Trim work, from basic baseboards to ornate crown moulding or chair rail, subtly effects the mood of any room and can transform a simple rectangle room into a special space.
But even the classiest trim in older buildings often looks bad, because painters frequently just give existing trim paint a quick sanding, then slap a couple of coats of paint on top.
In older homes, trim can have layer upon layer of old paint – some chipping, some peeling, most beat up after years of use. In one otherwise gorgeous prewar apartment, we counted nine layers of old trim paint! The beautifully designed trim had become an eyesore, uneven and sloppy.
In these cases, anything less than stripping to the original wood will result in trim that looks and feels rough. And often the new paint will start to fail after only a couple of months, because it has a bad foundation under it.
So when you consider painters, make sure you take into account how they handle old trim.
Our team uses dedicated tools to remove any number of paint layers without damaging the underlying woodwork. If our testing reveals lead-based paint in those layers, we are EPA-certified in lead abatement and can safely remove it. And of course, we use the highest quality trim paint for its toughness and smoothness.
Our customers are often astounded when grungy-looking old trim suddenly looks new again!
(Oh, and we can make you some custom trim if needed. Check out this time-lapse video of our recent installation of custom wainscoting.)