Paint Trim Molding Tutorial

Painting a nice, straight line on trim molding or along a ceiling is known as "cutting–in". Use painter's masking tape to form a straight, cut–in line between two surfaces such as between walls and trim molding or between a wall and ceiling. See Painting a White Ceiling for more on ceiling painting. The following methods can be used on walls and trim.

Painting Walls First

This is one method for painting a straight line between walls and trim. An alternative method appears below.

Use latex paint on the walls and let them dry for a couple of days. When brushing use two or more thin coats of paint to cover the walls rather than trying to do it with one thick coat. This will help to keep excess paint off adjacent surfaces which will make for a crisp line between colors. Apply a wide swath of paint about 3 inches wide along the perimeter of the walls and roll the remainder using these Paint Roller Techniques.

Use painter's masking tape to form a straight line on the wall surface as close to the trim as possible without sticking the tape to the trim itself. Use several short lengths of tape if necessary to control exactly where it sticks.

Use quality latex or alkyd paint and apply two or more thin coats to the trim. Let each coat of latex dry for an hour or so before applying the next. Allow alkyd paint to dry for 12 to 24 hours and lightly sand before applying a second coat. Don't sand latex between coats.

Peel the tape off before the paint dries completely. This will minimize the chance of pulling the paint film with the tape. Pull slowly. If necessary run the point of a putty knife along the edge of the tape to break the seal.

Paint Trim Molding First

This is one method for painting a straight line between walls and trim molding. Because trim molding usually has just a thin bead of wood that makes contact with the wall, it can be hard to get the tape to stick. Use the method above as an alternative.

Paint the trim molding allowing as little paint as possible to get on the wall. Wipe away excess paint as you go with a stroke of a dry brush. Use two thin coats of paint to avoid a thick build–up on the wall. Allow the paint to dry between coats. Wait an hour or so for latex paint to dry and a day for alkyd paint. Lightly sand between coats when using alkyd. Don't sand between coats of latex paint. Let the final paint coat dry for a couple of days before proceeding.

Mask the trim using several short pieces of tape. Overlap the ends of each piece of tape. Press the tape tightly to the trim bead with a clean putty knife.

Paint the walls with latex paint. Brush the wall paint using two or more thin coats of paint. Avoid a thick coat that will cause the paint to bleed under the tape. Let each coat of paint dry for about 30 minutes before applying the next.

Roll the wall and remove the tape immediately before the paint has time to dry to a hard film. Pull the tape slowly to minimize peeling paint. If necessary run the point of a putty knife along the edge of the tape to break the paint film. See Paint Roller Techniques for more on painting walls.