Trimless Windows: How to Achieve the Look

Requite your windows trimless style using drywall returns.

Time

Multiple Days

Complexity

Intermediate

Cost

$150 - $400

Introduction

Installing woods trim around windows can be expensive and time consuming. Drywall returns eliminate that time and expense.

Nearly windows are installed using wood jamb extensions to stop the rough opening; these pieces extend the window jamb to the interior wall. Window trim then covers the jamb extension and provides the finished and trimmed expect we all know.

In the Getaway, nosotros used drywall in identify of jamb extensions and wood trim. This drywall return method finishes our windows with a mod trimless look. Information technology required a fleck more drywall work, but saved united states of america fourth dimension and money by eliminating woods trim and its finish carpentry.

Tools Required

Materials Required

  • 1-1/4-in. drywall screws
  • 1/ii-in. drywall
  • iii/8-in staples
  • Corner bead
  • Drywall chemical compound
  • Drywall sanding paper
  • Inside tear-away bead

Projection step-by-footstep (9)

Step 1

Prep the Crude Opening

  • Not all windows are perfectly centered in their crude opening. To eye them, you lot may have to shim the sides, summit or lesser of the opening. The goal is to accomplish an fifty-fifty reveal betwixt the window and the drywall return around the within perimeter of the opening.
  • You tin buy drywall shims or brand your own by ripping different thicknesses of plywood.
  • Attach the shims to the rough opening using staples or terminate nails.
  • E'er insulate effectually the window with spray foam or fiberglass insulation.

Shiming Window

Spray Foam Window

Footstep 2

Measuring

  • Measure the depth of the window return from the inside face of the window to the wall's outer surface. Decrease 1/4-inch. Now, measure the summit of the side returns from the top to the bottom of the crude opening.
  • Side by side, measure the length of the top render from left to correct and subtract the thickness of both pieces of drywall.
  • Transfer all these measurements to the drywall canvass.

Step iii

Cut the Returns

  • Score the drywall along your line using a utility knife and straightedge. You need to cut through just the paper on the first pass.
  • Permit the sheet of drywall overhang your work table by the score line (or identify a 2x4 beneath that scored line). Push the board downwards away from yous and the drywall will snap on the line you cut.
  • Cut through the backside of the drywall paper forth the pucker.

Drywall Scoring

Drywall Cutting

Step 4

Attach Returns

  • Place the drywall return on the underside of the superlative window return, keeping information technology ane/4-in. from the window and flush with the wall. Attach the piece with drywall screws, two screws every 12 inches.
  • Use a drywall screw bit or prepare the clutch on your cordless drill so you don't bulldoze the screws in too securely. The screw heads should be below the surface but shouldn't break through the paper.

Drywall Window Return

Step 5

Cutting and Adhere Within Corner Bead

  • Cut ii of the side tear-away corner beads to length — the same length every bit the drywall y'all cutting. Dry-fit the pieces and trim to length equally needed.
  • Cutting the top and bottom tear-abroad corner beads and then they butt against the two side beads. Trim back the tear-away strips just plenty so they don't interfere with the side tear-away strips.
  • Attach the two side corner beads first, and then the height and bottom corner beads. Secure all 4 corner beads to the drywall with spray adhesive and three/eight-in. staples as shown.

Drywall Return Attaching Tear Away Bead

Pace 6

Cut and Attach Exterior Corner Bead

  • Cutting the outside corner bead is dissimilar than cutting the inside bead. It's similar to making a picture frame with 45-degree angles on all 4 corners.
  • Attach the outside corner beads with spray agglutinative and staples.
  • If you're removing trim, fill the gap between the window return and the drywall before attaching the outside corner bead.

Drywall Return Attaching Outside Corner Bead

Step 7

Mudding

  • With a nine-inch knife, utilize a skim coat of joint compound over the corner dewdrop around the outer edge of the whole window, feathering the articulation compound out and away from the window as you go.
  • For mudding the returns, starting time in a corner and work your way around all four returns, using a six-inch pocketknife to apply a skim coat of articulation compound.
  • After the articulation compound dries completely, use a half dozen-inch pocketknife to scrape off any excess around the returns.
  • Apply a final coat of joint compound, allow dry out and sand.

Drywall Return Mud

Step 8

Peel Tear-Away Strip

  • At present it's time to peel the tear-away strip on the within corner bead, leaving a make clean border and line betwixt the drywall render and the window.

Drywall Return Tear Away Bead

Step 9

Window Sill

  • A window sill finishes off the window opening with a surface that'southward more durable and much easier to keep clean than drywall.
  • A composite or PVC cloth works well for this and won't rot or warp.

Window Sill

Originally Published: July 26, 2021