| Out of all the exterior painting jobs, painting the | | | | morning dew has evaporated. Also make sure |
| exterior trim is one of the most difficult. More | | | | you've finished working by the evening because |
| preparation is required along with greater care. | | | | evening moisture can interfere with your good |
| However it can also be very satisfying to see | | | | work. |
| your house stand out and looking great. | | | | Temperature - Moisture isn't your only |
| Preparation | | | | consideration either, temperature is important too. |
| As with other painting jobs, preparation is a must | | | | The problem is that paint dries much slower in the |
| if you want an excellent finish. You will need to | | | | cold than it does when it's warm. Temperatures |
| mask the trim to prevent paint from ending up in | | | | much below 50F/10C can even cause the paint to |
| places you don't want. If for instance you are | | | | wrinkle. |
| painting the exterior wall first you can end up | | | | In saying that however, high temperatures have |
| getting unwanted paint on your trim which could | | | | its problems too. If the temperature is too high |
| cause difficulties when painting over it. When | | | | the paint will dry too quickly potentially cause |
| painting trim you'll also need to mask to keep | | | | blistering. |
| paint from getting on the walls. Although you may | | | | Technique |
| use paint which is the same colour, they might be | | | | Like other paint jobs, it's always good practice to |
| different shades. | | | | start from the top down. After you have dipped |
| Windows can be fairly difficult because you can | | | | your brush into the paint, wipe the brush against |
| easily get paint on the glass. The question is, do | | | | the rim to remove any excess. |
| you mask the glass before painting or do you | | | | For the first few strokes work your brush |
| simply wipe or scrape the unwanted paint off | | | | perpendicular to the grain. This will help get the |
| later? If you are looking for a great finish and | | | | paint into the groves of the wood. After that you |
| don't want to damage the glass, then masking is | | | | should make brush stokes that work with the |
| the option to choose. | | | | grain. |
| Conditions | | | | Make sure that the size of brush you use is |
| Dry Surface - Like other exterior paint jobs, | | | | appropriate for the size of area you are working. |
| make sure that the surface is dry. This is | | | | For larger areas you can use a larger brush whilst |
| especially true with trim. It's not so important for | | | | on smaller more intricate areas use a smaller |
| large wall areas because the sun will dry the area | | | | brush. |
| quickly. However sections of trim have more | | | | If you have a thick area of trim to paint you can |
| angles that can trap moisture. | | | | use a roller. For instance, on a six inch area of |
| Moisture - If it has been raining, wait a couple of | | | | trim using a four inch wide roller is ideal. Just make |
| days before you start work. Also, if you start the | | | | sure you don't go too fast as this can cause paint |
| job a bit later in the day you'll find that the | | | | to splatter. |