How to Prepare Wood Trim for a Smooth Paint Job

Wash the Woodwork

• You’ll need buckets, sponges and detergent;
  • Pro Tip: Don’t wash with a cloth rag, as it may shine a flat surface or dull a lustrous one. The goal is to remove the grime so you don’t push it farther into the wood during sanding.
• Use a non-soapy detergent such as Dirtex, Spic & Span or TSP No-Rinse Substitute.

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Wash the Trim

• Clean and rinse one section before moving onto the next section;
• Wash wood from the bottom upward with slow, easy up-and-down strokes so the solution has time to soften the grime.
  • Pro Tip: If you start at the top, the cleaner can run down the wood and create hard-to-remove streaks.
• Change both the cleaning solution and the rinse water often — whenever the water becomes cloudy.
  • Pro Tip: Spend extra time cleaning areas that have a lot of hand contact, like around door handles such as windows, door frames and around light switches and handles/knobs, and places that attract high airborne particles (all wood in kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms).

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Use Special Cleaners to Remove Stains

• Use a heavy-duty cleaner on stains, or cover them with a stain-blocking primer.
• If stains from markers, ink or crayons resist initial cleaning, remove them with a specialty cleaner. Otherwise, they’ll bleed through the new paint. If all else fails, apply a stain-hiding primer.

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Sand All Surfaces to Remove the Shine

• Hand-sand all woodwork smooth with fine, 180-grit sandpaper until all shine disappears.
  • Note: A coarser-grit paper will remove more than necessary (use 80- to 120-grit to smooth imperfections such as heavy globs of old paint).
• If the outside paint layer is gummy, use a “clog-resistant,” or “self-lubricating,” sandpaper (such as 3M’s SandBlaster paper). It has an anti-load coating that keeps the paper from clogging.

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Test Paint Adhesion

• Pull duct tape off the paint to see if the paint sticks;
• To determine if the new paint will hold, scribe an “X” lightly into the surface paint layer with a razor blade. Firmly stick duct tape over the mark and yank it away quickly. If any paint adheres to the tape, it’s unsound and should be removed.

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Scrape Loose Paint

• Use a 2-in. carbide-blade scraper to eliminate areas of hardened grime, flaking or chipped paint, and thick paint globs;
  • Note: Buy one that fits your hand and features a replaceable carbide blade.
• Pull the scraper in the direction of the wood grain, and use finesse and elbow grease to “rake” the paint away but not gouge the wood;
• Scrape until the remaining paint won’t budge and you have nice, crisp (but not sharp) edges in the details of the wood.

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Dust and Vacuum Thoroughly

• When the first sanding and scraping step is complete, dust off all areas with an old paintbrush and vacuum woodwork with a brush attachment.

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Clean Out Crevices With a Putty Knife

• For small, tight areas, scrape with a 1-1/2-in. flexible putty knife.
• Use a pushing motion to go under the paint — working from an area of loose paint to an area where paint has firmly adhered.
  • Pro Tip: This bevels the remaining paint layers to make a smooth transition between damaged and undamaged areas, and it renews the details in the wood.

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Check for Flaws With a Trouble Light

• Position a hand-held work light so it shines across the wood surface to detect loose paint, rough edges and other blemishes in the surface to determine what needs to be filled;
• Use a pencil and lightly circle spots that need work.

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Fill Holes With Compound

• Use a flexible putty knife to fill all chips, holes and cracks with spackling compound.
  • Note: Holes filled with a heavy coat or several layers of paint may look good initially, but the result won’t last. When the paint dries, these filled areas will often reopen.
• Use a lightweight compound that dries fast and doesn’t shrink.
  • Pro Tip: Apply more filler than is needed to each hole with a putty knife, then smooth it by pressing down and pulling toward you. Then use the widest putty knife you have to feather out the filler — and keep sanding to a minimum.

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Rebuild Damaged Corners

• For damaged corners, use a two-part wood filler or an automotive body filler like Bondo. Both are tough, won’t shrink and stick like glue.

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Caulk Between Woodwork and Walls

• Apply a thin bead of paintable acrylic latex caulk only inside the crack where wood meets a wall for a smooth, professional appearance.
• Remove extra caulk with a putty knife.
  • Pro Tip: Buy a dripless caulk gun to save time and frustration. Cut the tip smaller than you think you need.

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Feather out Filled Areas With Fine-Grit Sandpaper

• Prime areas that are filled with a compound;
  • Pro Tip: If you don’t do this, the dull spot will show through the finished coat of paint.
• Use 320-grit sandpaper over all filled areas to flatten and feather them out.
• Dust off the sanded areas with an old paintbrush, and vacuum with a brush attachment.
• Finish by wiping down the wood with a damp cloth if using water-based paint or a tack cloth if using oil-based paint.

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