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Is your “white” trim actually white?
Before we moved into this house, I thought the trim was white. Then, we discovered the leaking washing machine three weeks after moving in and reconstruction started. During all the repairs, new baseboards needed to be painted. That’s when I figured out the current baseboards were more pink than white.I really wouldn’t have guessed how un-white the baseboards were.
Here’s one baseboard with a little of the new white dabbed on. You can see the big difference.
The construction crew only painted very specific trim that was included in their repair estimate. Here’s where a newly painted door trim meets up with the old pinkish colored trim.
The doors are the most drastically pink to me. Before we painted the trim, the doors and trim were the SAME COLOR. {I’m in the process of painting every single door now too because they all look too PINK against the new white trim!}
THE OLD WAY IS NOT WORKING
I started painting trim and doors months ago, but I just couldn’t take the slow progress anymore! I had to figure out a new way. Painting by hand was just taking too long. I don’t have that much time to spend on it. Plus, for all the effort I gave, the paint never seemed to go on evenly and there were endless unwanted brush marks.
SPOILER ALERT: I figured out how to do awesomely … it involves a paint sprayer.
HOW TO PAINT TRIM LIKE A BOSS
Step 1: Tape and Paper.
The unavoidable step no matter how you paint. You need to tape and prep no matter how you do it. Good music helps this part go faster. I buy the brown paper that doesn’t have tape attached because it is much cheaper and I can just use tape to get it down. Matt was home to help me with this part. It went so fast with us tag-teaming. Even the kids participated.
Step 2: Light sanding.
I used a flexible sanding pad to give the trim a little buffing.
Step 3: Wipe down.
It doesn’t really matter if you get the scuff marks off the trim, you’ll cover those up. You do want any dust type debris off so the paint can stick to the trim. My paint is water-based, so I didn’t bother drying. Wet + Wet = still wet.
Step 4: Caulk the Trim
I only needed to caulk the bottom since the top caulking was still in good shape. In Arkansas, the bottom of the trim wasn’t caulked against wood floors, but it is a thing I see everywhere in Texas. Since these floors had been caulked before and then the floors were re-done, the caulking really needed an update.
Squeeze some caulk onto the seam, then spread with your finger or a damp cloth. Wipe off any excess with a cloth.
Meet My Paint Sprayer
Let’s take a break and meet the MVP of this blog post: the HomeRight Paint Sprayer. There’s a reason it is a best seller on Amazon. It is powerful but really affordable. As in, the time you save using it and the cost of the paint you save makes up for the cost very quickly.
Step 5: Fill the paint spray container with paint and water.
You need to add some water to help thin the paint a bit coming through the paint sprayer. For my trim, I used about 2 cups of paint with 1/2 cup water. After I painted a lot of trim, I still had leftover paint to pour right back in the original paint bucket!
DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE ADDED WATER! I had to think through this to be okay with it, but let me help you. Think about it this way: Water-based (latex) paint has water in it. When paint dries, it really means all the water in the paint has dried. By adding a little water, there is just a little bit more water to dry out. In my experience, it does not take more time to dry, actually less time, because with a sprayer you can get a consistent coat without as much paint. Paint sprayers make expensive paint last a lot longer!!
Step 6: Set the paint control setting.
There is probably a technical term for this, but I’m not sure what. There is a little +/- wheel on the side of the sprayer. Push it towards the “-” so that you don’t over-spray past your tape and paper. You’ll need more tape and paper if you want to spray on a higher setting.
Step 7: Spray the paint!
Spray one coat of paint, then wait about 15 minutes and spray a second coat. If you’re painting a large area, just finish painting and then circle back to the first area for the second coat. If you want to experience the feel of the paint sprayer before you get used to it, spray a cardboard box. You’ll quickly see that it is pretty easy to control the paint sprayer. This step goes so fast, it is amazing!
Here’s this spot of trim with 1 coat of paint. Pretty good coverage for one coat of paint!
