Hi all. I'm new here. A busy Mom of two and really want to paint the trimwork in my house a white or offwhite color. It is dark birch at the moment. Very smooth and shiny. I guess it would be best to just replace the trim but I can't afford that. So I'd like to paint it. I'm sure this will be a huge undertaking. I'd love advice on how to do this and not have the dark wood show through. The house was built in the 80's when dark trim was in. I just don't like it. The house isn't so big so I really think white/light trim would brighten it up and give it a bit larger appearance. I appreciate any advice or links anyone could give me. Thanks!

 

A very common update
The results can be an impressive for such a small amount of money
Not a big deal as projects go really, it's less intrusive then say, a ceiling paint project, or even a wall painting project
But takes more coats and you're on the ground for the base boards

The trim must be sanded with medium grit paper or sanding sponge
This is to scuff up the surface, not sand off the finish
Primed with an oil-based primer
Then two color coats should do it

If you go to a local Paint Shop (rather than a Paint Department somewhere) they should have what you need there, and some good advice if you need it
The quality paints and tools (a good brush is a must for this detailed work) will make it look better and reduce your time spent on the project

 

Thank you!

 

I'm not a fan of dark wood trim, especially in smaller spaces. I prefer a creamy white paint for trim work, but bright white or creamy white is purely a matter of personal taste.

I would recommend latex enamel (satin or semi-gloss) for the topcoat. I like the look of a satin finish, but semi-gloss will wash and wear better. As Slick said, you'll need oil-based primer. A water-based bonding primer may also work, but I'll leave that to the pros.

I agree this is a very doable job and will make a big difference for only a small amount of money, when you do the work yourself. Good paint and a good brush are a must. I know the price of a good brush (e.g. Purdy) may look outrageous, but trust the pros.

One more thing, you may want to consider adding Floetrol to your paint. It should slow down the drying time reduce brush marks. And, when painting the baseboards you may want to use knee pads or a kneeling pad.

 

I agree, make sure your primer is solvent based, I know some latex primers claim to bond to anything but I'm not convinced. Top coat can be latex, oil based or waterborne which is my personal favorite.

After the primer is dry [sand if needed] you should caulk all the places where the pieces of wood meet. This will help to give you a professional looking job. Use a siliconized acyrlic caulk.

 

I should have been more specific. I would use a waterborne latex enamel (e.g. Sherwin-Williams "ProClassic") or a similar product.

 

Nix my idea of using a waterborne bonding primer for stained wood.

I thought the waterborne binding primer I wanted to use was also a sealer, but I was wrong (must pay more attention to product selection). Yesterday, I was painting a set of oak cabinets (with dark walnut stain) and within a few minutes I noticed the dark stain bleeding through the primer. I'm going to switch to an alkyd primer/sealer.