Paint Brush marks on your wall are the worst. They’re difficult to cover up and even if you pull off a miracle (and don’t cause any damage), they can ruin the look of your interior design for years.
Painting trim is often overlooked but it’s important because it helps define spaces in a room, which makes everything feel more cohesive. It also helps make walls appear taller and ceilings seem higher. But brush strokes can easily ruin all that hard work!
These tips will help you achieve clean lines when painting trim with brushes or rollers so you can avoid brush strokes altogether! Practicing these techniques will help you achieve top-notch painting results every time.
No More Messy Streaks: Easy, Painless and Quick Results for Your Painted Trims!
Painting trim without brush strokes is easier than you might think. You’ll be able to paint like an expert without having to worry about getting those pesky brush marks everywhere! With just a few quick steps, anyone can get professional results every single time no matter what type of paintbrush or roller they use.
Paint and Primer
Choose an oil-based paint with primer to ensure that the paint sticks well to the surface you are painting onto. For example, choose a high-quality eggshell or satin finish for door casings or window frames, etc.
Sanding
Do a light sanding if you’re not using an oil-based primer to prepare your surface. This will help the new paint to adhere well and create a smoother finish.
Blend the Chosen and Base Color
Combine 1/3rd of your chosen color with 2/3rds of the same main base coat color to create a shade lighter for trim work because it’s probably too dark otherwise. Ex: Blue + White = Baby Blue Or Black + White = Grey
Treat the Brush Before Use
Rub only one side of your brush in linseed oil before starting on each line this will slow down the drying time and keep any bristles from sticking out.
Brush/ Sponge/ Roller, Choose What You Need
You will need to use a clean, damp sponge mop or brush depending on the application. For detailed crevices and corners use a small paintbrush, for larger flat areas of trim you can choose from either a paint roller or a sponge mop.
When using the sponge mop, don’t rub it back and forth in the paint, rather dab it until it’s fully loaded, then wipe across your surface to remove any excess.
Wait Until The Paint Dried Completely
If you need to do touch-ups after 24 hours have passed, wait for your first coat to dry completely before applying any more layers otherwise, you may pull up the paint you’ve already applied.
You can also wait 3-4 hours between coats, but make sure to not let each coat dry before applying the next one this will cause brush strokes because your surface is still very wet.
If you’re looking for that perfectly smooth finish, consider sleeping overnight between each coat of paint, sleeping in the daytime if necessary, because this will give your newly applied coats enough time to dry before the next one is applied.
You’ll get the perfect finish you’ve been looking for and be able to enjoy your newly painted trim!
The Roller Technique for Perfect Edging
How to paint trim without brush strokes, things you’ll need for the job
- High-quality paint roller or paint sprayer
- Coarse synthetic fibers
- Paint tray that fits roller or paint sprayer
- Yellow tarp (or drop cloth)
While it’s important to get brush marks out of the paint on large flat surfaces such as walls and ceilings, it can actually be more difficult to get a smooth finish when edging. Here, we show you how to do it with a roller and without brush strokes giving perfect results every time.
Step 1: Check for existing brush strokes
Roll the color onto the wall and check with a brush that there are no brush strokes. If you do see any, blend them out with a clean roller. Repeat this process around all of the edges of the room until they’re perfectly blended into the surface that’s been painted already with a roller. The more patches of unpainted wall you have, the more likely it is that you’ll see brush marks.
Step 2: Paint
Apply the paint to the walls and blend with a roller if necessary. The key here is to make sure there are no brush strokes showing on the wall when you walk away from an edge (after checking for brush strokes, of course).
Step 3: Try to get a smooth finish
The trick to getting a perfect edge is to blend each section of wall into the adjacent one until you have a perfectly smooth finish. If your paint roller tends to leave small ridges on the perimeter of a large area, overlap with the second pass of the paint roller this will allow the ridges you finished with to be covered by the new pass.
Step 4: A touch-up to remove ridges
Edges should look seamless to the naked eye no brush strokes are evident. If you can spot where one strip of wall ends and another begins, it will need touching up with a small paintbrush- don’t wait any longer! Rub down carefully with sandpaper to remove ridges.
What Type of Paint and Paintbrushes Should I Use So That the Strokes Do Not Show?
