Why Azek Trim is Our #1 Recommended Exterior Trim Product

We get it. You’re probably not waking up in the mornings eager to learn about modern developments in siding and trim materials. And while we don’t think you necessarily should be, we do suggest giving your home’s trim some thought—especially if you have exterior renovations coming up.

With that, here’s a quick guide on one of our favorite exterior products: Azek Trim. 

Give it a scan. You’ll learn what Azek Trim is, how a special manufacturing process makes it a near-dream material, and why we suggest all our homeowners install it.

Let’s start with the basics.

Why Does My Home Need Trim?

Trim boards are used on the exterior of your home to cover seams, seal gaps, and give your home a clean, finished look. 

These vital exterior pieces protect your home from unnecessary water damage (i.e., high repair bills), destructive pests, and rising heating and cooling costs.

Here are the most common places you’ll find exterior trim—and why:

• Windows & Doors: Trim framing windows and doors seals gaps between these openings and your home’s siding.
• Fascia & Soffits: Fascia both seals your roof eaves and provides an anchoring platform for gutters. Soffits—the boards on the underside of your roof overhangs—help maintain consistent attic temperatures and keep out animals.
• Water Tables: Water tables are the pieces of horizontal trim running along the bottom of your exterior siding. Their job is to direct rain and snowmelt away from your foundation.
• Corner Boards: Corner boards protect the edges where two walls meet, which are prone to impact damage, cracking, and water infiltration.

Why Don’t More Contemporary Home Designs Use Trim?

While some homeowners may prefer a modern aesthetic with fully flush surfaces, most homeowners are better off with traditional trim along their home’s siding.

Trimless homes:

• Require specialized labor, materials, and installation practices
• Cost between 10% and 50% more per square foot than traditional exteriors

So while homeowners prioritizing a unique look may opt for a trimless aesthetic, classic trim designs remain the go-to for a reason.

What Makes Azek Trim Special?

Now for the good part. Azek Trim is a modern home exterior product known as an advanced cellular PVC (polyvinyl chloride) synthetic polymer. (Try saying that three times fast.) 

Think of a paperclip. That paperclip represents a single unit, known as a monomer. 

Now, let’s say you link ten or twenty or one thousand of those paperclip monomers together. By doing so, you have created what’s known as a polymer chain. 

If you then take a whole handful of those polymer chains and braid and weave and twist them into one another, you’ve got yourself a full-blown polymer product. 

That’s how Azek Trim is made. 

Why Are Polymer Products Good for Home Exteriors?

Polymers have a few distinct material advantages:

• They are elastic and able to flex and spring back to shape without breaking
• They are tough, durable, and highly resistant to breaking

As you’ll see, the unique physical properties of polymers make them fantastic for home exterior products.

How Does Azek Trim Compare to Traditional Wood?

Azek Trim is a completely synthetic material, entirely devoid of wood.

This makes Azek Trim:

• Moisture Resistant: Unlike wood—which comes from trees that love absorbing water—Azek Trim is 100% water and moisture-resistant.
• Splinter-Free: Azek Trim carries no risk of splintering, rotting, or splitting. If you do have a manufacturer’s defect, replacement costs are covered under a Limited Lifetime Warranty.
• Pest-Repellent: Bugs don’t like PVC. Meaning your Azek Trim is protected from ants, termites, carpenter bees, and rodents—with no special treatment.
• Low-Maintenance: Azek Trim is resistant to UV exposure, rain, and temperature fluctuations without painting or pre-treatments. Cleaning is as simple as an occasional wash.
• Easy to Install: Azek trim is lightweight, won’t crack when being carried, can be cut with traditional woodworking tools, and secured with fasteners along the edge with no risk of splintering or splitting.

What Types of Trim Does Azek Offer?

Azek Exteriors offers a wide selection of siding, moulding, trim, and more.

Azek Trim comes in three main varieties:

• Classic White Trim: Available in semi-matte or bright white, Azek’s Classic White is manufactured for easy installation with no painting and nominal upkeep requirements.
• Prefinished Trim: Azek’s Prefinished trims feature a factory-finished paint job available in 40 unique colors—a fantastic choice for a splash of color and adhered for the long haul.
• PaintPro^Ⓡ Trim: The PaintPro^Ⓡ allows for specific color-matching with panels engineered to bond with your favorite color palette while offering the same durability and benefits of PCV.

How Long Does Azek Trim Last?

Azek Trim can easily last 40+ years with minimal maintenance. 

Generally speaking, all that’s required is an occasional wash/scrubbing to keep your trim beaming and looking sharp from the curbside.

Are There Any Downsides to Azek Trim?

As an exterior building material, Azek Trim is at the forefront of modern technology. It really is that good.  However, there is one potential downside for homeowners.

Azek Trim costs nearly double the expense of wood upfront. However, they are significantly cheaper over a period of 15–30 years. Why? 

Because wood needs to be sanded, repainted, stained, and replaced when it inevitably cracks, rots, warps, fades, or otherwise fails. And none of those upkeep chores and replacements come free.

Curious to See Your Home in Azek Trim?

If you’re in the market for exterior renovations—new windows, doors, siding, a roof, etc.—your choice of trim matters from an aesthetic and structural standpoint.

So while it might not feel like the most exciting part of remodeling your home’s exterior, it’s worth your full consideration.

For a complete breakdown of Azek Trim—the benefits and appeal for your home—reach out to our friendly sales reps today. One of our siding and trim specialists will meet you on-site, present you with a few potential options and a detailed quote for you to go over in your own time—without any pushy sales tactics or badgering.

Which means you have nothing to lose. So don’t wait. Because you deserve a home to be proud of. And your home—and everyone inside—deserves to be cared for before trouble strikes.

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Smucker Exteriors knows how important your home is—and our crews have been serving Pennsylvania homeowners with complete exterior remodels, including roofing, siding, new windows, doors, and custom decks for over 25 years. All of our work is backed by a Lifetime Workmanship Warranty and the assurance that comes from highly-skilled crews and reputable products—meaning there’s no reason to wait on getting your free quote in Lancaster, Chester, or Berks counties today! Reach out now!

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