What Paint is Best for Trim and Baseboards? – 2022 Buying Guide

#	Brand	Paint	Price
1	Behr	Ultra Interior Semi-Gloss Enamel Paint for Trim and baseboard	View on Amazon
2	Benjamin Moore	Regal Classic Premium Interior Eggshell Trim Paint	Benjamin Moore
3	Dutch Boy	DuraClean Interior/Exterior Trim and baseboard  Paint	View on Menards
4	Glidden	Trim and baseboard High-Gloss Paint	View on Homedepot
5	Olympic	ICON Interior/Exterior High-Gloss Paint for Trim	View on Archiexpo
6	Sherwin-Williams	ProClassic Waterborne Interior Acrylic Enamel Trim Paint	Sherwin-Williams
7	Valspar	Ultra Interior Trim and baseboard Paint + Primer	View on Amazon
8	RUST-OLEUM	Enamel Paint, Gloss White, Solvent, 1 qt. for Trim	View on Amazon
9	Majic Paints	Diamond Hard  Acrylic Enamel High Gloss Trim Paint, Half Pint	View on Amazon

The best paint for trim decorates and protects your house’s trim, and at the same time it’s eco-friendly. Among the best paints for trim are BEHR Premium Plus Ultra, Benjamin Moore Regal Select, and Valspar Signature trim paints.

Are you wondering what kind of paint to use on trim? Or what kind of paint for trim is the best for home use? We recommend Acrylic latex, Acrylic-Alkyd Hybrid, or semi-gloss paint. Those are the best paints for trim.

In this guide on what type of paint is best for trim, we are going to review several best paints for trim.

What Type of Paint Do You Use on Trim?

When it comes to painting Trim, you need the type of paint that will offer a bit of sheen, and is easy to wipe clean. In that regard, a semi-gloss paint will do the trick. It is easy to clean, and it still adds some sheen to your trim. And if you want a fast drying paint, then you can read our fast drying paint reviews.

What Kind of Paint for Window Trim?

Paint with a glossy finish is the kind of paint you want for your window trim. Such paint is easy to wipe clean, and makes your trim stand out, giving it a unique decorative appearance.

Paints with a glossy finish repel grime and dirt, are durable, and they stand out better than flat paints, before and after their  exposure to weather elements. Moreover, you should also choose a paint that complements the interior or exterior wall paint.

Among the best paints for window trim that we recommend, is the Benjamin Moore Regal Select, or INSL-X CC550109A-01 Trim Paint. However, the kind of paint you are going to use, is also determined by material your trim is made of.

In that regard, we have looked at various kinds of paints for different window trim materials. The most common window trim materials you may want to paint are: primed wood, bare wood, medium-density fiberboard, PVC trim, iron, and polystyrene.

Primed Wood Trim

With primed wood, you want to choose a paint that matches the primer that was used to treat the wood. That will allow the paint and the primer to bond, and fuse into each other.

For an exterior prime wood window trim, acrylic or oil gloss paint is the best option. We recommend latex paint for indoor prime wood trim, such as the Rust-Oleum 285140. You can also use enamel paint, which is easy to clean, and makes the trim stand out from the wall paint.

Bare Wood Trim

When painting window trim made of bare wood, what you need is a paint with strong adhesive properties, and one that will repel water, dirt, and grime. You also need paint that you can clean without it chipping off the wood, so that it can protect the trim from weather elements.

In that regard, enamel paint, and acrylic paints are among the best options. Enamel paint in particular provides unfinished wood or bare wood with a heard smooth finish, and it is available in multiple colors.

Overall, for exterior wood trim choose exterior gloss paint, which can be either acrylic paint or oil paint. The trim paint’s color should complement the exterior wall paint’s color. For interior wood trim, choose high latex gloss paint, with a color that complements the interior wall paint.

For instance, you can paint the window trim white, if the exterior wall paint color is sky-blue. Alternatively, if the interior wall paint is white, you can paint the interior trim light yellow, lime, or sky-blue.

Fiberboard Trim

 You need to prime a fiberboard trim before you can paint it, because it is porous. That means applying a primer coat, and giving it up to 24 hours to dry. The primer will get absorbed into the miniature holes, and seal them.

After the primer dries, apply a semi-gloss paint such as latex, enamel, or acrylic paint on the fiberboard, just as you would other wooden surfaces. The paint color you choose for your trim should complete the wall paint, for a classy finish.

While most enamel paints are oil-based, they dry to form a hard, smooth, and glossy finish.

