Painting Trim, Baseboards and Doors
By Lemoon's Painting
Trim and doors are where a paint job is judged up close, so they get the most hand work: nail holes filled, gaps caulked, every surface sanded and dusted, then two coats of enamel laid on in a set order so brush marks level out. Panel doors are painted panels first, then rails, then stiles, and all six edges are sealed.
People look at walls from across the room. They look at trim from arm’s length: the door they open every morning, the window sill where the coffee cup sits, the baseboard they see every time they look down. That is why trim and doors often take more of the hours on an interior job than the walls do, and why they are where the care in a paint job shows most clearly.
This article covers trim and doors that are in reasonable shape, being repainted. If yours is old, yellowed and glossy, the first question is what is already on it; painting over oil-based trim explains how to tell and what that changes.
What counts as trim?
Baseboards, door casings, window casings and sills, crown molding, chair rails, door jambs and stops, stair stringers, balusters and handrails, and built-in shelving. Interior doors are their own category but use the same paint and much of the same method.
The work before the enamel
Filling
Every nail hole in a run of baseboard or casing gets filled, and so do dents and dings. The filler is sanded flush once it is dry. Unfilled nail holes are small, but under a semi-gloss enamel each one is a dark dot that catches the light.
Caulking
The joints where trim meets the wall, and the mitered corners where two pieces of trim meet, are sealed with a paintable, flexible caulk. Caulk turns a shadow line into a clean edge. It also has limits: a bead laid into a gap too wide for it will crack, and caulk painted before it cures will shrink and split the paint along it. Stain-grade wood that is meant to stay natural is not caulked to the wall in the same way.
Sanding and dust
The existing paint is scuff-sanded so the new coat grips, and any old drips or brush ridges are sanded down rather than painted over. Then the dust is removed completely. Baseboards in particular sit in a layer of floor dust and pet hair, and a single pass of a brush through that dust leaves grit in the finish forever.
Masking the floor edge
On hard floors, tape along the floor protects it and gives the brush a clean line. On carpet, the carpet is pressed down and away from the baseboard with a wide tape or a guard so the brush can reach the bottom edge of the board without painting the carpet fibers.
Laying on the enamel
Trim enamels are designed to flow and level as they dry, so that brush marks soften and disappear. They only do that if they are applied at the right thickness and left alone. Over-brushing paint that has started to set leaves drag marks. So the method is to load the brush properly, lay the paint on along the length of the piece, then make one long, light finishing stroke from end to end.
Two coats are standard, with a light sanding between them to knock down dust nibs. The enamels used are the same family discussed for cabinets in painting kitchen cabinets, chosen from Dunn-Edwards and Sherwin-Williams for the finish you want.
The order on a panel door
A six-panel or shaker door has a sequence that prevents lap marks across the grain of the wood:
- The panels and their molded edges, first, working the paint into the profile.
- The horizontal rails, top, middle and bottom, brushed along their length.
- The vertical stiles on each side, last, brushed from top to bottom, cutting cleanly over the ends of the rails.
- The edges. The hinge edge and the latch edge are painted, and the top and bottom edges are sealed too. An unsealed bottom edge lets moisture into the door, which matters in coastal homes and bathrooms.
A flat slab door has a shorter sequence but is less forgiving, because the whole face is one broad surface where any lap or roller texture shows. Slab doors are often sprayed or rolled with a fine foam roller and tipped off with a brush.
Doors: on the hinges or off?
Both work, and the choice is made door by door. Doors taken off and laid flat can be sprayed, every edge can be reached, and there are no runs. The hinges and hardware come off and are labeled so each door goes back exactly where it was. Painting doors in place keeps rooms usable and suits homes where people are living through the job. In either case, hinges and latches are removed or masked, not painted. Painted hinges are one of the surest signs of a hurried job.
A freshly painted door also needs to be left slightly open for a while. Enamel that is dry to the touch can still stick to the stop when the door is closed on it.
Handrails and window sills
Handrails are gripped every day, and sills take sun, condensation and whatever is set on them. Both need the hardest finish and the most careful preparation, including a thorough clean of hand oils on the rail. On older wood windows, a sill that is soft or black underneath is a repair to deal with before paint.
Older homes and detailed trim
Period homes, such as the Spanish Revival and bungalow houses around La Mesa or the Craftsman homes of North Park in San Diego, often have deep, profiled casings and crown molding with layers of paint already filling the detail. That is brush work. Built-up layers may need to be cleaned out of the profiles to bring the detail back, and on pre-1978 homes the old layers may contain lead, which changes how they may be sanded. Ebenezer is EPA lead-safe (RRP) certified for exactly that.
Trim color and sheen
Semi-gloss is the traditional trim sheen; satin is softer and more forgiving on older wood. Whatever you choose, carry the same trim color and sheen through the connected rooms of the house, and choose a white or trim color that shares an undertone with your walls. Interior sheen room by room goes further into the choice.
Getting it finished properly
In Ebenezer’s words, “Paint to me is an art,” and trim is where that is most visible. He manages every job personally, and the estimate should list exactly which trim, doors and built-ins are included, so the plan matches what you expect.
Ask for a free estimate for your trim and doors, or see more about interior painting and the guarantee.
Common questions
Should interior doors be taken off to paint them?
It depends on the door and the finish you want. Doors taken off and laid flat can be sprayed or brushed with no runs and with every edge reachable. Doors painted in place keep the room usable and work well for flat slab doors. Either way, the hinges are removed or carefully masked, never painted over.
Why does caulk crack along my baseboards?
Usually because the wrong caulk was used, it was applied too thick into a wide gap, or it was painted before it had cured. A paintable, flexible caulk in a bead sized to the gap, left to cure before painting, holds far better. Gaps much wider than a pencil line may need a backer or a filler first.
Do baseboards and doors have to be white?
No. White trim is traditional, but trim painted the same color as the walls, a shade darker, or a deliberate contrast such as a dark interior door are all common. The main rule is consistency: choose a trim color and sheen and carry it through the connected rooms.
What sheen should baseboards be?
Semi-gloss is the long-standing choice because baseboards are kicked, mopped against and vacuumed into, and a harder, shinier film wipes clean. Satin is a softer, more modern look that hides small flaws in old trim better. Gloss is used where a crisp, high-end look is wanted and the wood is in excellent shape.