How To Paint Exterior Trim

Painting exterior trim is a great way to give your home a pop of color and add sleek structured look. A contrasting trim will always look great on old victorian styled homes, cabins, wood paneling and much more!  In this blog Peak Pro will teach you the best way to paint the exterior trim on your home.

House trim will most likely appear at corners, along the roofline, around windows and doors, or where the siding meets the foundation. Painting trim should always be the last step of your house painting project. This exterior accent tends to take some time, patience, and attention to detail. But don’t worry, it all will pay off in the end.

First Step:

Before starting any paint job you always want to clean the surface you are painting- especially with your home exterior that can collect a lot of dust and dirt. This step is crucial to producing a smooth clean finish. So grab a wet rag or tool of your choice and wash off any chalk, dirt and mildew.

Second Step:

Preparation is key in painting the exterior trim of your home. Because the trim is always the last step, you want to make sure that paint doesn’t splatter on your already painted home. Peak Pro suggests that you tape paper around the trim. This step is highly important if you are choosing to spray the trim with a high powered paint sprayer. And if so make sure to protect a much larger surface area including, plants, cars, windows, doors, and anything downwind.

Third Step:

Once you have cleaned and protected any vulnerable surfaces, it is important to scrape off any peeling or cracked paint. This will help promote a long lasting paint job that won’t have the same expiration as the paint layer underneath it. Peak Pro recommends to do this with a sander for the utmost efficiency.

Fourth Step:

After you have sanded down the cracks and flakes and removed all dust particles, it is time to prime!

Fifth Step:

While using the right paint and paint color is important when painting the exterior trim of your home. The right tool for the job will make a huge difference. Because the trim is usually composed of relatively small, narrow areas, extensive preparation should be used if you chose to use a tool with a large surface area like a sprayer or roller. Peak Pro would recommend using a paint brush when painting the trim of your home.  When choosing a brush you will want to select the largest size brush that will fit your trim. Using the largest possible brush helps cut down on lap marks since you can cover the area in a smooth, continuous stroke.

Finally:

For the best results when painting exterior trim, start at the top of your home and work your way down. Although this may not be crucial it sure will help you avoid smudging or imprinting areas that you’ve already painted. It is recommended that you start with the gables, eaves, and gutters before moving onto lower windows and doors.
If you aren’t the DIY home exterior master, or just don’t have the time. Our Peak Pro home painters will help you paint the interior and/or exterior of your home for you in surrounding areas of Denver CO and Austin TX. Have a business that needs exterior painting in Denver area, Peak Pro also does Denver commercial painting. Click this link to request a quote.