Painting tips and tricks. Rather than just ornamentation, trims often give the room balance, character, and proportion. It also plays into your perception and makes the room appear larger.
But did you know that homeowners often overlook the trim and relegate it to an afterthought? When painted in the right shade, they can dramatically affect the room and enhance the design style.
The million-dollar question when painting a room is, between walls and trim, which one do you paint first?
This article takes you through the answer to the question along with a few painting tips and tricks, benefits, best colors, paints, the order of painting, and many more.
The walls and trim are usually two different surfaces hence have to be painted differently. But, which one do you paint first, the wall or trim? Generally, it depends on the situation at hand.
Paint the trim first when:
Paint the walls first when:
Painting your home is much more than a weekend chore. The time and effort that goes into it are astronomical. However, it can have some surprising benefits:
Your trim plays a significant part in the design and style of the room. With the below steps, you can paint easily for smooth results.
Trim paints are either oil-based or acrylic-latex.
Doors and trims benefit from a gloss or semi-gloss finish since it helps to stand out from the flatter wall surfaces.
Glossy paints have a tight molecular structure making it difficult for dirt and debris to find their way inside. And for this reason, matte or flat are strictly avoided.
The brush you choose depends on the size of the trim and also on the type of paint. Generally, painters prefer a 2-2.5 inch angled brush for trims.
Here are the top suggestions for painting trim:
The quality and finish you get out of painting with a spray gun are much better than any paint job. However, its limitation is the skill and the prep, which eats up into the time. You may have to mask or tape the painted walls and floor to prevent overspray. A spray gun can be ideal for painting a room where the electrical fixtures and floor are yet to be installed.
A roller can leave behind drips and swipe marks, however careful you are. Use a roller on larger surfaces like the walls.
The brush is the better and also the classic option when it comes to trims. It is easier to paint without leaving brush marks; however, brush strokes may be a sign of better workmanship, especially in higher-end designer homes.
Painting trim can be time-consuming work, especially window and door trim. The caulking and filling can take up your time. Considering the above, baseboards are pretty much easier and faster too.
A bedroom(15×15) with the main door trim, closet door trim, skirting boards, and two window trims should take about 2 hours to prep and prime and then 2-4 hours to paint. For an amateur, you may take anywhere from 4-6 hours to paint a bedroom.
Painting your living room may not be as time-consuming. In the end, it depends on the size and condition of the trims.
Most professional painters charge you by the hour, which may be $20 to $75 per hour. As such, painting trim for a 1,500-square-foot home can cost you $500 to $1,500, excluding the porch. The porch adds $500 to $2,000 to the final amount.
Detailed work on the molding and trim can nearly double the price.
Be it the baseboards, crown molding, wainscoting, or window casing, trims bring out the best feature of your house. With trendy trim colors, you can hide flaws and refresh the look of your room.
The most popular and trendy trim colors of 2021 are:
Did you know that both Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams have more than 100 shades of white among them? While white is a classic color for trims, the right white makes all the difference between elegance and gauche.
Here is the best white paint in the market currently:
Sherwin Williams: Highly Reflective White SW (LRV 93) and Extra White SW7007
Benjamin Moore: Super White OC-152 and Decorator’s White OC-20
Sherwin Williams: Alabaster SW7008, Snowbound SW7004
Benjamin Moore: White Dove OC-17, Chantilly Lace OC-65
Picking out the right trim paint is mostly guesswork with multiple trips to the store. However, the painting tips from Nicole Gibbons, founder of Clare’s, simplifies the entire process making it easy to choose the paint.
Though baseboards add to the aesthetic appeal of a room, it goes beyond just beauty and protects the drywall. Depending on your home, the baseboard plays an important role:
Trim, on the other hand, adds depth and richness to any room. It is a design element that helps the design flow from one room to another, increasing its aesthetic appeal.
Traditionally the trims would be of a different color, preferably white, to bring attention to the walls. However, if you are looking at a narrow or a small room, you may want to paint the ceiling, wall, and trim in the same color. Without the contrasting color to distinguish the surfaces, everything blends into one, making them disappear, and the room may appear spacious.
While painting can look easy, the real difficulty lies in getting a smooth, brush strokes-free wall. Here are a few painting tips from professional painters to help you get the work done quickly.
The tricky thing when painting baseboards is to get clean and sharp lines. While a painter may find it easier to cut with a brush, it may not be so for amateurs and DIYers. Here are some more painting tips and tricks to get your baseboards looking sharp, especially when painting the trim first:
Masking tape and painter’s tape both serve the same purpose. They prevent the paint from bleeding onto unwanted areas, such as carpeting and trim, and help you get a clean, straight-edge line. But the masking tape leaves residue when pulled after a certain amount of time, but the painter’s tape is designed to come off cleanly.
Unless you want to spend hours removing sticky residue, painter’s tape is the better option.
While there are many ways to paint a room, the secret lies in the little details. Here are a few trade secrets and painting tips shared by professional painters:
For a quick and efficient session, you need to follow the order of painting for the best results. Here are some more painting tips to follow:
A new coat of paint can dramatically change the way a room looks and feels. It is indeed an inexpensive way of increasing the appeal without having to spend much.
Here are a few painting tips to consider before painting a room:
In this article, you’ve learned a lot of helpful painting tips and tricks of the trade. Do you paint the trim or walls first? Always paint walls first. This way, you can tape the walls and paint the trims. If you are painting walls after trims, the latter can catch the drops from the walls and need touch-ups.
In case you are painting the room, follow the order of painting for a smooth transition and efficient work.
Moreover, do not forget to prep and prime the area you are painting. It helps the paint to go on smoothly. Two coats should do unless you have problem areas for which you may have to do touch-ups.
Don’t want to do it yourself? Get a professional to do it for you – contact Nelson Greer Painting Contractors for your FREE quote today. With over 220 years of experience in our company’s history, you’ll love what we can do with our professional painting contractors.
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Nelson J. Greer
Nelson J. Greer Painting Contractors, Inc. is committed to Excellence, Quality, and Dependability. Our experience in both the commercial and residential markets speaks for itself. Whether it’s painting your home, business, or new commercial construction project, we want to do the job right for you!
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