Replacing Exterior Door Trim

Good morning. I’m hoping someone might recognize the type of trim around this exterior door. As you can see in the second photo, the top is rotting and needs replaced. I’ve never seen anything like this. Some have said it is a “drip cap.” What purpose does it serve, can you buy PVC replacement or am I going to have to make something from scratch?

The 3rd and 4th photo show the same type of trim around the garage door.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Mike


Exterior Door

Detail of door with rotting trim

Trim around garage

Trim around garage

 

Looks like it might 1x3s. I don't think PVC trim comes in 1x3s but you could rip a 1x6 in half.

 

The door trim itself is cut from 5/4. The old stuff was really 1.25" which is where the fraction came from. But it has shrunk in size just like candy bars and ice cream pails. First to 1 1/8, and now 5/4 is 1" thick.

If you need to replace the trim (like if you break it getting it off) you would need to get 5/4 lumber (like a 5/4x6) and rip it to the width you need on a table saw. Or buy engineered trim like LP Smartside 5/4 or Miratec 5/4. The trim needs to be a full 1" thick because of the size of the z-bar on your storm door.

The top piece is a drip cap, and I'm not sure you will find that sold anywhere. They do make that profile in Azek (pvc trim), but it's hard to find. To replace the drip cap you need to remove the top and side pieces of 5/4 trim because the drip cap and top trim are nailed together as one piece before they are installed. There is usually a metal flashing over the top that hopefully you can leave in place. Occasionally someone put a nail through the metal flashing so be aware of that before you go ripping it out with a big prybar. You would want to carefully pry it apart and cut the nail if you can.

Don't know where in the US you are located in order to suggest a supplier for the drip cap.

 

First, thanks for the quick reply! Second, I should have started with just one door, rather than ask about both. I’d like to focus on the moulding around the front door. I’m going to replace the storm door as the hinges are shot on that one. Second, I plan to replace all of the brick moulding around the door (sill too, as it has seen better days) with a PVC brick moulding. As for the drip cap, am I simply using some stainless steel brads to attach the cap (which I plan to fashion from a piece of PVC trim), before putting it in place. You mentioned that I might be able to buy something rather than having to make it. If it helps, I live in SE Ohio.

Thanks again!

 

Ok, Home Depot has this .

Menards has this.

 

Thanks again! I’m sure you’re anticipating this next question, but it is not clear to me how this drip cap would be installed. I’m guessing that the long edge lies parallel to ground. Does it sit on top of the brick moulding? I guess I’m confused because all I see of my drip cap is about 1/2” and the product that you suggested is so much “larger.”


So for all the questions. I guess the other question I had, is the drip cap even necessary?

 

The trim under your drip cap is likely 1" thick. Those drip caps in the links are 1 11/16". So if you fasten them together, it will protrude 11/16", just under 3/4". If you need to you can cut it slightly on a table saw but only if it needs to be modified for some reason, like if it simply wont fit.

the lip on the top/ back is supposed to prevent water from riding up and over the back side of it. Its assumed that's the way your old wooden one is. If it's not, or if it's a slightly different shape, you might have to modify it a little.

is it necessary? Well if it's not there, your metal flashing will stick out in an ugly fashion. Drip caps are a good idea since if it's not there, 100% of the water coming down the wall when it rains will run right into the top of your strom door. And they typically are not caulked on or waterproof.

One thing those pvc drip caps might lack, which you could easily add with a table saw, is a kerf... which is a shallow cut on the bottom edge of the drip cap (within the bottom 11/16" that protrudes) that kerf ensures that water actually drips from the front edge of the drip edge, rather than just rolling around it and continuing down onto the trim. The Menards profile has one while the Home Depot profile does not depict it.

 

Thank you for all your time today!