Author Topic: What is your method for new construction trim?  (Read 4986 times)

Offline paintcrafter

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What is your method for new construction trim?
« on: November 28, 2007, 11:23:27 PM »
Most of my work is New Construction spec homes. The average size of each home is 10,000 sqft with a retail of about 5 million. It's high pressure work with deadlines and crazy busy trades all day long, everyday for about 5 months; 4 months for the interior. My nightmare is woodwork and lot's of it. In fact, the house I'm in right now has over 12,000 feet of crown and baseboard so.......

What is your method for applying an oil enamel to woodwork? Here's mine:

To note: I apply all paint with a brush, though at times I may spray with an air assisted airless. Regardless, on these projects the last coat is always brushed per request from the builders, designers and architects

1. Fill nail holes - I use one shot spackle or fast n' final. I apply it with two small putty knives NEVER MY FINGERS. I'm cautious to make sure that every single hole is filled and ALL excess spackle is wiped free. Typically I will go through 6 to 8 quarts of this fluffy stuff per house.

2. All of the wood work will be sanded with 120 grit paper. I round off all of my corners and make sure that each nail hole is filled. I would say that about 5% of the holes need extra attention. At this time any differences in the height of butt joints will be sanded flush with 80 of 100 git paper, then finished with 120.

3. Vacuum all of the trim work

4. Apply primer. I use a GRACO 395 with a Fine Finish 210 tip to spray Benjamin Moore's Super Spec Enamel Underbody. I do not thin this product, though at times when it's really hot in the house I will use 5% Xylol in the mix. This product sands wonderfully smooth and costs $14.00 less than the top shelf counterpart. Truthfully I cannot discern any difference between the two.

5. Sand the primer with 180 grit paper.

6. Vacuum the trim

7. Secondary Repairs to trim. This is the step I would love to eliminate if possible but have not been able to. In fact, the reason that I switched to the Underbody vs. regular primer had to do with minor dents and such that the woodwork has from the construction processs. I found that the thickness of underbody filled most of these issues. The secondary repair process just corrects any that the underbody could't remedy on it's own.

I use MH ready patch out of the can for these repairs. I use it in the same way one might apply a Swedish Putty. Again, I use a 4" putty knife as a hawk and another 2" knife to fill areas. I find that it is very important to have a 2" scraper knife that is PERFECTLY flat on the knife edge. Often I will sharpen mine so that after I skim an area I remove ALL excess putty from the primed surface. Also to note...I use a very tiny bit of universal tint in my putty so that I can find secondary repair areas that will need to be sealed. Often you will see me in the room with all of the lights off except for a drop lamp on a step ladder illuminating my woodwork with a 150 watt flood bulb. I will look at every inch for nail holes, divots, dimples, seams, poor butt joints, bangs, nicks, dents, brush marks etc...

Lately, I've had to deal with a lot of poplar that has ripples in it from the planer at the mill.

What I'm going for in s perfectly smooth board.

There has been much debate between my foremen and I about whether we actually need to prime these repairs as we are going to put two finish coat over them anyway. The MH dries as hard as a rock. What I've found is that often the MH  sands smoother than the underbody and later on during the finishing process we find bright spots as the light is deflected. We found that if you prime these areas with BIN you are ready to go. It seems to level out perfectly to the surface if you use a generous brushfull and do not over brush the area.

8. Sand secondary repairs and apply a quick BIN sealer over them.

9. Caulk

10. Tack off the trim

11. Apply the first coat of Alkyd Enamel with a dash of penetrol. I like to use an ox/china sash brush. Most of my trim work is Benjamin Moore Satin Impervo though sometimes I will use the Schroeder HASCOLAC or C2 Alkyd Semi-Gloss.

12. Sand all of the trim with 220 grit paper

13. Vacuum and Tack off the trim again

14. Apply finish coat

If you want a real awesome finish...Apply one more coat but I rarely do.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2007, 12:23:04 AM by paintcrafter »
4th Generation Painter...what an idiot.

Offline ClaudDKLyons

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Re: What is your method for new construction trim?
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2015, 07:39:25 AM »
There has been much debate between my foremen and I about whether we actually need to prime these repairs as we are going to put two finish coat over them anyway. The MH dries as hard as a rock. What I've found is that often the MH  sands smoother than the underbody and later on during the finishing process we find bright spots as the light is deflected.

 

anything