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This Spring, Upgrade Corners with Decorative Outside Moldings

As the weather warms and spring blooms, it's the perfect time for home upgrades. This year, consider enhancing those overlooked corners and edges around your home's exterior with decorative molding accents. Installing unique outside corner moldings can instantly improve curb appeal while adding personality and dimension.

Decorative corners lend visual interest, protect vulnerable edges, and boost property value. But with so many styles and materials to pick from, where do you start? This thorough guide covers how to select the ideal exterior corner molding for your home. We'll explore popular options, provide spring installation tips, and showcase creative applications to inspire your next project.

Selecting Your Decorative Outside Corner Molding

The first step when planning any molding project is choosing the right product for your needs. Key factors like material, durability, budget, and desired look will inform your decision making process.

Types of Materials

Today's corner molding comes crafted from various materials like:

decorative outside corner moulding

Consider where you plan to install the molding along with exposure to weather and foot traffic when weighing options. For instance, foam stands up well to moisture but not heavy activity. Whereas fiber cement offers unmatched durability and longevity.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Materials

Durability

How well will your chosen corner molding hold up over time? Life expectancy correlates closely with material. Western red cedar or Atlantic white cedar provide natural rot resistance, though man-made composites like PVC and cement also endure.

Budget

Costs run the full gamut depending on material, complexity of design, and amount needed. While dirt cheap options exist, you get what you pay for regarding longevity. Set realistic expectations when budgeting for your project scale and needs.

Aesthetic Goals

Narrow down corner molding styles aligning with your desired spring aesthetic...

Design Options for Decorative Style

From simple clean lines to ornately carved accents, corner molding aesthetics adapt to any decorative taste. Consider existing architectural details around your home before deciding on additional trim. A few style suggestions:

Simple

Thin outside edge boards provide subtle definition in contemporary, industrial, or minimalist spaces. Paint colors make this pared down look pop.

Ornate

For traditional homes, pick molded designs with detailed scrollwork, rosettes, dentil details, or other lavish architectural flare. Lean into the richness.

Medallions

Carved circular medallions deliver stunning focal points on outside corners. Work well with columns, entryways, and front porches.

Match Existing Trim

Unsure where to start? Echo design details from existing crown molding, baseboards, or casings for cohesive architectural flow.

Preparing for Installation

Proper planning prevents problems down the road. Before breaking out the saw, ensure you acquire all necessary materials plus safety supplies for a smooth install.

Gather Necessary Supplies

Arm yourself with these corner molding must-haves:

Tools Needed

In addition to materials, equip yourself with these essential tools:

Safety First

Working on ladders while handling power tools poses obvious hazards. Reduce risks with protective equipment and proper precautions like...

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

Once your prep list gets checked off, it's go time! We'll walk through the entire process from taking measurements to sealing gaps.

Take Accurate Measurements

Precision cuts start by recording precise outside corner measurements from top to bottom. Having these numbers ensures your boards fit snugly once mounted. Remember to account for uneven surfaces in your math.

Cut Molding Miters

The two boards meeting at corners require angled end cuts to form tight seams--aka miters. Set your miter saw blade between 30-45 degrees depending on the wall angle. Slowly notch ends until miters align perfectly.

Create Watertight Seals with Caulk

Fill corner gaps with flexible silicone caulk before fastening boards. This waterproofs the joint, preventing moisture damage and pest entry behind siding. Smooth the bead with a wet finger once applied.

Affix Molding with Adhesive and Nails/Screws

After caulking, run a 1/4 inch bead of adhesive along the back molding edge. Then position on corner and attach with nails from a pneumatic finish nail gun or exterior screws, sunk just below the wood surface. Wipe away any squeezed out adhesive immediately to prevent drying.

Fill Gaps and Holes with Filler

Despite best cutting and mounting efforts, imperfections happen. Fix them by forcing wood filler into cracks or over nail/screw heads using a putty knife. Once dry, sand smooth.

Sand Away Imperfections

Lightly sand all outside corners with fine grit sandpaper to remove dried filler bumps, splinters, uneven board edges etc. Feather out any visible transition lines between molding and siding.

Finishing Touches

Newly installed corner molding looks rather bare without protective staining or paint. We'll explore options to make that trim pop with color plus ideas for ornamentation.

Primer, Paint, Stain Exterior Molding

Start by applying 1-2 coats of exterior primer to seal the wood surface. Once dried, topcoat molding using exterior grade paint/stain that matches your color scheme. Multiple thin finish coats work better than thick single coats.

Decorative Accents like Medallions or Crowns

Elevate ordinary corners by accessorizing with charming architectural details. Medallions, crowns, corbels, and inlays all magnetize attention while harmonizing with moldings.

Maintaining your Installed Molding

With time exterior corners endure all manner of abuse from weather shifts, lawn equipment bumps, kids playing etc. Periodically inspect for damage like cracking, loose nails, or decay then immediately repair as needed to prolong molding lifespan.

Checking for Damage

Make quick visual sweeps of all your home's outside corners during routine yardwork or while bringing groceries inside. Early damage detection lets you rectify issues before they worsen.

Cleaning

Dirt buildup not only looks unsightly but also retains moisture against molding, promoting rot. Use a stiff nylon brush and mild detergent to scrub away grime once or twice a year.

Inspiration for Decorative Outside Corner Applications

Looking for inspiring corner molding placement ideas beyond boring doors and windows? We covered some uniquely unexpected applications worth trying this spring.

Porches

Dress up lackluster porch posts by framing them with wide, ornately molded corner boards from top to bottom. Paint to match existing railings and balusters.

Entry Doors

Welcome guests with eye-catching molded frames around front and back entry doors. Use light colors to illuminate doorways after dark.

Garage Doors

Replace drab metal flashing between garage door jambs and exterior walls with decorative crossed corner molding accents for a taste of cottage charm.

Outdoor Kitchens

Define countertop edges on DIY outdoor kitchen builds with easy-to-clean PVC corner boards. Great for food prep areas.

Landscaping Borders

Line and accent garden beds or divides patio spaces using inexpensive foam corner boards. No need to paint since they get buried at edges.

Installing unique decorative molding along outside home corners breathes new life into tired exteriors. With endless style varieties available in materials to suit any budget, experimenting with ornamental corner accents makes for a fun spring DIY adventure.

The key steps covered included:

Decorative outside corner molding upgrades homes in so many unexpected ways - from highlighting architectural detailing to framing beautiful gardens and landscape features. Approach the possibilities with an open mind and creative spirit this season.

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