What is Brick Molding?
When a window or door is set into a brick wall, there is a small gap between the brick and the frame. That gap is closed with a strip of material called brick molding. There isn’t any brick, or any masonry at all, in brick molding. Hardwood was the traditional material used for brick molding. Because hardwoods are resistant to rot and moisture damage, a hardwood brick molding had a long service life, sometimes as long as 50 years. Today, brick molding is usually made of softwood, usually fir or pine. Softwood is far more likely to be damaged by weather or rot than hardwood, so softwood brick molding has a much shorter service life. Softwood brick molding lasts longer if all the surfaces are both primed and painted before installation, including the cut ends. Using metal flashing, so that the brick molding does not actually touch the brick, also increases the service life of softwood brick molding. The molding should always be caulked and painted. Properly installed softwood brick moldi
