Patching and Plastering - Making window drywall return look like a jamb

Hi,

My house has modern style windows with a drywall return. I have been upgrading the pathetic molding in this house and now the windows look kind of plain. I would like to case them out. On one of the home shows I saw where they put casing in using the wall for the reveal between casing and jamb. He also suggested sanding the drywall return (mine has orange peel texture) to make it smooth for paint.

I posted this on the carpentry forum and one guy said his finish carpenter put 1/4" ply (or some other product) in the jamb to make a smooth surface. What I didn't understand was how the edge of this ply was treated since if there was a reveal it would show. He wasn't really a carpenter so he didn't understand my question. Perhaps there was no reveal. I was thinking perhaps it was 1/4" MDF since the edge on that paints fairly well although the small width wouldn't leave much room for error in the reveal.

Anyhow I was just wondering if anyone has seen a cased out window opening that originally had a drywall return. I want a professional looking job and I'm not sure sanding the jamb will give me that.

Thanks

Sorry, a little confused. You have wraped windows correct? and you want them to be cased in wood?

Yes,

The jamb (what's normally would be a jamb extension on a wood framed window) is drywall - no wood and the windows have a metal frame that sticks out about 1/2" out of the drywall. I'd like to put paint grade casing around the window like an older/custom home.


I think virtually all of the production homes on the west coast last 20 years or so are built like this (Some have only the stool).

If there isn't enough room you will have to rip out the drywall. But sounds pretty easy to put a wood return with casing around it. How deep is the return?

About 5". The metal frame on the window is about 3/4" proud of the drywall so I could put in a 1/2" thick jamb no problem. I'll give it a try. I don't like the idea of sanding drywall and besides, even though the opening has a metal corner bead it still is not as clean as wood or MDF.

You could try using 1/2" poplur hardwood inside the window area then add your molding to that with the 1/4" reveal on the poplur. It will paint much better than mdf.

You mean it will paint better than the "end" grain on the MDF, right?

I don't think there is any wood in general that paints better than MDF.

You mean it will paint better than the "end" grain on the MDF, right?

I don't think there is any wood in general that paints better than MDF.

Yes, the end grain of MDF has a gravel like feel to it that can be harder to get smooth than poplar.