We've tackled the trim in the downstairs office (Bre's office). Having painted the trim in the dining room, breakfast nook, living room, and mudroom, we've developed a preferred method for our trim painting projects. While we've experimented with hand painting and spraying, we've found spraying to be more efficient and produce a cleaner finish with less effort than traditional brush and roller techniques. While labor-intensive, the process becomes more manageable when we anticipate the time commitment and potential mess involved.
Prepping the room is key. We learned this the hard way after a few spray attempts. At first, we thought we could get away with less prep, thinking the overspray was minimal, traveling only a few inches. Oh, how we were wrong. That stuff goes EVERYWHERE! Now, we treat the room like a hazmat zone. We cover every inch of the floor and seal off air vents and doorways. We basically build a fortress, allowing nothing to get out and spread throughout the rest of the house. This saves a lot of time and effort cleaning EVERY surface in the home down to just that room.
Next, we thoroughly clean the trim using only water to remove dirt and grime. This ensures no residual oils or other substances are present, which could hinder paint adhesion.
We then apply 1-2 light coats of Sherwin Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel paint. This helps us identify any gaps in the trim. While less noticeable with darker paint on natural wood, these gaps become highly apparent with white paint. This requires the time-consuming step of filling gaps with wood filler followed by sanding – our least favorite part of the process. Both Christian and I hate sanding. It's always messy and demands meticulous attention to detail to achieve a smooth finish for the paint. Although not essential, filling and sanding the gaps enhances the final result. It creates a more polished look with perfectly aligned trim pieces and virtually eliminates any noticeable unevenness.
We typically apply 2 additional coats of paint. The painting process involves approximately 4 coats with several hours of drying time between each application. We use a Wagner Control Spray Qx5 Corded Electric Handheld HVLP Paint Sprayer, which may not be considered professional-grade, but it proves effective and cost-efficient, even if it necessitates a few extra coats.
Painting trim can feel like a daunting task, but with proper planning and preparation, it's entirely achievable. By establishing a consistent system and understanding the time commitment involved, we've found the process to be less overwhelming with each room we tackle. While it requires patience and meticulousness, the satisfaction of a beautifully updated room makes it all worthwhile.
