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How To Paint Door Trim
Sam Lutz • February 9, 2016
It may sound like an easy task, but painting door trim takes care, patience and preparation. It’s easy to paint messy trim, but in this tutorial we’ll discuss the way to make your door trim look neat and orderly.
Materials Start by gathering all your materials. You’ll need:
- Several Clean Cotton Rags
- Vinegar
- Painter’s Tape
- Tarps
- Light Sandpaper
- Paint (Semi-Gloss, Glossy or Satin)
- Angled 1 Inch Paintbrush
- Flat Paintbrush
Process
- Pick the kind of paint you want to use to paint your trim. The most common choices are glossy, semi-glossy and satin. Glossy paint has a way of making trim stand out in obvious ways, and is often applied to elaborate, formal trim. Glossy paint also shows imperfections really easily, and is best applied by an experienced painter. Semi-gloss paint is slightly more forgiving, while satin paint hides the most imperfections and wear and tear. Satin paint is the best choice for inexperienced painters and in households with a rustic, informal decor.
- Clean the trim using a cotton rag to wipe away dust and cobwebs. If the door trim is in a kitchen, you may need to spray down the area with vinegar to remove old grease. Remember to dry the trim after spraying it with vinegar.
- Put painter’s tape around the edges of the trim to protect the wall as you paint. Cover any door hardware on the trim to prevent it from becoming splattered in paint.
- Lay down tarps on the floor beneath the trim. Use the painter’s tape to attach the tarps to the floor beneath the trim.
- Lightly sand the trim with sandpaper.
- Wipe down any shavings on the trim using another clean rag.
- Paint the trim. Use an angled paintbrush to paint along the corners and edges of the trim, then use a flat paintbrush to paint the wide, flat areas. Paint on the brushstrokes in the direction of the trim, and overlap the strokes by a half-inch or quarter inch to ensure complete coverage.
- Wait for the paint to dry, then apply a second layer of paint.
- Examine your handiwork. Look for areas where the paint may seem thin and touch up as needed.
- Wait about an hour, so the paint is dry but not cured. Pull the painter’s tape off slowly to prevent the edges from becoming ragged. If you wait longer than an hour to peel off the painter’s tape, run over the edge of the paint with a razor blade to prevent the paint from becoming jagged.
Following these tips, you should be able to paint your door trim so that it looks neat and tidy. For more help and resources on this subject, check out this online tutorial, or watch the video below:
When you’re ready to get started on your project, stop by Ace Paint and Unfinished Furniture. We’ve got all the painting supplies you’ll need, and we can help you pick the type of paint that would be best for your home. We’re also happy to offer any advice or feedback about paint colors and other difficult-to-make decisions.
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