Buy Better Trim Paint
Family Handyman|March 2019

Installed new trim when I replaced all the doors and windows in my house a few years ago. Unfortunately, I didn’t get around to painting it. I recently decided it was time to finish the job, and the first step was to determine the paint that would perform best regardless of brand, sheen or color.

Mike Berner
Buy Better Trim Paint

To research the options—for Family Handyman and myself—I picked up 12 trim paints to try. After running tests and conferring with pro painters and industry experts, I singled out a few top performers.

6 factors that matter

Cost

One thing I learned from the experts was that quality paint starts with expensive raw materials. That means cost is a pretty good predictor of the results you’ll get. Using inexpensive paint could save a few bucks on the front end but cost you down the road. The paints I tested ranged in price from $35 to $90 per gallon.

Odor

I steered clear of any oil-based paints because of their smell, but some of the new acrylic-alkyd formulas still use solvent. These are a lot less stinky than pure oil-based paints, but some may bother sensitive noses.

Cleanup

With two kids under 2 running and crawling around, I don’t want to mess with any solvent cleanup, and with so many great water-cleanup options, I don’t think you should either.

Toughness

My trim takes some abuse from my kids. It’s no fun sanding and repainting when it gets dinged up. I tested the toughness of the finish by dragging a piece of 80-grit sandpaper weighted with 1-lb. boxes of screws across it. The toughest paints took the punishment with only light scuffing.

Workability

A good trim paint can be applied in tight areas like corners and curved profiles and smoothed out before it starts to dry. I painted an intricate profile at a mitered corner to figure out which paints were more workable.

Smoothness

Denne historien er fra March 2019-utgaven av Family Handyman.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra March 2019-utgaven av Family Handyman.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.