Problem painting trim
We decided to paint the clear-coated trim in family room, on fireplace, and half wall dividing family room and kitchen in a semi-gloss. We started with the half wall by priming it and then painting. The moulding took to the primer and paint well using a bristle brush...no problem. The flat piece of wood on top did not do so well. I wanted to use a sponge brush to avoid lines from a regular brush but the paint store steered us away. The brush left brushstrokes when applying primer. We sanded it down. Then back to the store we went to ask about correcting this. We were given a thick roller to use. I still thought sponge would be better but we were told sponge doesn't hold enough paint to use on wood. The second attempt at primer went on thick and rippled. We sanded it enough to just smooth out leaving the wood primed and tried to roll the paint hoping the primer was the problem. The paint did the same. It looks thick, rippled and has more shine than the trim below it. I don't know what happened and I'm afraid the same thing will happen to the fireplace so now I'm contemplating sanding the paint off the half wall trim and clear-coating the wood again to spare myself the grief. What went wrong?
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If the top has more shine than the side, this might be because the two underlying surfaces worked differently. A second coat on both surfaces may make the finish look the same.
What paint were you using? Was it newly purchased?
For trim areas, I like the small microfiber "wizzy" rollers
Just a thought. Should I be considering satin paint for the fireplace and half wall?
olldcan...I actually didn't go to SW paint store first round. My husband did. When he told me that he was steered away from the foam brushes and rollers because they don't hold paint, I asked "Well how much paint do you need the brush to hold for trim?" Then we went to Lowes to pick up odds and ends and asked there how to fix this issue. We were directed to these thick blue rollers that were small but as thick as rollers you use on a wall. I asked "Don't you think this is too thick for trim?" The paint salesperson said those rollers gets used on wood decking so it should be okay for wood inside. Sigh.
Linda...we didn't use a screen but used a paint tray to roll off excess. The primer and paint are brand new. Zinsser primer and SW Harmony semi-gloss. It did occur to me to thin out the paint when it came out looking thick but I never did that before. I don't know how to thin paint enough and stop before it's too thin. Can primer be thinned as well because that stuff is a beast?
victorianbungalowranch...There is a capability problem. I wouldn't be painting any of this trim, but we recently repainted the kitchen and family room and the family room's clear coated pine trim and fireplace surround/mantle including the half wall sill between kitchen and family room doesn't go very well with the paint. Thankfully, we didn't start with the fireplace. The only thing we painted so far is the half wall trim and sill. The sill was clean and lightly sanded but the primer clearly states there is no need for it. Funny thing is, we didn't sand the trim and it looks better than the sill. I really don't think prep is the problem. I think the application process (application tool specifically) is the problem and that is what we need to fix.
To be fair, the big box store guys aren't usually experts in their field. I look for the old-timers--contractors who knees are going bad or need to tide over the winter--at the store, and try to talk to them when things aren't busy. Got a good paint guy at Home Depot like this, and a few others about I've gotten to know pretty well that way. :)
I've met quite a few tradesmen and women through working with Habitat for Humanity, both on build sites and also in ReStore. I've also met some good contacts through regular ReStore customers.