Painting Your Wood Trim

By Matthew Jaworski

Painting wood trim can be fulfilling as it allows you to maintain or change the looks and appearance of your wooden trim as necessary as possible. Painting it also contributes to its maintenance and upkeep and ensures its durability.

When considering painting your wood trim, you need to know the following first:

· Are they interior or exterior trim?
· Was the trim previously painted or stained?
· Is the paint or stain in natural, in latex or in oil finish?

These will enable you to determine the proper primer and finish paint to use for your work.

Here are the things you'll need for the job:

1. Paint brushes
2. Paint ladders
3. Paint drop cloths
4. Screwdrivers
5. Rags
6. Caulk, caulk gun
7. Wood filler
8. Sandpaper
9. Duster
10. Tape

The following are your quick guide on how to paint your wood trim:

· First, prepare the woodwork. Sand and de-gloss the wood and wash it with a detergent, if possible. The paint will not adhere well if there is dirt, grease, grime or gloss over the surface.
· Take of or protect items such as door knobs, door handles and hardware. You can paint while the wood trim remained hanged, but you can paint it better if it is laid flat. Use blue tape to cover hardware and handles/knobs, if necessary. If the wood trim is removed, lay it across two sawhorses or a table when you start to paint.
· Check for cracks and holes and apply wood fill or caulk as needed. Use epoxy filler or the same stuff used as filler for car bodies to cover essentially bigger holes. Again, sand the areas where needed.
· Start your painting. First, apply a coat of primer if the surface has no paint yet. Then, leave it to dry.
· Next is to apply one or two coats using semi-gloss or glossy paint. These are preferable as these are the most durable and also, easy to clean. Using a high-quality brush and preferably one with a tapered end, paint in even strokes.
Here are more practical tips and even some warnings when you paint your wood trim:
· It is better to paint the jambs or the area where the door closes into first. Next to paint is the trim around the door and the last is the door itself.
· If you happen to use a paint that gets too dry to spread, you can let it dry all the way. Sand it down and then paint over it.
· For exterior wood trims, make sure to paint its top and bottom edges even if these are not visible. This will help to protect it against rot and possible swelling.
· If possible, avoid using roller on a door. Even if it it's perfectly flat, it cannot allow you to lay the paint evenly and may not produce a good look.
· Try to avoid loading up enough paint on your paint brush. Either these will collect in the door's details, will puddle up or even drip. Paint with one side of the brush with one long stroke. On the reverse stroke, use the other side of the brush. Apply varying pressure when you cut along the edge. Brush lightly and evenly when you paint the finishing coat.
Wood trims are just some of the parts of the house. However, it can also add to the glow and allure of the house when properly kept.

Jaworski Coatings, Inc,
41375 Oberlin Elyria Rd.
Eylria, Ohio 44035
Toll Free Office 1-866-87-2114
Fax (440) 328-4539


welovepainting@gmail.com
http://www.WeLovePainting.com
http://www.Cleveland-Ohio-Painting-Contractor.com

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