But where do you start? What finish of paint do you get? How do you apply it? Do you tape the baseboards and trim around the WHOLE house? You could...I thought about doing that. However, we just finished painting all of the walls in the house to a new color and I was too afraid of peeling.
I could try to line everything with paper and use minimal tape to hold it up. That didn't make sense. What about a trimmer/edge tool? Possibly!
Now what about the floor part? Tape all of that too? Line it with paper? Use the edger?
Now how do you apply the paint? One of those cheap $1 brushes from the crafts store? You don't have to worry about washing it. Just toss it. Do they make brush strokes? Do they make a foam roller that tiny? Is there such a things as a paint brush that does not leave brush strokes??
Is your head spinning yet? Mine is.
But alas! I have some answers from my experience painting baseboards. To start the finish of the paint should be a semi-gloss or high-gloss. This makes it extremely easy to clean! Speaking of cleaning...before you start ANY of this, make sure you clean your baseboards and dust/sweep them as well to make sure there is nothing that will get stuck to the brush or paint. Without cleaning them first, you'll get a nice organic texture from the dirt and fur on the baseboards that will peel over time. Clean the boards!
So you've cleaned them, you know the paint, now what? Application. I did a little bit of research and although I did not find an exact answer, everything I read said Purdy Paintbrushes are the paint brushes to use!
The paint brush I purchased was the Purdy Nylox Soft - 2 inch angled brush. Yes - if you are going to paint baseboards, use this. I will recommend it every time. I had the cheap foam brushes but they dry up quickly, become stiff and you can not wash them out. This brush washed clean every time and the bristles stayed soft. But we'll get to cleaning them later.
For the edger, I purchased the Warner 12-inch Plastic Paint Guide and used that for the floors. I initially used it for against the walls and then taped paper to the floor to keep the paint from getting on the tile but that wasn't delivering the results and crisp lines I wanted. I also learned that my walls weren't flat. And since they aren't flat, the paint guide would not sit flush to the walls and was leaking paint underneath that left cleanup. I didn't want to risk it drying on the fresh paint to have to repaint again.
So! Below is a video of the technique I ended up using. I put the guide underneath or butted up against the baseboard. Whatever didn't sit flush with the guide got on the tile which is a very easy clean up, even if it does dry.
I learned with this whole experimenting that I have steady hands, even with my system filled with coffee and tea. I hand painted against the wall with the paint brush with no extra guard. I found that the angled brush that had the tip of the brush dipped in the paint that I was able to create the crisp edge and made minimal mistakes.
Cleaning your Prudy Brush - follow the instructions on the box for the best results. I used warm water and since I used latex based paint, whatever residual paint was dried on there, I was able to peel off. I was meticulous about it and parted the brush, hair by hair, to make sure I got it all off. That paintbrush was a small investment and I want to get the longevity of Purdy quality.
Bonus! Here is a video of me painting the trim around the backdoor. Notice that the sides I did by hand as well. I did not paint the top because no one will see it. No need to waste the paint.
Comment below about your experience or questions about baseboards and trim painting! I am by no means an expert but brainstorming and new techniques never hurt to share!
Until the next Paige!
-A
**I was not sponsored by Purdy or any materials used in this post. I purchased them based on research I did prior to the purchase. This is basically an over-the-top review!
They look great! LOL at organic texture...my house has an abundance of that.
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