Should Trim and Doors Be Sprayed or Brushed?

Is spraying or brushing better for trim?

Spraying gives the smoothest finish, with no brush marks, and it is faster once everything is masked. Brushing is slower per foot but needs little set-up. A good brush and a self-levelling enamel leave only faint brush marks. The better choice depends on the house, not the method.

	Spraying	Brushing
Finish	Smooth and even, like a factory finish	Fine brush marks, softened by self-levelling paint
Set-up	Heavy masking of floors, walls and windows	Drop sheets and a steady hand
Speed	Fast once masked	Slower per foot, but starts right away
Paint used	More, because some drifts away as overspray	Less
Suits	Empty rooms, new builds, doors taken off, panelled doors	Lived-in homes, a few rooms, touch-ups

Overspray:

the fine mist of paint that drifts away from a spray gun and settles on nearby surfaces.

When does spraying trim and doors make sense?

Spraying makes sense when the masking is already paid for, or when detail would make brushing slow. An empty house, a whole-home repaint or a set of doors taken off their hinges are the classic cases. So is anything with lots of edges, such as panelled doors, wainscoting or spindles.

Good times to spray:

• Before you move in. An empty new-build in Vaughan or Milton can be masked once and sprayed top to bottom.
• During a full repaint. Trim can be sprayed before the walls are painted, because any overspray on the walls gets covered.
• Panelled doors. Six-panel and shaker doors have many inside corners, where brushing can leave runs and heavy edges.
• Doors off their hinges. Laid flat or hung in a spray area, doors can be sprayed on both faces and all four edges.

Two kinds of sprayer are common for interior finish work:

Airless sprayer:

a sprayer that pumps paint at high pressure through a tiny tip, breaking it into a fan of fine droplets without compressed air.

HVLP:

short for high-volume, low-pressure, a sprayer that uses lots of air at low pressure, trading speed for a fine finish and less overspray.

When is brushing the better choice?

Brushing wins in a furnished, lived-in home, especially when only the trim is being painted. Masking every wall, floor and window against overspray can take longer than brushing the trim. It also means covering walls you aren't repainting, where one missed spot shows.

Brushing also suits:

• One or two rooms, or a single hallway.
• Baseboards only, with the walls staying as they are.
• Touch-ups and repairs after drywall work.
• Rooms that can't be emptied or sealed off.

Modern waterborne enamels level out as they dry, so brush marks soften. Two thin coats with a light sanding between them beat one heavy coat.

Do doors come off the hinges to be sprayed?

Often, yes. A door sprayed flat or hanging in a spray area gets an even coat on both faces and all four edges. Doors can also be sprayed in place, but then the frame, floor and walls around them need careful masking.

When doors come off, the hardware is removed and each door is labelled for its opening. Each side needs to dry before the door is turned or stacked. Plan for doors to be off their hinges for at least a day while the coats dry, and longer with a slow-drying enamel. Doors to bathrooms and bedrooms can be done in batches, so you are never without privacy for long.

Which paint and sheen suit trim and doors?

Trim and doors need a hard enamel, usually in semi-gloss or satin. Semi-gloss is easier to wipe clean; satin hides small dents and uneven surfaces better. Wall paint stays too soft for edges that take kicks, vacuums and hands.

What to look for:

• Waterborne alkyd or urethane-modified enamel. These level well, dry hard and resist yellowing better than oil.
• Think twice about oil-based enamel. Oil gives a hard finish but yellows as it ages, most of all in rooms with little daylight.
• Caulk and fill first. Gaps between trim and wall are caulked and nail holes filled before either method, or the finish will show them.
• Test old paint before sanding. Health Canada says a home built before 1960 probably contains lead-based paint. Have old trim paint tested before anyone sands it.

Sheen choices by room are covered in Which Paint Sheen Should You Use in Each Room? Product grades are in What Is the Difference Between Premium and Contractor-Grade Paint? The same spray-or-brush question comes up with cabinets, in Should You Paint or Replace Your Kitchen Cabinets?

How much does trim painting cost in the GTA?

Trim painting in the GTA costs $2.50–$4.00 per linear ft before HST, for baseboard, casing and crown. Interior doors are quoted with the job. The 13% HST in Ontario is added to the total.

Linear foot:

one foot of length measured along a run of trim, whatever its height or width.

Here is roughly how the footage adds up in a 12 by 12 foot bedroom:

Trim in the room	Approximate linear feet
Baseboard, less the two door openings	42
Door casing, bedroom side	17
Closet door casing	17
Window casing, 3 by 4 foot window	14
Total	About 90

Measure your own rooms the same way, then multiply by the rate above. One bedroom's trim on its own comes in under the $750 + HST minimum job. That is why trim is usually painted with the walls, or across several rooms in one visit. The interior painting cost guide shows room prices with trim included, and Why Do Painters Have a Minimum Job Charge? explains the minimum.

How do you get a quote for trim and doors?

Start with Get My Estimate or text us photos of the rooms and doors. A crew lead checks every surface from them, and counts the doors. Your written, itemized quote arrives

within 24 hours of seeing the job and names the paint by brand and line. Trim is sprayed or brushed to a smooth finish in two coats, with a written 5-year workmanship warranty. Whoever you hire, ask for the quote to say which surfaces are sprayed and which are brushed. More detail is on the trim and door painting page.