Can Stucco Trim be Used on Brick?

Home owners are sometimes concerned with whether Decoramould’s exterior window trim can be used on sidings aside from Stucco and EIFS. The answer is absolutely yes.

While the components very closely resemble an EIFS wall cladding, the combination of styrofoam with fiberglass mesh and synthetic cement makes a durable, aesthetically pleasing moulding that is light weight and easy to install over any siding. With that said, Decoramould’s exterior trim can be used over brick, concrete block, ICF (insulated concrete forms) and hardie board.

Stucco trim is particularly a great substitute for pre-cast concrete trim typically seen on brick homes. Stucco trim can take the same shape and look (both have a cement-like finish) but with the styrofoam core, is much simpler to install. This is because the light weight does not require that any additional structural reinforcing to be done to hold the trim in place. Additionally, stucco trim comes in 8 foot pieces instead of the standard 4-foot concrete trim.

Unlike concrete, cutting stucco trim is simple. Any wood-cutting saw will easily cut through the product, but a masonry blade (around $10 from your local hardware store) is recommended as the wood-cutting blade will become dulled from the cement coating. While the blade can still be used to cut the stucco trims, it will not cut wood very effectively after it has been used in that manner. The ease of cutting allows home owners to cut the trim to size, miter the ends just like wood trim to create a beautiful window trim, and even create returns on the ends of window sills.

Often, we see stucco trim used to replace rotting or decaying wood trim. Unlike organic materials, stucco trim is composed of biologically inert materials – meaning they provide no nutrients for insects, mould or rot. This prevents any rot or infestations that are common anywhere there is a warm summer. Furthermore, because of the extremely low water content of stucco trims – expansion and contraction is not an issue. Wood that is exposed to the outdoors inevitably cracks when the water inside freezes during the regular freeze/thaw cycle of the Nothern United States and Canada. Styrofoam and cured cement have minimal expansion and contraction and next to zero water content, making them ideal for climates where temperatures fluctuate throughout the year (and even day-to-day).