5 Tips For Preparing Your Older Home's Wood Trim For Painting

If you have an older home with wood trim you would like to paint, you may wonder how to properly prepare the woodwork to obtain a smooth, even finish. If so, use the following tips to prepare the trim for painting.

Wear A Mask While Sanding

While this tip does not help with the direct preparation of your woodwork, it is an important part. If your home's interior has not been painted in several decades, your trim's old paint may contain lead. If this is a possibility, make sure you wear a mask while sanding or cleaning up the dust.

Breathing in lead even for short time periods could have detrimental effects on your body. Depending on your sensitivity and current health, these effects can range from loss of appetite and headaches to seizures and coma. 

Sand Off The Surface Layer Of Old Paint

To begin the preparation process, sand the surface layer of the old paint on your trim. Doing so removes the glossy finish and dirt, giving the new paint a fresh surface on which to adhere.

When sanding the paint, use medium-grit sandpaper to strip away part of the paint. Do not use a heavy grit, as this could create small gouges in the paint.

Wipe The Trim With A Damp Cloth

Once you are finished sanding the surface of the woodwork's old paint, the dust should be wiped away using a damp cloth. This ensures the trim is clean enough for the next stage of preparation. It also helps you clearly see any holes, cracks, or other damage that may need to be repaired before you paint the trim.

When wiping the trim, use a cloth that is only slightly damp. Using a rag that is saturated could smear or bubble the old paint, as well as potentially damage any exposed wood.

Use Wood Glue To Fill In Nail Holes And Cracks

Once you have cleaned the trim, look for any small cracks and nail holes that need to be filled in. For an easy way to do this, you can use a bottle of wood glue.

To fill in the nail holes, place the opening in the bottle's spout directly over the hole. Then, squeeze the glue into it until it spills over slightly. Do not try to wipe away the excess, as this could remove the glue from the hole. This will be addressed in the next section.

For cracks, repeat the process above, except you should slowly run the bottle along the crack. Again, there is no need to wipe away any excess. If you find any large cracks on rotten areas, however, these will need more repair than the glue will provide. You may want to contact a professional painting service for advice on how to proceed.

Let the glue dry for a day to give it time to fully set up and harden.

Sand With Fine-Grit Sandpaper To Create A Smooth Finish

After going through the above sections, all that is left to do is to create an overall smooth finish on the trim's surface. This can be done by lightly sanding the old paint and any wood glue with fine-grit sandpaper. Do not apply too much pressure, as it could create rough spots in the finish.

Using the above tips can increase your chances of having a smooth finish when you are done painting your home's wood trim. However, if you find that the woodwork has more damage than you initially thought or you decided you would rather not attempt the project yourself, you may want to contact a painting service to discuss your options for having them do it for you.