Step 8: Cleanup (surprisingly quick!)
I really think cleaning up the paint sprayer is quicker and easier than cleaning a paint brush.
Pour the remaining paint from the attachment container back in your original paint container, then fill the attachment container up with water. Go spray it in the grass or on a cardboard box until the water comes out clear. Very simple! Afterwards, I let my sprayer sit in my laundry room sink until it dried. I’m not too picky with getting paint off of every square inch, as long as paint is cleaned out of all the important functional parts … I figure the sprayer it is a tool that will reflect lots of use.
WHAT A DIFFERENCE
It is such a relief to get such big chores off my to do list. Painting this trim has haunted me for months and it is finally done!!!
After the paint dries, but within a day, take off all the painter’s tape. Looks good!
YOUR TURN
If you think you have white trim, but it is actually pink, it could be affecting how the paint on your walls looks, and even how all of your decorations look. White trim is just so crisp and fresh. I’m so glad I took on this job.
Now, it’s your turn. If you don’t already have a paint sprayer, get one right now! Thanks, HomeRight, for sponsoring this post and helping me get this big chore of mine done so much faster and easier.
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I’m in the same boat…. ugh…. I dont look forward to this at all! Like… NEVER EVER …. but you can tell how yellow-ish all the doors and trim are. 🙁 Do you make sure that your caulk is the same color as your trim or do you not care?
I use the extra white caulk and the extra white trim paint, but that doesn’t matter a ton because I paint over the caulk. Caulk first, then paint!
What color paint did you use and what brand?
It is Sherwin Williams and it is the white color that comes in the paint can, “Extra White” – I didn’t tint it.
I’m got new trim installed and door casing done at the house and dread priming and painting by hand, I did the primer and took forever.. I just ordered the finish max fine hope it works as good as your finish max extra.. I didn’t think I needed the extra stuff that came with it so saved the $30+ dollars.. I did want to ask did you have much over spray or a low setting staying close to the trim worked fine with the taping your had? my big sprayer is go big and throws to much overspray to use inside for this job..
If you’re worried, I would suggest taping that brown paper above and below. Pretty easy and then you’re feeling comfortable. I suggest testing the different settings outside into a cardboard box until you have a feel of the high/low settings. I didn’t do primer, because I used a paint that had 2-in-1 and then I just did a few coats. Good luck!
Thank you so much for sharing! I’m considering doing our trim myself instead of hiring someone to paint it. What holds me back is #1 we have a ton of trim throughout our house & #2 all our trim is dark brown and I’m going to white.
Would you prime before painting white or do you think a few coats will cover the dark color?
I’d either get a trim paint that comes with primer, and then expect to do 2-3 coats, or do a primer and then 2 coats of white.
What’s the name of the paint sprayer?
HomeRight Finish Max Fine Finish HVLP Sprayer —- I copied and pasted that name from the link for the paint sprayer that is by the picture of it in the post. 🙂
I definitely need to get that sprayer. I owned a Wagner years ago, but it never worked that great. The HomeRight product seems like it might work better. Thanks for the tips!
I’ve really liked it.
I was accidentally logged in as “support”. That last comment was from me. -Mary
No overspray on the house or bad fumes from spraying!
Yes. 🙂
Have you ever used this sprayer on walls and doors?
Yes I have 🙂
Fabulous! I have the same sprayer and haven’t used it yet. Have an entire condo to paint before we sell. Did you use the brown contractor’s paper? Also which tip color did you use for the trim?
Thank you!
It has been a while and I can’t remember! I’d experiment with the different tips in a safe place, like on a cardboard box or something??
how did you do your door frames? curious of how you masked off the area.
I painted the door frames with a brush. I also wasn’t sure how to properly mask it off otherwise.
Have you ever done oak doors? And how do you pick wall color? I’m trying to turn a house an older couple lives in more modern & im really struggling and could use so much help! Please! Please!
