Painting Over Wood Trim Properly: What You Need To Know

The trim around your home sees a lot over time. Fingerprints, scuffs, damage from moving furniture, or damage from toys and other belongings on a day-to-day basis — your trim work sees it all. This is probably why you have to paint it over and over again, but over time, all of that excess painting can begin to look unsightly, and your trim may not look all that great even after painting it. If it's time to paint your trim again, there are steps you should take in order to paint it properly and to make it look new and like a professional painted it. Read on for some helpful information.

Sand Down The Trim And Make Repairs

Over time and with all of that excess paint on your trim, you may have drip markings and other markings that can cause the trim to look unsightly. You should sand down the trim with a fine-grit piece of sandpaper, or course grit to get stubborn areas smoothed out. Sand down the trim as much as you can and fill in any holes that you may have in the trim work as well. If you have damage caused by furniture or other damage that has left holes or dents in your trim, fill it all in with wood filler and then smooth it out with sandpaper once it dries.

Caulk Around The Trim

After you have filled in holes and sanded down the trim, you should caulk around the edges and fill in seams for a more cohesive look to your trim. Fill in gaps between your walls and the trim, for both baseboards and trim around windows and doors. Use your finger or a towel to smooth the caulk and give it a nice clean line to work with. Be sure you are using paintable caulk when you caulk your trim so you will be able to paint over it.

Paint Your Trim

Once you have your caulk smooth and it has dried, you can begin to paint your trim work. Use an angled paintbrush and paint a smooth line of paint along the trim. Use semi-gloss paint when painting trim so it stands out a bit more than your walls and it's easier to keep clean. Paint along the caulk line for a smooth finish and a nice line. Repeat this way of painting on all of your trim and baseboards.

If your trim work around your home needs to be painted for a fresh new look, don't just slap some paint on the trim. Take the extra steps beforehand to make it look like new. Hire a professional painter to do all of this work for you for a clean, fresh, and professional look to your trim. For more information on house painting, contact a company near you.