We have spent about a year, so far, painting our way through our new (1948) home and have learned a thing or two, to say the least. Maybe you’ve also just moved into an older home with that really smooth, enamel trim paint and you’re hoping to repaint it. We’ve been there and have experimented with a lot of approaches and products, and been given a lot of opinions.
Once we had closed on our home, we started asking around for opinions from fellow DIYers (who also had painted trim) for some recommendations. We had assumed we were doomed to sanding and priming our 10 door frames, 13 window frames, 5 built-ins, and endless baseboard, but were hopeful for an easier solution.
So Many Opinions
One of the earliest ideas we had received, from someone in a similar situation, was to use liquid sandpaper – which I had never heard of before – and to skip priming. Well, we tried the liquid sandpaper, multiple coats in fact, and no luck. Not only was the trim no more paintable than before, but it now had an odd film on the top that we just ended up rubbing off. I’m sure liquid sandpaper has its place and its success stories, but our trim paint was the old, not-going-anywhere paint; it wasn’t going down without a fight, apparently.
After exhausting our resources (mainly Google at this point) we submitted to sanding. We worked hard sanding by hand with high grit sand paper and with electric sanders. Let me tell you, the Festool brand sander is where it’s at. We were lended one, and it was incredibly light weight, maneuverable, and the perfect shape for all angles. We ended up sanding 9 doors, 5 door frames, 5 window frames and the baseboard of the main floor bedrooms and bathroom.
Our First Attempt
After hearing too many stories about paint chipping/peeling off easily, we decided to play our cards safe and prime before painting. We started out using the Zinsser Odorless Oil-Based Stain Blocker Primer because that was what we had experience with at the time. We finished up priming and painting the trim in the main bedrooms and bathroom, and after about three days we noticed patches of grey (the original trim color in the bathroom) had become exposed. The exposed patches were areas of trim where paint was just peeling right off. This wasn’t happening anywhere else so we had assumed it was due to the higher moisture in the bathroom, but it was slightly defeating to say the least.
A Solution That Works
Next, we invited over another opinion – someone with heaps of experience in the painting/DIY/renovation world. She looked at our situation and said we’d need to re-sand, re-prime, and re-paint. She referred us to the primer and paint she would use and we haven’t gone back since. In fact, we haven’t sanded since! In her own words, “this primer isn’t child friendly, in fact, it’s probably the stinkiest and hardest to work with, but it works!” And it did. That same day we went out and purchased Zinsser Cover Stain Primer.
Zinsser Cover Stain Primer
Yep, this primer is potent, and as we continue to use this product we are both glad we don’t have children right now because of how smelly it is. We recommend that you invest in a good respirator when working with any chemicals, but especially potent ones such as primer, and keep air flowing through your space. We always wear respirators when we work with strong chemicals; I don’t know how we would’ve managed without.
This 3M Respirator is a favorite of mine because it’s not too bulky, it sits comfortably and snug on my face, and the replacement cartridges can be found at most home stores such as Menards and Home Depot.
No More Sanding
Ever since we were told about this primer, and its strength and durability, we haven’t sanded any more trim. We only sand where it is needed, like if an area needs to be smoothed down, evened out, or thinned. For example, there were some doors that needed to be sanded otherwise the paint build up would tighten their ability to close. We have had so much success with this new approach, and have saved more time along the way. We have tried a lot of the popular approaches to painting trim, so we feel like pros on the subject now 😉
So Here’s Our Process
It is important to prepare your surfaces before you prime. Always thoroughly wipe down the surfaces with a damp rag, making sure there isn’t any dirt or dust left over, and allow to dry, or follow behind with a drying rag. Then you can tape off the trim you will be priming and painting (or don’t if you’re a pro too;). Next, I’d recommend using a small, high-density foam paint roller to apply your coat of primer. This roller style allows you to move quickly and create an even, thin layer of primer, which in turn makes painting easier and smoother.
Once your primer has dried and set, your surfaces are ready for paint! We recommend two coats – one can be slightly transparent, and three can start to get thick, causing closet doors to stick and curved edges to loose their fine details underneath too many coats of product. You can use the same style of foam roller for painting your trim too, but this is just one of many options amongst trim painting tools. We opted to use a paint brush for painting our trim because we love the patina that brush strokes bring. I have gotten very comfortable with a good paint brush, Wooster is my favorite. Follow the instructions for dry/set-time on your paint can before applying additional coats.
Once your final coat of paint has set for about an hour, we recommend removing off your painter’s tape, if you used any. If you wait too long you risk chipping dried paint off, but if you don’t wait long enough your paint might bleed or smear.
We hope this information is as helpful for you as it has been for us. Be encouraged as you endeavor into the unknowns, and pains, of painting trim and probably even more home renovation projects. Let these before and after pictures as a source of motivation and encouragement!
Thanks for reading!
Enjoy DIYs, home making, or maybe even sourdough? Check out some more tips here!
Leave a Reply