I’ve re-stained oak cabinets, but I’ve not painted them a color before. Wall colors can be tricky. I’d decide first if you want cool or warm tones, then think about what would look best in the house (not necessarily your favorite color). Paint some pieces of cardboard with samples and hold it up around the house. Don’t overthink it too much, though because paint is just paint! It can always be changed.
I’m late to the party, but want to change my oak trim and doors; do you think it would be easier to re-stain them or paint them? What method did you use to re-stain oak? I can’t make up my mind. Thank you so much.
You are reminding me I never got around to blogging about staining my cabinets. I used gel stain, which I’d definitely recommend. I think if you google gel staining trim, you’d be in the right direction.
Of course, the trend now is for white trim. Since I’m not sure what your house looks like, I’ll have to leave that up to you. 🙂
Getting ready to paint our trim. I loved your post and plan to do it this way. I mentioned to a friend that I was going to to spray and he said he didn’t spray because there would be too many particles floating around. Was this not a problem for you? Was it maybe your brand sprayer?
That can be a problem if you have the sprayer turned up too much or if your area is drafty. I’d play with it in the garage for a while to check that the settings work for you. Good luck!
Thanks, Mary, that’s a great idea!
I always paint my trim super white, the guy at the paint store thought I was crazy, but when the white starts to fade, and it will, it still looks white.
I love the bright white too!
What latex paint finish did you use? Satin? Glossy?
I used gloss so it would be easy to wipe.
My husband was very skeptical about me using a paint sprayer. I gave it a try, following your directions & now he’s raving about it! It will take awhile to do the whole house of baseboards, most of the time is spent on the taping. The painting goes quickly! Thanks for sharing your detailed tips. And then we will tackle the doors & door trim… we are just about done painting the whole house (walls) so we really need to do the rest. I truly appreciate your advice
I know how overwhelming it feels to have so much painting in front of you. Good for you for tackling it! I’m so glad you tried the paint sprayer and it worked for you!
Hi Mary, please tell me the wall color. I can see it is Sherwin Williams – if it is a custom color can you please tell me the formula?
The wall color is a very common Sherwin Williams color – Repose Grey! The trim is just the straight “Extra White” that the trim paint comes in from Sherwin Williams. I didn’t have them add any tint to it.
Awesome! Thanks for your reply. I have purchased a sample and am currently deciding between Repose Grey and Mindful Grey. I am leaning toward Repose Grey!
I need to look at my paint card, but I think I may have chosen Mindful Grey for our new house … or maybe it was Modern Gray. It’s late and they both sound right to me. lol. Whatever color I chose, it has warmer tones, which went with this house better. Repose is quite chameleon, though, I’m betting I’ll use it again.
I am currently painting all of the trim and doors in my house. I have a great tip to help save your back and knees in the process. I put a pillow on my grandson’s skateboard and scoot along the floor while spraying. It keeps my coats even and makes it go by so quickly!
That is awesome!!! I love it!
Would the sprayer work well on walls too?
I’ve used it on walls, but I had to really tape and plastic things off because when the spray is higher, the extra paint mist can travel further. When we got a new shed here, I wanted the inside painted to help the plywood feel finished. I only had to tape off the windows, and I had the entire thing painted sooooo fast!
What sprayer is it?
It is the HomeRight Sprayer that I link to in the post. 🙂
Thanks so much for posting these. We painted the back of our house yesterday with a spray gun and my baseboards need to be painted. I dreaded the thought and suggested that we use the spray gun and mask off the floor and walls. Hubby was so against this. Guess what I’m going to share with him today??? Thanks so much for sharing!
Good luck!!! I hope all your painting goes smoothly!
