How to Paint Moldings and Trim

We'll show you how to properly prep and paint moldings and trim so you can complete the look of your space.

Do I Paint Trim or Walls First?

When it comes to painting a room, we recommend painting the trim first before tackling the walls. This approach helps ensure clean, crisp lines where the trim meets the walls, and it’s easier to cut in along the edges with a brush before rolling on the wall paint.

How to Paint Baseboards Step-by-Step

Prepare the Area

Before painting baseboards, proper preparation is crucial to achieve clean and professional-looking results. Use masking tape to carefully cover the areas where the baseboard meets the wall and floor, ensuring straight lines and preventing paint from getting on adjacent surfaces. Lay down drop cloths or plastic sheeting to protect the floor from spills and splatters, making sure to secure them in place to prevent slipping hazards.

Prepare the Trim

To properly prepare trim before painting, start by lightly sanding the surfaces with fine-grit sanding sheets to remove any existing paint buildup or imperfections. This will help the new paint adhere better. Next, fill any holes, cracks, or gaps with patch caulking, allowing it to fully dry before sanding smooth for a seamless finish.

Prime the Trim

Be sure to prime trim before painting as it helps the topcoat of paint adhere better and last longer on the surface. To prime, use a high-quality primer formulated for trim and apply an even coat with a brush or small roller, ensuring full coverage on all surfaces including corners and edges.

Paint the Trim

Now you’re ready to paint! When painting moldings and trim, use an angled brush to get into the corners and crevices for full coverage. Apply paint in thin, even coats in the direction of the wood grain. Allow each coat to fully dry before applying the next for a smooth, professional finish. Then, remove the masking tape slowly and carefully to avoid damaging the paint.

View Transcript

Video transcript
Video / Text on-screen	Copy
Intro	Hi, I'm Cole Schaefer, professional painter, and welcome to Dunn-Edwards Paints, How to Paint video series. You know a nicely painted room is one that has clean lines and looks polished. Moldings and trim are a big part of what gives a space its style, so be sure to give them the attention they deserve.
What This Video Covers	In this video we'll show you how to properly prep and paint moldings and trim so you can complete the look of your space. Moldings and trim come in a variety of forms like base moldings, door casings, or crown molding. Good preparation and painting techniques will make these architectural details really accent a room.
Supplies You'll Need	Now in order to paint your moldings and trim, you'll need the following supplies along with your Dunn-Edwards Premium paint, masking tape, a paintbrush, buckets, sandpaper, spackle, putty knife, caulk and caulking gun, dust mask, goggles, and gloves, and drop cloths. And, of course, all of these supplies are available at your neighborhood Dunn-Edwards paint store.
Fill Holes and Sand the Molding	So before you begin priming, you want to fill in any holes with spackle and sand them smooth. Next, you'll want to inspect the molding and lightly sand it to improve adhesion and ensure that you have a smooth surface to paint.
Caulk Gaps and Cracks	Now take a look at your trim. If there's a gap between the moldings and the wall, or cracks at the corner joints, you may want to fill them in with caulk using a caulking gun. To get a smooth finish with caulking get your fingertip wet and softly glide it over the top of the caulking bead to make it smooth. Always keep a wet rag or bucket of water on hand when working with caulking.
Mask Off Your Walls	For the next steps grab your masking tape. But before you begin taping, remove any dust with a vacuum or damp cloth to help your tape stay put. Now you're ready to mask off your walls so you don't get paint on them. Now this is especially important if you're using a different color than the wall paint. Oh, and be sure to run your finger along the edge of the tape, to prevent paint from bleeding underneath, to give you a good, clean, crisp straight line.
Protect Your Floors	So to protect your floors, place canvas drop cloths underneath any areas to be painted. Oh, and you might want to consider using carpet guards when painting baseboard trim in carpeted rooms.
Prime Before You Paint	Now before you paint don't forget to prime any patched areas or unfinished areas. If your molding or trim was painted previously with an oil-based paint, you'll need to prime it to get good adhesion. If you're not sure if it was painted with oil-based paint, simply play it safe and prime it anyway. Now make sure the primer is good and dry, and then check it to see if it needs to be sanded before painting. If it does, use a 220 grit or higher sandpaper to prevent any sanding marks from telegraphing through to the finish.
Paint and Remove the Tape	Once you're done with these first few steps, you're now ready to paint. And when you've completed and the paint is dry, remember to remove the masking tape slowly. Do not leave the tape on the surface too long as it could be harder to remove without damaging the paint.
Consider Dunn-Edwards Aristowall	Now if you're looking for that smooth oil-based finish, consider using Dunn-Edwards Aristowall premium interior paint. Available in both semi-gloss and gloss sheen's, Aristowall is easy to apply, and provides the nice finish of traditional oil-based paint, but has less odor, dries faster, and allows for easy cleanup with water.
Closing	So for all of us here at Dunn-Edwards Paints, I'm Cole Schaefer. Thanks for watching. And happy painting.