Decorative trim boards not only bring curb appeal to any house exterior, they also solve many of the issues that wood tends to be prone to, such as termites and pests, excessive moisture absorption, cracking, splitting, and rotting.
No matter the climate, PVC trim boards require no stain or paint for protection.
Simply put, modern trim boards will look, provide all of the workability and beauty of real wood, but without the maintenance that wood requires.
If you’re leaning towards using trim boards to decorate your porch or home exterior, and you want to pick a brand that you can buy at any Home Depot, you should consider choosing between Veranda HP Trim and Azek.
Veranda Trim Overview
Inteplast Group is a North American manufacturer that began operating out of Livingston, New Jersey in March 1991. By 1994, the company began its PVC plant and XF Films plant in Lolita, Texas.
By the 2000s, Inteplast Group had acquired dozens of companies and continued to offer products ranging from its original institutional can liners, to BOPP films, corrugated boards, and building products (decking, moulding, porch, trim, and wall covering). We’ll be spending months talking about each product manufactured by this company, so for now, let’s stick to Veranda HP Trim.
Azek Overview
Azek Exteriors has been around since 1983. Headquartered in Chicago’s Fulton Market neighborhood.
Azek is the brainchild of many high-quality building product manufacturers like TimberTech (began in 1997), AZEK Trim (since 1999), PVC Decking (in 2007), several Decking Collections (from 2012 to 2015), UltraLox Railing, and more.
Azek also has an in-house, state-of-the-art recycling plant, built in 2018. Azek has also received numerous awards for creating sustainable products.
The three main trim boards from Azek Exteriors are:
- AZEK CLASSIC TRIM
- AZEK TRIM WITH PAINTPRO® TECHNOLOGY
- AZEK RABBETED TRIM
For this comparison, we’ll focus on Azek’s Classic Trim.
Veranda Trim Vs Azek: Cost Comparison
Veranda HP Trim is available in Home Depot as single trim boards or packs of 9. A typical 8-feet long, ¾ x 2 ½-inch reversible PVC trim costs about $140 (or around $15.5 per trim board).
The classic Azek trim board with the same length (8 feet) and size (¾ x 2 ½-inch) of Veranda costs around $25 per trim board.
Veranda Trim Vs Azek: Warranty Comparison
Both Veranda HP trim boards and Azek trim products are backed by a lifetime-limited warranty.
For Veranda HP brands, the manufacturer Interplast Group, Ltd. provides a 30-year warranty.
Azek’s limited lifetime warranty protects trim boards from rotting, cracking, and cupping.
Veranda Trim Vs Azek: Features Comparison
One of the biggest advantages of Veranda HP Trim is that the edges are sealed to prevent rotting, cracking, splitting, and splinters. Not only does this make the board impervious to dirt, but it also keeps insects and termites away, while ensuring moisture does not seep into the PVC trim board.
Veranda Trim does not require painting for protection like wood, but you can paint and stain the boards if you would like to change the color of the all-white boards.
AZEK Trim products come in solid-colored, semi-matte all-white boards or wood-grain design that mimics the look of real wood. Of course, unlike wood, AZEK Trim boards are made from rot-resistant engineered polymer that will not absorb water inside or out. All AZEK products can be installed on concrete or directly on soil since pests are not attracted to polymers at all.
What makes AZEK Trim boards stand out is that they are protected by UV inhibitors, so installing them for your home exterior won’t result in yellowing or fading even under the harsh sun.
Veranda Trim Vs Azek: Heating and Bending Comparison
Veranda HP Trim can easily be heated and bent into various shapes. The brand boasts that it is the only trim board on the market that can still hold the wood grain pattern even after exposure to high heat.
AZEK Trim can also creatively curve and is easily shaped through heat-molding. It is highly workable using standard woodworking tools, so you won’t have problems cutting, predrilling, shaping, or fastening close to the edges.
Veranda Trim Vs Azek: Installation Comparison
When installing Veranda Trim, you won’t need special tools. You can opt to glue, fasten, or drill and route your trim boards depending on the requirements of your project. The company has specific guidelines for each method. For example:
- Fastening: use standard nail guns or woodworking tools. Avoid using wire nails, staples, brads, fine-threaded wood screws, and ring-shank nails.
- Drilling and Routing: Carbide-tipped router bits are recommended. Use standard woodworking drills and routers.
- Gluing: Use standard PVC cement to glue one Veranda Trim board to another board. If gluing to another surface, go with epoxy or other polyurethane adhesives.
Azek installation guide is similar to Veranda PH Trim but incorporates other Azek products into the tutorial in case you’re planning to install a column wrap or other more complicated projects like a finish-grade trim. How to cut, paint, fasten, glue and other installation methods for Azek trim boards are clearly stated on Azek’s comprehensive guide.
If you have basic woodworking skills, you’ll likely be able to install the trim boards on your own.
Veranda Trim Vs Azek: Final Showdown
The features and durability of Veranda Trim and Azek are very similar. They are both readily available in Home Depot, offer the same limited lifetime warranty, and are highly customizable with standard woodworking tools and any heat source (for bending, curving, and cutting).
Both brands cater to the do-it-yourself homeowner and big or small contractors offering services for decking or home construction. As you can imagine, trim boards have the potential to add personality to a home, or be an integral component for other building projects.
If you need a particular sizing option, you might want to pick Azek Exteriors because the brand has more size, length, and design options. Veranda HP trim keeps it simple with a classic all-white trim board that is slightly more affordable than Azek trim boards.
