Tips for Painting a Smooth and Perfect Trim

Emma from ECOS Paints 03/06/2024
Painting white trim with paint brush

When it comes to freshening up a room, nothing gets the job done like a fresh coat of paint. However, the one thing that can hamper even the best-looking paint job is sloppily painted trim. If you want every part of the room to look brand-new, then you’ll want to follow these tips for painting a smooth and perfect trim.


Before Painting


Identify Imperfections in the Wood

Trim is close to the ground and corners, so it’s prone to scuffs and damages. However, those scuffs often go unnoticed for that same reason. They’ll be much more noticeable once you paint over them, though, so before you do anything else, walk around the room with a flashlight and note any marks or dents. Then, carefully cover them with spackle.


Sand and Clean

Even if your trim doesn’t have any scuffs, that doesn’t mean it’s perfectly smooth. Even if you don’t normally notice the grainy texture of the trim, it will be more obvious when the trim is painted. Before painting, you’ll want to scrub off any dirt or grime and then sand the entire trim. Don’t forget little crevices you may find on corners or around fireplaces. After sanding, clean off any debris with a brush and a vacuum hose. You may also want to re-sand between coats of paint.

Sanding trim before painting


During Painting


Don’t Skip Primer

You don’t want to skip primer when you’re painting trim. The extra coat will cover any of the spackled imperfections from earlier, giving a smoother finish. Not to mention, primer will allow you to use fewer coats of paint, which is especially good for trim.


Use the Right Paint, the Right Way

When it comes to painting a smooth and perfect trim, not all paints are the same. You’ll want a durable paint that rolls on smoothly with a good finish so that it can maintain that texture. At ECOS Paints, we have a variety of cabinet and trim paints that work well for this purpose. When painting the trim, be sure not to oversaturate the brush, and use short strokes followed by longer ones.


After Painting


Removing Tape

Using painter’s tape is a step that even most beginners are aware of. However, removing it incorrectly is where many first-time painters make mistakes. Be sure the paint is dry before attempting to remove the tape. Then, take a thin razor such as a putty knife and run it along the tape against the wall. When you carefully remove the tape, you’ll be less likely to take paint up with it.

Removing painters tape after painting

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