
Here is a window after the trim has been installed.
The baseboard was the next job that had to be completed. In rooms that you are going to put carpet,
the baseboard trim has to be put on first. In the rooms that you are going to put vinyl, laminate
flooring or tile, the baseboard goes on after the flooring has been installed. Most of our house
was going to have carpet, so all of the baseboard needed to be installed before we could order the
carpet. There are a couple of different types of baseboard you can choose from and a couple of
different ways that each different type of baseboard can be installed. We decided to go with oak
baseboard as it matched the cabinets, doors, and trim. Baseboard comes in different heights, so
if you choose a tall baseboard you will not have to worry about keeping the baseboard up off the
floor as you are installing it. If you choose a shorter baseboard, you will have to use spacers
along the floor to keep the baseboard up off the floor. If you don't, by the time the padding and
the carpet is put down, there won't be much of the baseboard visible.
Are are two views of the living room before the trim was installed.
How you fit the corners is also a decision that needs to be decided before you begin. There are two
common ways of fitting the baseboard trim into the inside corners.
The first way is called coping. The way this is done is that one piece of baseboard is cut off straight
and put into the corner. The other piece is then cut on top so that the piece curves exactly like the
piece it is butting up against. This allows for the pieces to move during the change of seasons as the
two pieces are not tied together. The second way is to cut each piece at a 45 degree angle and butt the
two together. Both ways have there advantages and disadvantages. If you choose the coping method,
you have to be skilled at cutting curves and ridges. If you choose the 45 degree angle method, you
have to make sure your walls come together at a 90 degree angle, if not you will have to adjust the
angles of the cuts.
We chose the second method as none of us are too good at cutting curves and ridges. We figured
that we would be able to adjust the angles of cuts better and we had a good miter saw with a wide
range of cuts. You are now ready to begin putting on the baseboard. Before you make any cuts, pick
out several pieces of baseboard and lay it around the room that you are planning to do. Try to match
the color of the pieces in the corners or if you have to have a seam for a long wall. Once you have
all the pieces laid out, begin to cut and fit each piece, take your time and cut a little long as
these cuts will not be hid like other areas of the house that you have made cuts on in the past. Wait
to nail the baseboard to the wall until you have cut and fitted the entire room in case you have to
change a few pieces here and there.
Here is the living room after the trim has been laid out, but before it was installed.
When you attach the baseboard to the wall, make sure you use long enough nails to get through
both the baseboard and drywall and into the studs. We had marked the studs on the floor before the
drywall was put on the walls. It still helped that we also had a stud finder to verify that are marks
were correct on the floor. Once the baseboard is attached to the wall, you can fill in the nail holes
with wood putty and then apply a coat of polyurethane or some sort of sealer.