Painting the trim on your doors and windows can often be the trickiest part to maneuver. Those tiny cracks and difficult-to-reach edges can leave you frustrated and ready to give up.
We’ve been around our fair share of windows and doors here at All-Weather, and we want painting your trim to be a breeze. To ease some of that frustration, here are tips for before, during, and after painting your trim.
- Painter’s Tape: Painter’s tape keeps things looking precise and polished.
- Stiff Angled Paint Brush: The right brush will make your life a lot easier when it comes to painting your trim, so if you need to splurge, do it on this item!
- Interior/Exterior Trim Paint: Many prefer a semi-gloss or high-gloss when painting their trim, but remember, if you are painting inside or outside you will need to buy a different trim paint for each area.
- Clear it out: Make sure to move any furnishings, cords, drapes or other items near the trim and place a drop cloth beneath the surface you’ll be painting.
- Sand it down: It is extremely crucial to sand down any imperfections and clean the surface of your trim before doing anything. This helps paint last longer, making your life easier in the long run.
- Clean it up: Whether you are painting the indoor or outdoor trim of your home, it is crucial to clean the surface. Painting over dust and other debris may affect the effectiveness of your primer.
- Tape it off: Painter’s tape is the best way to achieve clean lines. Make sure to spend time on this, it will be worth it when you’re done. In addition to painter’s tape, you can use a paint guard to get clean lines.
- Prime time: Before you paint you have to prime, right? Wrong. Skip this step with a primer-and-paint blend. If you do decide to prime separately, make sure to let it dry completely before the next coat.
- More is more: You heard right. Many don’t put a lot of paint on their brush to avoid dripping and running, but this may be counterproductive. Putting too thin of a layer of paint can cause it to dry too quickly, leaving behind uneven lines.
- Once is enough: Many think you need to layer it on when it comes to paint, but often times one coat is all you need. Paint your first coat and walk away, with the primer underneath it should be good to go. If not, paint one more coat and repeat.
- Quick, the tape!: Remove the painter’s tape while the paint is still wet. This will avoid creating chips and ruining your masterpiece.
Now you can sit back, relax, and enjoy your (semi) professional paint job! For more tips on painting windows, doors, and all other types of trim try Black & Decker’s The Complete Guide to Windows & Entryways: Repair – Renew – Replace.
Are you considering new windows for your home? Let the professionals at All-Weather Window, Doors & Siding help. Learn everything about our windows, here.
