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Discussion Forum

Can Light Trim/Paint or No?

etherhuffer | Posted in General Discussion on July 3, 2006 06:12am

Style question. We painted our ceiling to match the walls instead of using white. We are using black coil trim(keep the glare down).  Do any of you paint out the white trim rings to match color, or leave them alone. I could go either way, but like a nice clean look. If I ever painted white again I would have a huge bill as we were foolish and used Juno 5″ cans. The trim alone is 25 bucks a pop. Groan.

Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities- Voltaire

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  1. FastEddie | Jul 03, 2006 07:03pm | #1

    Sure, why not.  It's no different than painting the a/c grilles.  I once did a T&G wood ceiling, and I bought some wood a/c grilles in the same species and recessed them fully.  They almost disappeared from sight.

     

     

    "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

  2. RW | Jul 03, 2006 10:09pm | #2

    yes but not with wall paint. Metal, plastic accessories like that I have the paint color made up in an all acrylic that is sprayed. Don't you hate seeing brush marks on return air grilles? Me too.

    "Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think -- there are no little things" - Bruce Barton

    1. FastEddie | Jul 04, 2006 06:14am | #12

      I should have qualified my comment.  I think painting the trim a custom color is a good idea, but not with a brush or roller. 

      "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

      1. RW | Jul 04, 2006 07:21am | #13

        I knew whatcha meant. I've only once painted trim rings. Blue ceiling, and white rings looked awful dorky up there. Making them blend made the HO happy. But return air grilles, this thread is making me see another regional thing. Here, if you dont have them nice and smooth and blended into the wall, its like what else did you screw up. You don't leave them white. Its just not done. And before they go on, whether its rigid ducting or just the back of the opposite wall serving as the chase, that gets painted flat black. So if you look in as you're walking past you don't see anything. Not as noticable.

        But floor vents, no. Because we ain't painting the carpet. Unless Marty shows up. With a dog. Try to put them in the ceiling whenever possible. I don't know when the culture shift was, seems like mid nineties. Everything before then was in the floor. I guess some guy got the idea (probably a carpet installer) to quit putting them there and stick them up. And there we are. "Sometimes when I consider what tremendous consequences come from little things, I am tempted to think -- there are no little things" - Bruce Barton

        1. FastEddie | Jul 04, 2006 06:25pm | #14

          I think the shift away from floor vents happened here when they started pouring concrete slab foundations.

            

          "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

          1. etherhuffer | Jul 04, 2006 07:36pm | #15

            Grilles are another matter. Can any object be more irritating? They never fit, they are never the right color, they collect dust, they get bent......I bought my folks a Reggio cast iron air return register for their home. It looks very nice and no dents or dings. But the cost of iron and brass is out there.  It seems to me there is just low and high range for grills, mid range non existant.Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities- Voltaire

  3. User avater
    Gunner | Jul 03, 2006 10:54pm | #3

      I wouldn't.

     

     

    Rock the Tipi!

    1. etherhuffer | Jul 03, 2006 10:56pm | #4

      I think trial and error may be best. Put em and see if I like em out of the box. When wife wants to paint them, pull them down and do it.Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities- Voltaire

  4. jrnbj | Jul 03, 2006 11:11pm | #5

    Corporate often specs painting the trims on the renovations I do... just to save money...I'm with Gunner...wouldn't do it in my house, unless I could do a good spray & bake finish

  5. User avater
    Dinosaur | Jul 03, 2006 11:27pm | #6

    Do any of you paint out the white trim rings to match color,

    Definitely not. For me, the classic mark of a cheap, bad paint job is paint rolled all over trim elements like switch/recepticle plates, pot-light trim, hinges, grilles, whatever. It smacks so much of the contractually-required 'landlord' paint job in a rental unit that I would never consider doing it in any building where quality finishing is the desired result.

    If the colour scheme you want doesn't concord with the existing can trim, you have two choices: buy new trim of the proper colour, or refinish the trim elements so that it looks like you did. That will involve, as another poster has already mentioned, removing the trim and applying specialty coatings formulated for that kind of plastic/metal with a spray gun in a controlled environment.

    My guess is it would cost less in the long run to buy new trim of the colour you want.

    Dinosaur

    How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
    low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
    foolish men call Justice....

    1. User avater
      Gunner | Jul 04, 2006 12:11am | #7

        Yep that's what I wanted to say. You hit it right on the head. It looks like first apartment B.S.

       

       

      Rock the Tipi!

      1. etherhuffer | Jul 04, 2006 12:43am | #8

        Got it. Standard trim rims are white(or chrome, etc) but don't really match paint. Its interesting because some folks suggested the roll over with ceiling paint. I bit my tongue and posted her. Much better advice! Thanks!Those who can make you believe in absurdities can make you commit atrocities- Voltaire

      2. User avater
        Dinosaur | Jul 04, 2006 01:42am | #10

        I was thinking of my first commercial office, back in NYC about a gazillion years ago. Leases ran 3 years at a shot and ya got an obligatory paint job with each lease. The painter would show up, spread a dropcloth half an inch thick with caked paint over everything in the office, and start rolling in the middle of the ceiling. When he got down to the dropcloth, he rolled it up and left. Nothing in between was left unpainted and he never got out a brush. He used a driveway roller with a 3" nap that would roll right over anything without feeling it. Took him about 35 minutes to do a 16x20 office with 14' ceilings.

        After the first time, I bribed him not to do it and then snuck in myself at night and did the job right.  Landlord's agent always wondered why my office looked so much nicer than the rest of the building....Dinosaur

        How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not broughtlow by this? For thine evil pales before that whichfoolish men call Justice....

  6. DonK | Jul 04, 2006 12:46am | #9

    I would do it, either use a spray set up - can if it's close, or a mixed set up if not. I don't like the roller marks either, would try to match with spray, or at least use one of the small foam rollers with good paint - leaves a really smooth finish.

    Don K.

    EJG Homes     Renovations - New Construction - Rentals

  7. WayneL5 | Jul 04, 2006 05:41am | #11

    They are never going to really disappear.  You could take the trim rings down and spray paint them in a color that goes well with the ceiling color, perhaps a different shade of the same color.  That would show an intent to add style, and spray painting produces a professional looking finish.

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