Painting new interior trim... two topics
#1
04-26-16, 03:14 PM
Join Date: Apr 2016
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Painting new interior trim... two topics
Hi guys,
I'm putting up new interior craftsman-style trim in my house, and I'm starting with a patio door I recently had installed. I've got two topics I need a bit of help with, one specific and one more general:
1. I primed and put two coats of paint on my side casing before installing it, and I need to fill the nail holes now. I was planning on using wood filler... is this a good choice? And for this or any filler/spackle, should I spot prime these repairs before brushing on a final coat of paint? I want to obviously minimize flashing here.
2. More generally, is painting first and THEN installing trim in a remodel job like this the best approach? I know answers here may vary, but in my case I have no intention of painting the walls anytime soon (so I can't go to town painting the trim carelessly without caring if it hits the wall), and I'm not crazy about the mixed results I get with taping off surfaces. I do feel like I laid down the paint on my trim very nicely & easily when it was off the wall, and this would seem more challenging to do after install. However, I am thinking of the work I'll have to do after install to caulk small gaps or fill nail holes, and this all requires more primer and/or painting again anyway. So my question is, should I stick with my current approach or maybe use this trim project as a learning opportunity to get really good at carefully & precisely painting trim well after install? I know this question may be a trade-off between speed and quality (at least given my current skill), but I wonder if with enough practice I can eventually paint trim just as well after install without getting on the walls.
I'm putting up new interior craftsman-style trim in my house, and I'm starting with a patio door I recently had installed. I've got two topics I need a bit of help with, one specific and one more general:
1. I primed and put two coats of paint on my side casing before installing it, and I need to fill the nail holes now. I was planning on using wood filler... is this a good choice? And for this or any filler/spackle, should I spot prime these repairs before brushing on a final coat of paint? I want to obviously minimize flashing here.
2. More generally, is painting first and THEN installing trim in a remodel job like this the best approach? I know answers here may vary, but in my case I have no intention of painting the walls anytime soon (so I can't go to town painting the trim carelessly without caring if it hits the wall), and I'm not crazy about the mixed results I get with taping off surfaces. I do feel like I laid down the paint on my trim very nicely & easily when it was off the wall, and this would seem more challenging to do after install. However, I am thinking of the work I'll have to do after install to caulk small gaps or fill nail holes, and this all requires more primer and/or painting again anyway. So my question is, should I stick with my current approach or maybe use this trim project as a learning opportunity to get really good at carefully & precisely painting trim well after install? I know this question may be a trade-off between speed and quality (at least given my current skill), but I wonder if with enough practice I can eventually paint trim just as well after install without getting on the walls.
#2
04-26-16, 03:33 PM
Priming and applying the first coat of enamel to the trim before it's installed can speed thing up. The final coat should always be applied after installation as you should caulk all the gaps/joints and putty the nail holes. I normally use painter's putty to fill the nail holes. Painter's putty generally doesn't require a primer over it but some of the other fillers do.
