Tools and Materials
Product costs, availability and item numbers may vary online or by market.
What’s the Best Paint for Trim?
When you’re painting baseboards or painting moulding, paints with satin, semi-gloss or gloss finishes are all good choices. Glossier finishes create a pretty shine, and since trim brings a decorative element to a room, you’ll want a paint with a shiny finish that’ll highlight the trim’s details. Glossier finishes are also more durable and easier to clean, which is especially beneficial for trim that’s easily scuffed and dirtied, like baseboards. The downside to a high-gloss paint is that it doesn’t hide imperfections well, so if you’re wanting to better conceal any flaws, opt for a semi-gloss or satin finish instead. You’ll still get the shine, and blemishes won’t be as noticeable. As for color, trim is most often painted white. However, you can choose a different color depending on the look you’re going for.
Paints with sheens lower than satin, like matte finishes, are not recommended. They’re harder to clean and don’t offer the shiny appearance that looks best on trim work.
Do You Paint Trim or Walls First?
When starting your painting project, you’ll want to know whether to paint the trim first, or the walls. In most cases, you’ll paint the trim first. There are several reasons why this is the right first step:
- You’re a beginner painter
- You'll get cleaner lines
- It’s easier to cover up paint that may accidentally get on the wall
- Touching up trim is easier
- Taping trim to paint walls is easier than taping walls to paint trim
Ultimately the choice to paint trim or walls first is up to you and how comfortable you are with your DIY painting skills but keep these considerations in mind before you begin.
