Choosing the Best Type of Paint for Your Wood Trim

Wood trim is an decorative element that helps unify your rooms. You can have wood trim at the top and bottom of the wall but you can also use it to frame out doors and internal windows. Though wood trim looks great naturally or stained there may be cause to paint it if you need it to match the color of your walls. The kind of paint you use to paint wood trim directly impacts the finished product and how it interacts with the rest of the decor and colors of your home. The article that follows will help you choose which paint is best suited for painting your wood trim.

Interior vs. Exterior Wood Trim

The first consideration is whether the wood trim in in the interior or exterior of the house. If the wood trim is located outside the home, it will be subjected to the elements. Rain, snow, wind and heat will all conspire to deteriorate the wood trim and the paint applied to it. Use exterior paint, which is formulated to withstand the elements as much as is possible.

If the wood trim you want to be painted is inside the house, a water-based paint will be the safest paint to use. Exterior paint, such as acrylic and enamel, is overkill for an interior painting job. The only time you want to use an exterior paint on interior wood trim is when you need a glossy and durable finish.

Detailed Wood Trim

Wood trim, or molding, can be very decorative and ornate or simple and contemporary. Simple wood trim is easier to paint because there are no details to worry about. This is not the case with detailed wood trim. To properly paint decorative wood trim you will need a paint that is somewhat thinner to reach into the recesses and grooves. Water-based paints are thinner than oil-based paints so they will work better. If, however, you want to have a shiny surface, you may use an oil-based paint that is slightly thinned out with mineral spirits.

Kitchen Details

If you are adding wood trim to the entire home then you have to include the kitchen or else you will interrupt the flow of the home. Painting wood trim in the kitchen comes with some special circumstances. There typically is more moisture in the kitchen as well as a potential for steam and splatters of food and oil. For this reason you should consider an oil based paint because it dries hard, has a shine to it and is easily cleaned with water. Water based paint can easily be removed with water and steam. You just need to match the shade and shine of the paint of the rest of the house.

Baseboard Wood Trim

Wood trim is often used at the top of the ceiling but not always at the floor. If you use baseboard wood trim, an oil-based paint is best used due to its hardness.