How to Prime Wood Trim
Painting is one of the quickest, most effective and most economical ways to re-decorate your home. In their rush to get the job done, however, many do-it-yourselfers skip or rush through the necessary priming work. Properly preparing and priming your wood trim before applying the paint is simple to do and is the only way to ensure a polished, professional-looking job in the end.
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Things You'll Need
- Wet rag
- Drop cloth
- Painter's tape
- Wood filler
- Spackle knife
- Sandpaper
- Primer
- Paint stir stick
- Paintbrush or trim roller
- Roller tray (optional)
Instructions
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1
Thoroughly clean the wood trim with a wet rag. Be sure to get off any dust or stains which may be in the way of tape or primer adhesion. Allow the trim to dry completely.
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2
Mask around the base of the walls using the painter's tape. Cover the wall from the base where the trim begins to about two inches up the wall. Lay down the drop cloth to protect the floor.
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3
Identify any holes, gouges, or screw marks in your wood trim. Mix up the wood filler according to the package direction, then apply into each crevice with the spackle knife, making sure to pack the crevices entirely full of wood filler. Allow to cure for 24 hours, then sand smooth and wipe away debris.
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4
Stir your primer very thoroughly with the stir stick, insuring that any liquid which may have come to the top is completely integrated. If using a trim roller, empty a little of the primer into the roller tray.
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5
Dip your paintbrush or roller into the primer. For baseboards, use a sweeping horizontal motion to cover two to three inches of the baseboards at a time, making sure to ease the primer into any decorative edging. For moldings and trim around doors, use a vertical motion to cover the wood with primer.
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6
Allow the primer to dry for 24 hours before applying the topcoat of paint. If you've missed any spots with the primer, go back to cover these with more primer (and allow the spots to dry for 24 hours) before applying the topcoat.
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Tips & Warnings
Be careful not to load too much primer onto your paintbrush or roller. Having too much primer on your paintbrush or roller will cause ugly drips and streaks to form on your wood trim.
Be sure to adequately ventilate the room. Not only will this help the paint dry quicker, but it will better allow the paint fumes to dissipate.
