Painting Interior Wood Trim

The trim on many homes is made of wood.  If you have a home built after the year 2000 your trim may be made of a compressed product, a composite or possibly even plastic.  Ruling out the plastic most of these products can be treated in the same way.  The first and most obvious decision is whether you will be staining or varnishing the wood with a natural finish or if you will be painting over the wood.

If you will be finishing your wood with stain or varnish to achieve a natural finish you will be using oil based products.  When painting with oil based products you will need special solvents for clean up and special brushes.  When purchasing a stain or varnish at the paint store, make sure you pick up the right brushes and cleaning materials.  You also need to be aware of proper disposal techniques for any leftover stain or varnish you may not keep.  As with most painting jobs the first step is to make sure that your service is clean and dry.  If the wood trim is new and has recently been sanded take special care to make sure the surface is clean.  Many times in oil-based primer, stain or varnish is applied with a cloth and not a brush.  If you use a cloth remember these materials can be flammable.  Do not dispose of the cloth in a trashcan, where it may also encounter heat.  If you are putting down new trim you will tack the trim to the wall with small finish nails and fill in the holes with colored body.

If you are painting or repainting your trim you will most likely be using latex water-based products.  Make sure the surface to be painted is clean and dry.  If this is the first coat of paint on the trim primer should be applied first to help the paint adhere to the wood.  If you are painting over an existing coat of paint use a fine grade of sandpaper and sand the entire surface.  This will rough up the paint and allow it to adhere.  The biggest challenge you may face when you paint trim is when a coat of paint has been applied over a natural varnish, or if you are trying to apply a coat of paint over a natural finish.  The paint will not adhere to this smooth natural finish.  You must use sandpaper to rough up the surface.  If the surface is not rough the paint will constantly chip and peel.  If you are putting down new trim tack the trim to the wall with small finish nails, fill in the holes with putty and touch them up with paint.