This post was really helpful thank you…are your walls gray? If so What gray is it…I painted my walls alpaca gray and it’s not quite the shade I was hoping for
Sherwin Williams Repose Gray
Wow the results looks great. I just started painting my new baseboards after getting them sealed and I am making slow progress. I’ve been wanting to make the investment into a paint sprayer because I have so many projects. I have a few questions: how long do you wait to remove the tape, are there any techniques to removing the tape and did you have any issues with bleeding paint on the floor? I painted a small section of mine with tape and waited a half hour to remove the tape and there was some bleeding on the floor. I was using a good quality edge lock tape so I don’t know what my problem is here. Maybe I should caulk the bottom again after I tape to create a better seal?
To answer your questions, I’m not an expert but I can speak from experience. – I remove tape in between sections. So if I do a long wall, I take off the paint right when I’m done, before I do the next room/ hallway. Because the wood floors were hand-scraped across the grain, there are so many little valleys for paint to bleed. If you look closely at the pictures, you’ll notice there is a little bleeding. It really is only noticeable if you’re studying it, otherwise I never noticed (and I am super picky) and no one else ever noticed. I do think caulking on top of the tape makes sense. Good luck!
Great Post!! I’m not dreading my ‘trim update’ any longer now that I have a plan from this post!! Thanks Mary!!
You are so welcome!
So glad I clicked on this pin. I’ll be saving and referencing, and getting that sprayer! Thanks so much for a really helpful review and how-to!
Thanks! So glad to help!
I bought a sprayer and have been “practicing”. I am wondering if your trim feels smooth or is it a little “rough” feeling? Are my settings wrong? I want to paint my cabinets but don’t want a rough feel to them? What should I do?
My trim feels smooth. I’m wondering if it is the paint you’re using? I used a semi-gloss on my trim, so that may be the difference? I know the people at HomeRight are really nice, maybe ask their customer service for expert advice. Let me know how it goes!
I bought this and got to looking after using it once…the link is to a different sprayer than your. Your’s is the extra and the link is to the basic. I am not sure what the difference is. Also did you wear a mask and other protection? I found that mine had a lot of spray back….paint floating in the air that I breathed in til I realized…I forgot to put on my mask. I sprayed on small wall in a closet and am not so sure about using it inside.
Oh goodness, I almost skipped replying to your comment because I saw Mary and thought I wrote it. Sorry!
Definitely try to control the power of the sprayer. There is a little nozzle that makes it come out faster and harder or slower and softer. Definitely do the slower and softer range. The best way to figure out the right groove is to paint a box in the garage or put a box out on the lawn. Don’t paint inside your house until you’re comfortable that you’ve got all the settings right!
I did wear a mask, which is probably a good idea for everyone, but I always do because I have terrible allergies and am always worried about breathing in stuff I shouldn’t.
When I painted inside the shed, I wore eye-gear and a mask and pumped it up to full power. It was fast and glorious!
Good luck!
You did a great job! I usually paint my trim using paintbrushes. It seems like to get a paint sprayer will be more efficient. Don’t forget to wear a mask while you are spraying trims. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, and yes, I wear a mask when I do pretty much anything since I’m allergic to everything! 🙂
Hey, this is a great and easy way to do this project! Thanks so much for sharing!! I do have a question on where you got the brown paper from?
Either Lowe’s or Home Depot, I can’t remember which one anymore because I go back and forth between them so much
Does this sprayer work well on walls also?
I used it on my shed (https://creatingmaryshome.com/easiest-painting-ever-inside-of-our-shed/) and loved it. I did use it inside too, but man – it was so much plastic up so that the spray didn’t fly all over. When you spray up high, the spray can travel more, so be careful.
How did you know your old trim was latex? I don’t want to use enamel but I’m afraid mine are enamel?
I can’t remember anymore, but I think I googled some kind of test that involved rubbing alchohol?? That’s just what I’m remembering! I think it was something about if paint rubbed off with it, then it was one thing or another. Lol! So sorry I can’t remember more clearly, but I’m sure the info is still out there.
Can I use the paint sprayer on my new primed interior doors? This would save me a ton of time since I have ordered so many of them.
Yes, these would definitely save you a ton of time on your doors!