Brush marks or paint streaks are small ridges that may appear on the paint’s surface. This is most likely to happen when you use a brush with bristles made for oil painting, which tend to be stiff. It can also come from using too much pressure or not enough thinner. Sometimes they are not visible until the final stage.
Brushes made for acrylics, watercolors, and other water-based paints (like water-based semi-gloss enamel paint) are less likely to leave brush strokes because they tend to be softer than oil painting brushes. Also, using the appropriate thinner to clean it helps lessen the appearance of brush marks on your final product. Some people recommend baby oil or hair conditioner since these materials are not as harsh on paint.
When applying the latex paint, use a brush that is made for this purpose. Polyester brushes are best for latex paint. These are more likely to be soft than traditional oil painting brushes and will produce fewer brush stroke marks.
Putting two thin coats of paint is better than one thick coat. The first layer should be thin enough to allow some time for the brush marks to settle into the wet surface without leaving too much of an impression.
Use a roller rather than a paintbrush for large flat areas such as walls and ceilings, as it will produce fewer paint streaks on your paint.
If you are using oil paint, try adding some oil to it before applying. Acrylic paints already have the necessary thinner in them so it is not necessary to add this unless for creative reasons.
You can apply a primer when you want your final color to be more opaque and less transparent. This will lessen the visible brush marks.
Using a sealer will make it easier to remove brush strokes by creating a sort of shield over the final product. This is usually recommended for more delicate surfaces that would be otherwise easily damaged by touch or moisture.
What Sheen Should I Use On Trim and Baseboards?
The Trim and baseboard should be painted with satin or semi-gloss paint. Keep in mind that shiny trim will reflect light from the wall, causing it to recede. In addition, if you have difficulty getting into tight corners, choose a flat paint color instead of semi-gloss. Flat paint is more matte and won’t reflect light.
Tip 1:
You can paint your trim first and then paint the wall cut-in around it, or you can tape off the edge of the trim so it creates a crisp line between two different colors. If you choose to use painter’s tape, choose a high-quality professional-grade tape that does not bleed through onto the wall.
Tip 2:
If you like the look of flat paint but want the benefits of a satin or semi-gloss, use Glidden Gripper paint. It is designed to provide both interesting texture and beautiful color without any sheen at all. Gripper Paint comes in matte, eggshell, satin, and semi-gloss sheens.
Tip 3:
If your trim is very detailed and ornate, it may be better to use a semi-gloss paint color so the details show up more easily. Also, if you have light-colored walls make sure to choose a darker trim color for contrast.
Tip 4:
In general the lighter the wall color the darker the trim color.
Tips for a Professional Finish
- Paint at least two coats of primer on wood, before painting. If you want to use a color that doesn’t match the primer, there’s no need for another coat of primer since you’re covering up the color anyways.
- Use an angled brush to paint trim without brush strokes. This way, there will be less of an opportunity for drips and narrow lines.
- If you’re painting door frames, use a roller for the larger areas, then paint in the cracks by hand using an angled brush.
- Use satin or semi-gloss latex paint if you want your trim to sparkle. Flat finishes are recommended only on walls because there is too much sheen when applied to vertical surfaces.
- Apply paint using long, even strokes and blend it evenly into the surrounding areas. Use sandpaper to remove any high spots and brush away dust particles before applying the second coat of paint.
- Leave the paint on your brushes moist instead of letting it dry, so you can apply several strokes without having to add water.
FAQ
Q. What types of stains can be easily removed from the paint without damaging it?
Ans: White vinegar and baking soda are two very effective ways to remove stains from the paint without damaging them.
Q. Have you considered using spray paint instead of brush strokes for doing your trim work? If so why or why not?
Ans: The main reason why you should not use spray paint is that it will give a different look than brush strokes. Brushstrokes are known to be smoother and more natural-looking than spray paint. If you want the same effect as spray paint, then try using an airbrush or thinning out your paint with water before applying it.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of things to think about when it comes to painting the trim. From prep work and paint selection to the order in which colors should be applied, getting this right is no small feat. But with these tips, you’ll get it right the first time and avoid any long-term regret.
Because I’ll tell you what, if your house needs new paint on its exterior or interior, you do not want to have to repaint anything twice! So take some time now by reading up on all that goes into painting trim, because once you know how easy it is, why not make your home look beautiful?