Deciding on whether or not to install a brickmold door trim is a pretty daunting task, isn’t it? It is essential to analyze and choose the best option available for door installation and improvisation since it is not something we would prefer to do frequently.
Brickmold Vs. No brickmold door – it comes down to your preference eventually. But before you give it your final thought, I would like to emphasize what brickmold is and the advantages and disadvantages that both of these options bring along.
What is brickmold (brickmould)?
Brickmold is a casing for doors, particularly, exterior doors. It abuts the building’s exterior facing material and serves as a barrier between the siding and the frame. Brickmold is also commonly used around windows and garage doors.
What is brickmold (brickmould) made up of?
Brickmold can be made from various materials such as finger-joint pine, vinyl, Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), fir, or stain-grain wood. However, earlier, hardwood was the primary material used in brick molding due to its slow decay rate.
Wooden brickmold
Both softwood and hardwood are used for making a brickmold. Plain lumbar which comes from white or yellow pine softwood is the most common type of wood used in brick molding.
Woods are notorious for being prone to moisture, pests, and rotting. Nevertheless, priming and painting the wooden brickmold including every cut-ends increases its life span.
Hardwood brickmolds are comparatively a better choice since it is more resistant to weather and durable.
PVC brickmold
Molding areas prone to moisture including exterior doors and windows with PVC brickmold is highly recommended since it can withstand harsh weather conditions given the fact that it is moisture, pest, and mold resistant.
PVC brickmold does not rot and is not very high-maintenance. On top of that, these brickmolds also do not warp in response to moisture and heat.
As every product has its fair share of benefits as well as drawbacks, PVC brickmolds are not 100% desirable either. Firstly, PVC brickmolds are more expensive than their wooden counterpart.
Secondly, it is very easy to scratch or damage the PVC surface with even the slightest pressure. Likewise, PVC-sawdust Microplastics produced during manufacturing or installation process isn’t quite environment friendly.
What are the benefits of installing a brickmold (brickmould) around your door?
Since a door is the entrance and security point to the entire house, it would be more thoughtful to select the type of door which is both durable as well as secure. Installing a brickmold door does provide you some irreplaceable benefits.
Some of the benefits that installing a brickmold door provides are:
1. Durability
Brickmold door is comparatively more durable than the one without brickmold. Brickmold around your door protects the plaster around the door from chipping.
Although molding your door with brickmold does not give you a lifelong guarantee, it is quite impressive in terms of preventing doors from wear and tear.
2. Safeguards from the weather
Brickmolds, particularly, PVC ones, are moisture resistant. It prevents the door frame from moisture retention and eventual rotting.
3. Homely look
Many people prefer their front door with a brickmold because the addition of brickmold often provides a homely look rather than a sleek one we often see on many business buildings.
Brickmold doors, as well as windows, look bulkier but many perceive the look as visually appealing due to the extra flairs that a brickmold comes with.
In terms of look, eventually, it comes down to your individual preference; to opt for a sleek normal door or a classic one with a brickmold.
4. Additional security
Brickmold door without a doubt is more secure than the regular once since it comes with an extra frame which aids in making break-ins difficult.
What is the most common brickmold (brickmould) size?
The most common brickmold size is 2 inches. Nevertheless, you can select brickmold as per your specifications as there are several other sizes available on the market, including 1.25 and 1.5 inches.
What are the benefits of installing a no-brickmold door?
A no-brickmold door brings along its own set of advantages. Installing a no-brickmold door will benefit you in the following sectors:
1. Cost
If you are planning to cut some corners during door installation or looking for an affordable door option for your temporary residence, you can go with a pocket-friendly no-brickmould door option without a second thought.
2. Easy and quick installations
While installing a brickmold door might require an additional effort and time, no-brickmold door installation is fairly easy and quick as an extra layer of frame installation is not required.
3. Simple and sleek look
The entry door without brickmold radiates a non-residential vibe. If you are not a big fan of a classic brickmold design, you should opt-for installing exterior doors without brickmold.
How much does a brickmold door cost?
The addition of brickmould around the door will slightly weight you down financially. Nevertheless, exact pricing depends upon the type of brickmold you choose to install and whether or not you are planning on hiring professionals.
Owing to the additional materials and labor cost involved in its installation a brickmold door would cost an additional of $100 to $150 where the installation cost for a typical door ranges between $400 to $1000.
Installing brickmold around doors is not a high-tech task and you can install brickmold door yourself even if you have some basic carpentry skills, thus, saving a few bucks.
Brickmould Vs. no brickmold – in this scenario, the advantages of one automatically becomes the disadvantages of another.
However, choosing a one-time investment on brickmold doors rather than expending money and effort on constant renovation and improvisation is a pretty clever and long-sighted decision to make.
As you are now well informed on brickmold, its type, and its purpose, save yourself from the dilemma and get the type of door that suits your taste as well as your pocket. In case you have any questions regarding this topic you can comment below unhesitatingly.
I need to replace my front door. I look at the picture with brickmold and the pic without it and I don’t see the difference. They both have some kind of material over the siding and door frame. The only difference I see is that the brickmold is the same color as the door and the same frame covering material on the no-brickmold picture is the same color as the siding.
I recently framed in my carport with window and door roughed in. Is this point where I decide to brickmold or not the door?