Painting trim in your house is obviously a much more delicate task compared to painting your walls. But don’t worry! It’s not difficult. The most important part of the process is preparation, and as long you do that correctly, painting your trim will be a piece of cake. Here’s how to properly prepare your trim for painting:
- Dampen a sponge (water only!) then clean the trim thoroughly. You may need to use the scratch pad side of the sponge for more stubborn grime.
- Sand the trim surface with a coarse-grit sandpaper. If the trim is new or satisfactorily smooth, then lightly sand with a much lighter grit of sandpaper. Then use the damp sponge to wipe away any dust.
- Use a light spackling compound to spackle any holes, dents, and cracks. After spackling, sand spackled areas until smooth. Use a tack cloth (not the damp sponge!) to wipe any dust created by the sanding.
- Before applying painter’s tape, be sure to dust the walls and ceiling around the trim. When applying the tape, use one long piece and make sure the tape doesn’t stick to any of the trim. Run a putty knife along the tape to ensure adhesion and prevent bleeding.
- Begin painting!
• How To Paint Your Trim
Painting your trim might seem like a no-brainer, but because of its small surface area and material, extra care should be taken. First, prepare your trim for painting. Next, follow the steps listed below:
- Apply primer to the trim, then let dry 24 hours.
- After drying is complete, if there are any bare spots in the coat, apply another.
- Once primer is evenly applied and has thoroughly dried, use a lighter grit sandpaper to smooth out any drips or brush strokes. Then use a dampened sponge to clean up sanding dust.
- Begin painting in short, side-to-side strokes. Only paint a few feet of trim.
- Now *without adding anymore paint to the brush* use a series of one long side-to-side stroke to smooth over the short brush strokes.
- Repeat Steps 4 and 5 until entire trim surface is painted.
- Pull off painter’s tape *before* paint dries.
Here at Burlett Painting, we offer a range of services from interior and exterior painting to popcorn ceiling removal and lead paint mitigation. To learn more about what we offer or to book a consultation, click here!