Can you paint oak baseboards white

In my humble opinion, many brands make excellent trim paint. The question of oil-based paint vs latex paint is common, too. The slow-drying nature of oil paint is the trick of how to paint trim without brush marks, since it self levels as it slowly dries. However , water-based paints have come a long way in recent years… and they are a great option, too! If you want to avoid the fumes of oil paint and enjoy easy clean up, water-based trim paints are great.

One important piece of information: If your trim was previously painted in oil, you cannot simply paint over with water-based paint. It will peel unless it is prepped and primed properly! Be sure to take that into consideration when choosing your trim paint. Fortunately, untinted white straight off the shelf without any added color is almost always a safe bet!

It is what we have in both our main home and the ranch house, and I have been so pleased with it. In our main home, we used Sherwin Williams ProClassic interior oil based which is what was already on the trim from the previous owners for trim, doors, cabinetry, and molding, including our fireplace in the living room. They also have a water-based version if you prefer easier clean up. Again, we chose an untinted white trim paint. In short, I think you have a lot of good options for painting trim white with oil or water-based, high-quality trim paints!

Now with all those details out of the way, here is a step-by-step tutorial for painting trim white without sanding! And if you still have questions, be sure to watch the video below where I chat a bit more about the process and the various options you have. If your wood trim has any kind of sheen to it, you will want to degloss it in order to ensure that the primer and paint will adhere. If your trim is not glossy, then you may be able to skip this step. To degloss, simply apply the deglosser with a lint-free rag according to the directions on the product.

Be sure to use proper precautions and ventilation when using a chemical deglosser. If your trim is stained especially dark, then you may want to consider an oil-based primer like this for better coverage, but in most instances, an all-purpose water-based primer like this will work and is easier for clean up, etc. If too much wood is still showing through the primer after one coat, you may want a second coat of primer this may save you having to do multiple coats of paint later.

I like to fill holes and caulk cracks after priming because the holes are easier to spot once the trim is white rather than wood color… but you could do this step before priming if you prefer. Use a dab of wood filler to fill nail holes and a bead of caulk to fill cracks. Then wipe the filler or caulk with a damp rag to remove excess. Allow each to dry according to the package directions. After the primer, filler, and caulk have dried, paint your trim.

If you plan on painting all the trim in the whole house, then it could take you a month to a few months depending on how much time you are spending painting. From my experience, I would recommend not rushing and taking breaks when you get sick of painting. Before you start painting, a critical step will be picking a paint color and type. This is because they all have different undertones.

The very important part to remember is that white will look white until you pair it with another white. When you put two whites next two each other, you will see the undertones and one will appear white and the other will appear yellow, grey, brown etc. In this first picture, you can see that the color Swiss Coffee appears white.

Start by finding out what white ceiling color, cabinet color or door color you have in your house and match it. It is best to stay with this color. The only white in our house was the ceilings, which had minimal undertones. We tested three different whites. It is also very bright with a LRV of 94 and we wanted to maximize making the space feel bright.

Also know that you can mix and match any color with any brand. But once you start, you will always want to get the same color in the same base.

Since all brands have a unique starting base so the color will vary slightly between brands. At most paint stores, they have this very helpful chart that tells you what finish to use depending on what you are painting.

For trim, the most common and recommended finish is a semi-gloss. There are really four steps to painting trim: wash, fix, prep and paint. If you read other tutorials, then you will see they all follow this same idea. I read so many tutorials before I started and took detailed notes. After reading and painting our trim, this became my method that worked really well for me. Most surfaces have oil, grease, and a layer of dirt on them. I was shocked at how much came off.

The best part is cleaning trim is actually very easy. I use a cleaning bucket to mix. Now, take a sponge and dip it into your TSP water mixture. Ring it out so it is only damp.

Now, wipe it across the trim. You want the sponge to be wet but not dripping. Now, take your lint free rag and wipe the surface. Just keep repeating until you have cleaned all the trim you plan on painting. I was very surprised at how dirty our trim was. More Posts from this Category. Your email address will not be published. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam.

Learn how your comment data is processed. Good for you, Sarah!! I painted the wood trim in our house painstaking, but totally worth it!! It was the best decision for our house I ever made and will say it definitely made our house feel like a home and our haven!!

Excited to follow along as you paint! Your home is beautiful! Thank you so much Julie! I love that you love your painted trim. I cant wait to see the final product!! I know it will look amazing!!! You go girl!!!! So, I have the same honey oak trim everywhere in my house. Can I paint the baseboards white only. And leave the door frames and window frames honey oak??

Or is this a all in all out kinda of commitment?? I think it will look amazing!!! Cheers to a paint fest! I love the look of the grey trim also, it warms up the space completely. Since your walls are white it will take away all the beautiful wood details you have. I say, good for you! Paint away! I totally agree that you should do what makes you happy, not what makes others happy! I always encourage women to do what they can do to love their homes.

The wood gives so much warmth and draws the eye out the windows to the landscape. It stands apart. It takes a truly creative person to update while maintaining and embracing core things about a home. Thanks for your input Chris! I prefer light ash or dark walnuts over the honey oak in my home but we are going keep some of it, like our ceiling in our dining room!

My walls are a similar color to your living room walls, and my wood trim is honey oak. My question is: did you paint the trim white or the same color as your walls? So you made the right choice even if you did have to repaint it all! It took a layer of primer, and two coats of paint in this room and a layer of primer and three coats of paint on the trim in B's room! Don't you sometimes wonder what in the world the previous owners were thinking with the mega-colorful rooms?

I realize this is an old post, but we recently bought a house with the exact same wood trim as your before photos. I am dying to paint it white and yours looks great. Is there a specific primer and paint you used? What primer and paint did you use for the fireplace?

I want to paint mine white and it is the same brown color. I love these before and afters—it is giving me the courage to proceed with tackling my honey oak house! Have you ever done a project that way and liked the look?

What would you recommend then for a patio door—stain the door or paint it? Thank you! You know, our sliding doors in our kitchen are still brown, and the frames white and it drives me crazy.

It is just a personal preference. Hi Kathryn! Overall I have been really happy with how the trim covers. It will chip away a bit with the normal wear and tear but I think it holds up really well. On our windows on the south side where most of the varnish had worn off , we have had much more trouble with the stain seeping through.

And when we sanded, it just made it more difficult to cover up. I recommend semi-gloss on all trim. We use cabinet paint in semi-gloss for our cabinets though. Hope that helps clear things up! This really works? In our experience, if we sand, the stain continues to seep out of the woodwork resulting in splotches of brown appearing through the many layers of primer and paint.

We did find that using a scotch brite pad once-over the doors seemed to give a nice result. And yes, I would definitely recommend cleaning the wood work beforehand. I always wipe mine down with a vinegar solution, or a Norwex microfiber cloth beforehand. And if you do end up sanding, definitely wipe it down after to remove any dust. Good luck! I want to do what you did and paint but my husband said if we do, we have to take the trim off, sand it then paint it and put it all back on.

Your home looks beautiful! We have oak everywhere too, including our windows. Did you take your windows off to paint them, or did you leave them up? We took them off! They were much easier that way to paint! It is a big endeavour but so worth it! My mantle looks almost identical to include the little notches. How in the world did you paint inside all of them and make it look nice. I just did my first coat of primer and it was very difficult to get inside of all of those notches.

Any suggestions? It will look amazing and the hardwork is worth it! So, I have this same dentil molding all over. Were you able to rough up the surface at all inside there or did you just go ahead and paint without worrying about those tiny spots?