It can be easy to overlook, but you should often consider the condition of your home?s trim work and decide whether they need a fresh coat. This may seem more complicated than painting walls so people are more prone to avoid doing it, but with these five steps, we will have you on your way to having the best trim in town.
Clean
It?s important to start off your project by giving the trim a good clean. You want to use a degreaser to get rid of all oils, grease, and other contaminants that may be present there. You can use a rag, dishwashing soap, and hot water to clean it, followed by wiping it all down with a clean rag and water. After that, use a medium-grit sanding sponge to roughen up the current paint and fix any imperfections on the trim.
Patch
Next, you want to patch any holes or cracks with a flexible wood filler/putty/caulk-sealant. You can try SherMax Urethanized Elastomeric Sealant. This one will flex as needed and works in just four hours.
Test for Adhesion
You need to check for proper adhesion to see if it?s necessary to use a bonding primer. To do this, apply Extreme Bond Primer to a test area and let it dry. Then, test for adhesion by using a sharp blade to make two cuts in the coating down the substrate to form an X. Next, place masking tape over the X and rip it off quickly. After that, check to see if the coating has been removed from the substrate or prior coating. This is called the X-cut tape test and is often used at job sites.
Prime and Paint
Priming the surface is the step you take once you know there is good adhesion. If you have poor adhesion, this will compromise the amount of time the coating will last. You can use a latex finish since it?s easy to apply and clean up, such as ProClassic Interior Waterbased Acrylic Semi-Gloss coating. This provides great flow, durability, and a smooth finish to trim.
Some Tips For Your Top Coat:
- Make sure paint drips are smoothed with a brush within 10-15 minutes of application.
Caulk
Finally, you must caulk around the trim framework. This will make your work stand out more. Also, caulking will keep unwanted cold air from getting into the room. Keep in mind, if you are using high-quality paints and other products you should also use high-quality tools, like applicators.
Pro Painters, your Houston painting company, happens to be your city?s expert in Houston residential painting. Trim work is a breeze for us so let us know if we can be of assistance in fixing up your home for spring.
