Q & A: We’ve purchased our first home, a ‘fixer upper’ and we have a lot of 1”x4” trim in rough shape around doors and windows. Is there something better than wood to replace it with?

A: Congratulations on your new home. You can purchase cement-fiber based products that are designed to replace wood. It’s a bit tougher to cut, and you may need to replace a few saw blades depending on the volume of doors and windows to be done. It will need to be caulked and painted initially, and periodically, just like wood. It won’t rot and bugs don’t eat it.

There are also PVC products designed to replace your trim. These generally come in white and won’t need paint. They will need to be caulked. Caulk doesn’t last forever, no matter what the trim. PVC also won’t split or crack like wood, and bugs won’t eat it.