Honestly, trim style itself doesn’t do much for drafts—it’s all about the sealing and how tight you get everything. I’ve swapped out both simple and chunky styles in clients’ homes, and as long as we caulk well, nobody’s ever mentioned a change in comfort or bills. The farmhouse look is definitely a dust magnet though... I hear about that a lot. If you’re not big on cleaning, simpler might be less hassle long-term. But yeah, it’s really just about what you like looking at every day.
I get what you’re saying about sealing being the main thing for drafts, but I’m not totally convinced trim style never matters. When we redid our living room windows, the chunkier farmhouse trim actually seemed to make the frames feel “warmer” somehow—maybe it was just psychological, but the room felt less drafty? Could be the extra wood added a bit of insulation, or maybe it just covered more gaps.
And yeah, the dust is real… I’m always wiping those ledges down. Still, if you love the look, sometimes it’s worth the hassle.
the chunkier farmhouse trim actually seemed to make the frames feel “warmer” somehow—maybe it was just psychological, but the room felt less drafty?
I totally get what you mean. When I swapped out my skinny colonial trim for beefier farmhouse-style in our den, I noticed a similar effect. Not sure if it’s the extra wood or just that it hides more of the uneven plaster edges, but there were fewer little cold spots around the window. One thing I did was run a bead of caulk behind the trim before nailing it in—definitely helped with drafts, and the chunky look hides any messy caulk lines. Downside is, yeah, those ledges are dust magnets... but I still think the coziness is worth it.
Chunky farmhouse trim definitely has a way of making a room feel snug, even if it’s mostly in our heads. Honestly, though, there’s a practical side to it too—thicker trim just does a better job of sealing up those weird gaps, especially in older homes where nothing is square. I’ve ripped out enough old, skinny trim to know that cold air loves to sneak in wherever it can. Slapping on beefier boards, plus a generous bead of caulk (don’t be stingy with it), made a huge difference in my drafty living room.
Yeah, you’ll have to dust more, but I’ll take a little extra cleaning over shivering in February any day. The only thing I’d watch is if you’ve got radiators or baseboard heaters near the windows—sometimes the deep trim can get in the way. Otherwise, it’s a win for both looks and comfort in my book.
You nailed it about older homes and nothing being square—sometimes I think these walls are actively trying to mess with me. I’ve seen chunky trim save the day on more than a few wavy plaster jobs. One thing I’d add: if you’re dealing with really out-of-whack corners, consider using backer rod before caulking. It fills bigger gaps and saves you a ton of caulk (and mess). The dusting is real, but I’ll trade that for fewer drafts any time. And yeah, deep trim plus baseboard heaters can be a weird combo... ran into that last winter and had to notch the trim. Not ideal, but it worked.
Chunky trim’s definitely saved my bacon more than once, especially when the old plaster’s doing its own thing. I hear you on the baseboard heater headache—had a spot last year where the trim looked like it was trying to leap over the heater, so I ended up carving out a notch too. Not pretty, but it did the job. Backer rod’s a solid tip, though I’ll admit I’ve sometimes just stuffed in whatever was handy if the gap was big enough. These old houses really do keep you guessing... but there’s something satisfying about making it all work, even if it’s not perfect.
These old houses really do keep you guessing... but there’s something satisfying about making it all work, even if it’s not perfect.
That hits home. First time I tried to install trim, I was convinced simple would be easier, but the walls waved at me like the ocean. Ended up going chunkier just to hide the weird gaps. It’s not what I pictured, but honestly, it fits the house’s personality now. Sometimes “good enough” is its own kind of charm.
Definitely relate to that—my 1920s place has walls that seem to tilt a different direction every few feet. I tried going with sleek, narrow trim at first, but the gaps were wild. Ended up ripping it out and using wider farmhouse-style boards just to get decent coverage. Not what I imagined, but it actually looks intentional now... kind of adds to the character, even if it’s just hiding the mayhem underneath.
- Ran into the same issue in my 1940s place. Tried to keep the original skinny trim, but nothing sat flush.
- Used shims, caulk, even tried scribing... still looked off.
- Ended up going with chunky 1x4s and a simple header—covered everything and made the weird angles look deliberate.
- Not what I pictured at first, but it’s way less stress than trying to get every gap perfect with narrow stuff.
- Only thing—wider boards do make the windows look a little smaller, especially in tight rooms. Just something to keep in mind.
- On the plus side, easier to paint and touch up later. Also hides old plaster cracks pretty well.
Honestly, I’d rather have “intentional farmhouse” than obvious patch jobs everywhere. At some point, you just gotta work with what the house gives you...
At some point, you just gotta work with what the house gives you...
Totally get this. My 1928 place had the same weird gaps and nothing was square—tried to keep the original trim but it was a losing battle. Went with wider boards too, and yeah, the windows feel a bit smaller, but honestly, it looks a lot more finished. Plus, I stopped obsessing over every tiny crack or uneven spot. Sometimes “good enough” really is good enough in these old houses.