Bleed-Proof Tape Lines
Sealing the tape edge before the color coat — with the base color, clear sealant, caulk, or polycrylic — so anything that bleeds through is invisible.
Prep the Trim First, but Paint It Last
Technique: Walls or Trim First
The Problem
"Walls first or trim first?" is one of the most-asked questions in room painting, and the yes/no answers miss the point. The messy work on trim — sanding, filling, priming — throws dust and requires leaning tools and hands all over the adjacent wall. Do that after the walls are finished and you'll be touching up your fresh walls.
The Technique
Split the trim work in two: preparation up front, topcoat at the end.
- Prep all the trim first: sand it down, fill holes and dents, spot-prime where needed, and get the undercoat on. The trim is now ready for its final coat — but don't apply it yet.
- Paint the walls to their final coat.
- Come back and put the final coat on the trim.
The ordering means the dusty, wall-endangering trim work happens while the walls are still unfinished, and the only trim step that happens near finished walls is one careful topcoat with a brush.
Pro tip: The order flips if you're spraying. Sprayed trim goes first — spray it all, mask it off, then paint the walls. The brush-and-roller order above is for everyone else.
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