How to Paint Molding
- 1). Strip away any existing polyurethane sealer from wood molding by sanding with 80-grit sandpaper. Move toward the molding wood grain to prevent splintering. Dust the molding with rags. Sand the molding a final time, using 150-grit sandpaper. Wipe the molding with tack cloths.
- 2). Abrade vinyl, fiberglass and previously painted molding to ensure adequate adhesion. Sand these types of molding, using 100-grit sandpaper; stop once the molding feels rough. Wipe the molding with tack cloths.
- 3). Protect surfaces adjacent to the molding by covering them with a low-tack tape. Position drop cloths beneath the molding.
- 4). Brush latex primer onto unstained molding, using a polyester brush. Brush shellac primer onto stained molding, using a natural brush. Apply gentle pressure with each stroke. Watch carefully for sags and smooth them before they dry. Let the molding dry for two hours.
- 5). Clean primer from the brush. Use water to rinse latex primer from polyester brushes; use alcohol to rinse shellac from natural brushes.
- 6). Paint the molding as you primed it. Use an easy-to-clean, resilient gloss latex paint. Let the molding dry for two hours.
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