Should I Paint That? Painting Trim for the Best Results

Painting Trim

This one seems like an obvious answer. Yes, of course you should paint your trim. If you spend the time to paint an entire room but leave your trim undone, it will look old and out-of-place against your richly colored new walls. Whether the trim is old and has been through a lot of wear and tear or you just need to update your color scheme, you definitely don’t want to ignore trim. However, it’s certainly worth discussing how to do it right because it’s not as easy as just rolling a coat of paint or two onto the walls. So, here’s how to get your trim looking fresh and fine.

Always, always, always, the first step to painting is to clean. Painting over dirt and grime can leave you with a paint job that chips, cracks, or simply looks dull and lumpy. And let’s face it, how often do most of us really take the time to clean the trim in our homes. Scrub down those baseboards, door frames, and window frames like you’ve never done it before (because let’s be honest, have you?). Soap and water might do the trick but if you’ve got some stubborn dirt you can always turn to our old standby, TSP, for a thorough cleaning. And of course, a friendly reminder, as usual, to wear protective gear when using TSP as it is harsh, both on skin and when any fumes are inhaled or contact mucus membranes like nose and eyes.

So now that you’ve got a nice clean surface to work with, the next step is to sand. Sanding blocks will work well on trim and make it a little easier to hold and maneuver, but any fine grit sanding paper should smooth out the surface nicely. You also might want to use a putty knife to scrap out any thick paint along corners and seams to help restore the natural look of the wood. Of course, once you’ve sanded down the surface, you will want to vacuum up and wipe down any dust left over.

After your trim is prepped, you then want to fix any damage or defects. Some might be easy to see but an easy trick to find damage is to shine a light at an angle along the trim, like a flashlight or hand light, to illuminate any blemishes. You can fill them with a hardening wood filler or a spackling compound and then sand them down again, so they are nice and even with the wood. Another tip is to caulk any seams to fill them in for a smooth look. This includes seams in between pieces of trim and also against the wall.

When the wood is sanded, repaired, and cleaned, you’re just about ready to start painting. Usually, we would tell you to start with a primer but often, on trim, this isn’t a necessary step. The only things that need to be primed are the spots you have repaired with wood filler or spackle or where you have sanded down to bare wood. If you leave these spots unprimed, you will end up with dull spots in your final paint job and we certainly don’t want that.

Now, before you start actually painting, think about the order in which you’re doing things. Most paint experts recommend painting the trim first and then the walls and ceiling. This leaves more room for error along the edges of the trim because you will then paint over any excess trim paint that has gotten on the walls. If the trim is your whole project, you might want to consider taping up the edges. Maybe you’re excellent at cutting in and don’t think that you’ll be making any mistakes, but better safe than sorry we always say.

When it’s actually time to paint, take your time and work slowly. Always cut in along the edges before you paint the center but make sure you don’t give the paint too much time to dry before you finish the area. Paint starts to dry as soon as it is on the wood and you don’t want to have uneven spots where the paint dried and you kept layering it up. Additionally, try not to brush across edges too much to avoid drips and thick paint spots. Always try to brush towards the edges.

And there you have it! Your trim is nicely painted just like the rest of your home. It takes a bit of skill and patience to get it just right when you’re painting trim and if you don’t feel like you want to take the time to do it right, you can always ask us for help. At PaintPositive we are experts in all things paint and want to help make your home or office look just as beautiful as you imagine it. Contact us today to start talking about your next big paint project and how we can make it easy to make your vision a reality.