When painting a room, do you paint the trim or the walls first?
its easier to paint the trim because of the small edges on the side and then when you cut in your lines with a brush on the walls you are painting directly in front of you,a larger area, and can have better brush control.
Well the easiest thing to do for me, is the walls first. I usually put painters tape on the walls too. You can also paint the trim first by putting the painters tape around it, so you don't bleed onto the walls.
Most of the trim in my house is stained wood, so I don't paint it. But I'd do the trim first if I were you. Sand it, wipe it and the walls clean, then paint the trim. Let it dry well and if you are using latex (water) based paint, then you could just use a wet rag to wipe any drips you get from when you pain the walls off the trim.
general rule when painting for a living...ceiling, trim then walls...and alittle secret when you paint the trim paint up onto the wall slightly, like at least a quater inch but upto what ever happens is fine (even like a brush stroke above is fine just wasteful)...anyhow my point is don't be careful when painting the trim...when you do the wall you then cut in above the trim but because you painted the trim colour above the trim you don't have to try so hard to get into the little corner as much... you can actually leave like 1/8 of an inch above and it looks cleaner then if you try to get in the crack and sometimes you go too far or not enough...same holds true for painting the ceiling...leave a little edge and if you are straight it looks better then following the exising edge
It is probably better to paint the trim. It is easier cutting in on the wall itself. The trim work (window and door frames) are generally in front of the walls so you may touch the wall. But then, when you cover the wall, you cover the mistake. You can also wait for the paint to dry on the trim and then tape over the trim work. Depending on the type of paint and the weather, it may be only hours. Paint the trim, go eat lunch, paint the walls.
