[Thelonius]

Greetings...

I’m about to paint ALL of the interior in my (new to me) home of 2300 sf. Crown molding, 10’ ceilings. I’m a little confused about a couple of things. All of the trim is in good shape and currently painted white, semi-gloss latex. I will be spraying it.

1) Is sanding necessary in this case? If so, will a quick pass with 120 grit get it?

2) What is the correct procedure...clean with tsp first? But that leaves a residue which has to also be cleaned off...so use a tsp substitute? Then sand, then vacuum then wipe with a damp rag? Seems overkill but will do if necessary as I am pretty fussy.

3) I’m painting kitchen cabinets the same color as the trim, a warm white. I’m nervous about painting all of the trim and the cabinets white with an alkyd because of the potential yellowing. That’s a tremendous amount of labor that could be wasted. Does anybody use a semi-gloss latex for trim and/or cabinets? I understand the pros and cons of alkyds but just wondering how much I’m giving up by going latex. My cabinets won’t get much abuse so I’m not terribly worried about durability. I insisted on a BM latex on my last cabinets that were sprayed by a pro and they looked awesome. Took it to my friends at the local BM store and they agreed even though they pushed my real hard to use the Advance.

Thanks for your opinions.

 

[ront02769]

Only thing out is the condition of the current paint on the trim. If the trim is in good shape As you said(not split, warped cracked, etc.), is the current paint ok? As example, houses of heavy smokers tend to get yellowed nicotine yack on ceilings and trim. Perhaps your kitchen cabinets or trim has a thin layer of grease from cooking on it. Paint condition would determine your approach. If no yack, Light scuff sanding with 150 or even 220 Would break the surface of current paint and give something for new paint to grip. So I’d sand lightly, wipe down with a damp cloth and have at the painting. Same for the cabinets. Although yuo might consider full gloss there for washability.

 

[MTN REMODEL LLC]

I will wipe down with TSP and rinse as a cheap fast precaution...and scuff lightly sand.

,,,kitchen cabinets especially.....

 

[mark sr]

It's always a good idea to scuff sand first. While TSP is a great detergent it needs to be rinsed well as it's residue can affect adhesion - I only use it on the exterior.


You can use any sheen that floats your boat although as mentioned the higher the sheen the easier it cleans.


Even though I own a lot of spray equipment I rarely spray inside an occupied house. Overspray can and will travel a long ways!

 

[stick\shift]

Personally, I won't use oil based paint in white (due to yellowing) but latex paint has evolved so much in recent years (and oil based declined somewhat) that I usually go for latex paint anyway. Oil based primer, however, is still a valid product if you need to seal the substrate first, like was stated in post # 2.

With regard to cabinets and trim, a waterborne enamel should be considered as well.

 

[Thelonius]

If tsp leaves a residue, which creates an additional step of wiping/rinsing off, isn’t there another cleaner that leaves no residue = one less step = less work?

 

[Thelonius]

I’m mostly dreading the sanding of the trim. What a miserable prospect!

Yes, the current paint is in good shape.

As far as spraying, the house is completely empty and everything is getting repainted, so I’m not worried about overspray. I’m only spraying trim and rolling the walls.

Any thoughts on a baseboard cleaner good for prep that leaves no residue?

 

[mark sr]

As far as spraying, the house is completely empty and everything is getting repainted, so I’m not worried about overspray. I’m only spraying trim and rolling the walls.

You still have to worry about countertops, light and plumbing fixtures, etc.

 

[ktownskier]

As long as the crown molding and ceiling are in good shape, and are not showing signs of staining due to smoking, cooking, water, etc.. I would do nothing. l might wipe them down with a rag and water, perhaps with a mild detergent.

However, if there are signs of staining due to smoking, grease, etc. or anything that prevent the adhesion of the paint, then you will have to use a stronger detergent.

If they are all in good shape, go ahead and spray away, after masking off anything that you don't want overspray to get onto. (Others have already expressed how far overspray will go)

To help minimize overspray, you can put a box fan in the window, with the screen out, and put plastic, cardboard around it to create a better seal. I also have put a furnace filter on to act as a pre-filter.

This ONLY applies to the ceiling and crown molding.

Now, for the rest of the molding, listen to the others.

 

[Thelonius]

So, sand baseboards and just clean the crown molding?

Do you recommend a no-residue cleaner?

 

[Thelonius]

I’m reading that diluted vinegar makes a good degreaser for baseboards and does not leave any residue. Seems reasonable.