Second only to the floors, the trim in your home likely takes the most abuse of any surface. Between pets and children and general wear and tear, trim regularly takes hard hits that can do a number on its beautiful finish. Once the finish is damaged, worn-out trim will give your home’s interior a dated, dingy look.
Giving your home’s trim a fresh coat of paint is a cost-effective way to freshen up its overall aesthetic without breaking the bank. This project may seem overwhelming, but we’ve broken it up into steps to help you along. With the right tools and know-how, painting everything from window trim and door trim to baseboards, crown molding, and any other trim in your home can be a relatively quick and painless process.
Preparation
Before you break open a can of paint, take time to prepare everything. This will make the process of painting the trim much smoother. We recommend designating one room to start with and sticking to it before moving onto another area in the house. Move all furniture away from the trim and, if you wish, cover the furniture with inexpensive, reusable plastic drop cloths. To protect your floor, lay out drop cloths or roll out floor protection paper. If the room is carpeted, consider carpet shields or self-adhesive film.
Tip
An easy hack for protecting your carpet while painting is to guard it with a wide drywall knife. Simply press the edge of the knife into the crevice between the trim and the carpet and move it along as you paint.
Inspect the Trim
Look for sections of trim that are pulling away from the wall. These will need to be secured before painting. If there are any holes or noticeable dents and dings, you should plan on filling these areas with spackle if you wish to achieve a professional-grade finish.
Safety Considerations
If your trim was last painted before 1978, there’s a good chance the paint that was used contains lead. Even if the trim has been painted since, if the home was constructed before 1978, there could be layers of lead paint beneath the surface.
Always wear a mask rated for fumes and wear gloves when dealing with lead paint. If you have good reason to believe that you’re dealing with lead paint, you can purchase a lead test kit before moving forward. See more ways to safely deal with lead paint here.
Source: The Spruce
