I am in the middle of replacing all the windows in my house. The first three are done and the next two will be done this weekend. It is part of a general overhaul of the house. I am going to have a shop do the two picture windows, but I am doing the trim work for all of it. I have been using OSB trim around the windows and plan on replacing all the trim boards while I am at it. That ought to be fun since the trim boards only come in 16' lengths and the corner trim pieces are about 9-10'. I have noticed some dire warnings on the trim about do not recess the nail heads and do not rip, etc. I doubt that this is anything more than legal disclaimers, but it got me to wondering. Has anyone got any experience with this type of trim? Any tips, issues, whatever. I had thought about going with Hardi-planks but I couldn't see spending $100 on a diamond blade.

I got my diamond blade, for a circular saw, for around $25 at Harbor Freight last year. Were you pricing a blade for a miter saw?

I am not familiar with OSB trim. I am familar with OSB plywood. I replaced 4 windows about 2 weeks ago. The original brick mold was replaced with the PVC brick mold so it will not rot. The PVC was then capped with aluminum.

10" for a miter saw or table saw. Plenty of 7-1/4 blades, but few 10". Every material has issues. Since this is not a house that I expect to keep past another 10 years, I figure the OSB will hold up better than the existing rough sawn boards. I figure the big issue is to make sure that when I install it, I am careful to caulk all seams and breaks in the primer.

This is exactly why I'm leaning towards Hardi trim instead of "Smart Trim" on my upcoming repaint/window replacement.

OSB will have serious problems with moisture intrusion on the cut ends, will expand and in your area probably mold until it desolves. I would not recommend using it for window trim. Use the fibrous cement (trade name Hardi) boards.

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I agree that Smart Trim is not as durable as Hardi-trim, I have already gone with the Smart Trim, but I was hoping to improve my techniques on the sealing. I have been very liberal with the caulking and priming any cuts. Proper sealing techniques should be able to keep it viable for a long time. My main thought was about a coating that would do better than just primer.

This is a basic 25 year old ranch house built using T-111 siding and rough sawn boards for trim The Smart Trim will be an improvement over the existing trim. If I was planning on being here for another 25 years, I would be replacing a lot more than the windows and trim. We made the decision to spend just enough to make it easier to sell when the decision comes, but not go overboard on things that the average buyer would not care about.

We have Fiber Cement siding on the house from Hardie, but used trim called Miratec. Not sure if it's available in your area, but cuts so much easier that hardie trim.

www.miratectrim.com

I used HardiPlank at my house and just cut it with a plywood blade. Dusty as all get out but it cut it.