Replies

1. 
   gdavis62 | Feb 16, 2004 11:11pm | #1

   Save your painting labor.  Use a top-quality finish paint for the walls, and do them after you are completely trimmed out.  No more sawdust, ever, then paint.

   My sheetrocker always had used USG's "First Coat" primer, but my painter talked us into having him use Sherwin Williams' "Builders Solution."

   I believe the SW product worked better for us.  The finish paint for the walls covered perfectly in one coat.

   If you paint the walls first, you are bound to ding it somewhere, and everywhere you do, you will repaint entire sections of wall.

1. 
   Woodside | Feb 16, 2004 11:48pm | #2

   Seems like most people suggest painting the walls before installing trim so they can avoid lots of cut-in. I do like your point about getting all the cutting done before painting. Easy isn't always better, and your taking the better route. 

   I'm still undecided, but leaning your way.

   Thanks!

1. 
   gdavis62 | Feb 17, 2004 02:38am | #6

   Here is what we do, in more detail.  Work hard on quality control when your drywall sub is doing the tape and finish.  Insist he use halogens and sunlight if possible to get those walls and ceilings as perfect as possible.  Make sure he gets the glop out of the wall boxes and ceiling boxes, so the sparkies won't be cursing him.  Get everything dusted down, and spray and backroll SW Builders Solution on all drywall.  Get out the ceiling paint, and finish-paint all ceilings, making sure you have coverage and texture right into the corners.  Watch out for roller glop on the walls . . . if he gets it there, have him smooth it out.  If you are confident you can finish the closets with shelving without doing cosmetic damage, then do the closets with the paint you use on the ceiling.

   Then settle back, trim out 100 percent, and start painting.  Get all your trim finished to absolute satisfaction, then go after the walls.  We tape the top of base trim, because cutting there is uncomfortable, and we use a little tape in trim corners, so as to ease cutting there, but otherwise, all cutting goes pretty smoothly by brush.  One cutter works ahead of a roller person, and things go fast in this last step.  Rooms with cabinetry and built-ins get masked and bagged, if all the work was prefinished.

   We find the SW primer to be excellent, and it makes the finish paint go further.  As I said, spend money on wall paint, good quality stuff will cover with one coat, provided your colors aren't too dark.

   Hope this helps.

2. 
   Manzier | Feb 17, 2004 01:42am | #3

   You might be able to roll 1 width around every door and window and along the floor, then put up your trim.  If you need to spray or paint finish your trim on the wall, before you put up your trim, you could either put on a wide masking paper with a small household stapler or lightly sticky tape with the end just under where your trim will be, finish your trim, then take out your masking paper.  Try not to nail into your paper.  You are then already cut in around all of your trim.  Then roll the walls.  The paint would fill any staple holes. 

   I'm not 100% sure this would work, as you wouldn't be working with a wet edge, but it's just something I thought of once and have never had the opportunity to try.

   Tracy

1. 
   xMikeSmith | Feb 17, 2004 04:27am | #7

   trim.......

    prime walls & woodwork...

    fill & spackle...

   caulk all trim..

    finish paint  ceilings....

   finish paint walls....

   finish paint all trim .

   Mike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

1. 
   MojoMan | Feb 17, 2004 05:56am | #8

   Mike:

   As always, your suggestions are read with great interest and respect.

   Are you talking about rollers and brushes, or sprayers? Do you do any masking, or relly on painting skill?

   Al Mollitor, Sharon MA

1. 
   xMikeSmith | Feb 17, 2004 06:06am | #9

   if my painter paints.. he might use a sprayer..  only for ceilings & walls.. trim is always by brush..

    if we paint. it's rollers & brushes.. no masking... unless it's to protect a floor or somesuchMike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

3. 
   ponytl | Feb 17, 2004 02:31am | #4

   i might be backwards...  (if everything is to be paint finish)  i trim everything and prime...  then caulk... then spray the trim (semi  gloss)  then mask the trim off and spray everything else and back roll.....   with a good airless (usually a titian 440)  it goes fast if you have any masking skills at all

   there was a FHB artical a few years ago on this subject... and i think they did it pretty close to the way I described...

   pony

4. 
   CAGIV | Feb 17, 2004 02:33am | #5

   don't know if others do it this way but here's what I do for painted trim.

   Prime the walls once the sheetrock guys are out of the house, going to install the trim on the primed walls, then paint the walls.

   The trim gets sprayed with one coat prior to install, then nailholes filled and shot again with the final coat. then the finish coats on the walls.

   if it's stained trim the nail holes get filled with color putty so I paint the walls then install the trim.

   

5. 
   trimnailer37 | Feb 17, 2004 07:53am | #10

   with pre-primed trim:

   prime walls and ceilings

   finish coat ceilings(unless a lot of crown, then finish coat ceilings before painting trim, cut crown to ceiling, it's easier than cutting ceiling to crown upside down)

   trim

   caulk and putty holes

   paint trim

   cut to trim and finish coat walls, no masking except cabinets and tile

   touch up

   wooster brushes cut like scalpels, but i miss the string tie. velcro too 80's.

6. 
   HeavyDuty | Feb 17, 2004 08:14am | #11

   As you can see there are no set rules even among professionals. I am referring to the people already replied.

   I would go with Mike since I do most of the walls in water base and trims in oil base. The other thing to consider is the difference in color from the wall to the trim. It is a lot easier to cut a darker color into a lighter color especially if there is a big difference in their shades.

   
   

   ---

   Edited 2/17/2004 12:15:45 AM ET by TOMCHARK

1. 
   Woodside | Feb 17, 2004 03:42pm | #12

   You guys are great. Thanks.

   It'll go like this: Pre-primed trim. Rocker spray primes walls and ceilings, and finish coats ceilings.  I trim, caulk and putty holes, paint trim, cut to trim and finish coat walls (masking on baseboard and corners)

   And I like the extra tip "wooster brushes cut like scalpels"!

   Woodside

1. 
   xMikeSmith | Feb 17, 2004 03:46pm | #13

   woodside.. that menu is fine... but i didn't see where you caulk all trim..

    caulk baseboard to wall.... casing to wallMike Smith   Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore

1. 
   Woodside | Feb 17, 2004 04:27pm | #14

   Can't believe I missed that point. Thank you!