If you choose to use an oil-based paint, then you should be ready to add paint thinner, to get the right thickness. The oil paint should be thick enough to remain cohesive and cover the wood, and thin enough to dry without cracking.

PVC Trim

The best paint for PVC Trim is one that is 100% acrylic latex. You may also use one that is 100% acrylic and has urethane as an additive. That type of paint sticks better on PVC trim, and provides excellent flexibility and durability.

It is also easier to clean, and does not peel off when exposed to varying temperatures throughout the year. However, you should only use light-to-medium colored paints. These have light reflective value of 55 units and above, which helps to keep them cooler.

Darker paints may absorb heat energy and start peeling or cracking. You need to give the paint on PVC trim up to 30 days to cure, in order for all moisture to escape through the paint’s surface.

The Sherwin Williams paints for PVC Trim are among the industry best, and you should consider them.

Do you want to know what type of paint is best for trim? Before, very special paints were used to paint wood. And that’s exactly how more and more cans of paint were piling up in our houses!

Today, thanks to specific sub-layers that allow after their use to use any type of paint for any surface, we have to buy less products! Multi-support products are also available (valid for wood, metal, radiators).

What Type of Paint Is Best For Trim – The Different Types of Varnishes

Acrylic paint

This is the most common paint because it has little smell and dries quickly. Its water-based composition gives it a less toxic image. Easy to use, it can be easily cleaned from tools with water.

Oil paint

It is rarely used nowadays. It has a strong smell and is toxic. Made with a solvent, it requires the use of a specific product to clean tools. When using it, it is good to ventilate the room. It is ideal to give a lacquered effect.

Effective and durable, it is not recommended to use it in the kitchen and bedroom. This is the paint that has the best covering power and the best yield.

The Alkyd paint

This is a new generation paint that combines the natural base with water, but has the same resistance as oil paint. It does not smell very strong ,and dries in a very short time (less than an hour). It is said to be less toxic.

Also, it is easily washable from the instruments you paint it with. This paint is an excellent compromise.

What Type of Paint Is Best For Trim – What Finish Should I Choose For The Interior?

Enamel is a finishing product that is mainly used for the interior of panels and beams. It serves to protect the wood. For interiors, you can opt for a transparent or colored enamel.  The function of enamel is more decorative. They can be found in all colors.

Colored enamel covers the grain of the wood a bit. While colorless enamel, less used in interiors, is more conventional and maintains the natural appearance of the wood without altering its shade. The enamel can be gel – for a better hold – and is also perfect as an anti-mold and anti-UV.

What is the best white paint for trim? You can easily paint styrofoam moldings with water-soluble paints. Moreover, dispersion paints for interior walls are just as suitable as acrylic paints.

When installing the polystyrene moldings, however, you should take a number a number of factors into account. It will make subsequent painting easier and better. Keep reading to find the best tips.

What Is the Best White Paint for Trim

Preventive Measures for Paint Preparation

You can easily paint the surfaces of polystyrene moldings, which have already been smoothed by the manufacturers during the molding process. However, that is if they do not contain solvents. If it concerns old soiled decorative moldings and imitation stucco, a special insulating paint as a priming coat can improve the hiding power.

When painting polystyrene, the natural enemy of paint application is greasy dirt. For example, in kitchens and rooms where there is smoking, particles can settle on the polystyrene moldings and their profiles.

After reassembly, it is particularly important not to leave any adhesive residue behind. Ideally, you can completely prevent leakage and swelling by appropriate and careful dosing.

The third factor influencing the paint and the result is finger and skin grease, which you apply during assembly or cleaning. In order to reduce this type of dirt, you should handle the strips with appropriate care. Moreover, fabric or plastic gloves are helpful.

What Is the Best White Paint for Trim – Pre-Cleaning

If old polystyrene strips are dirty and you want to repaint them, a waving cleaning is necessary. Suitable cleaning agents and additives are available:

Special Cleaning Agents

• Ammonia in very strong dilution (caution, very toxic)
• Bleaching agents
• Soda

Rub the strips down with a mop.

Insulating Paint as Primer

If dirt remains after pre-cleaning, you should apply an insulating paint as a primer. It prevents “clouds” from forming when the top coat of paint dries later. You will find the  insulating paint in shops under the name nicotine barrier.

Furthermore, if the leaked adhesive comes from an acrylic product, you can simply paint it over with the top coat.

Suitable Application Methods and Tools Are:

• Spray paints (aerosols)
• Brush strokes with narrow bristled soft brush
• Small paint roller with plastic head

What Is the Best White Paint for Trim – Tips and Tricks

Apply several coats of paint and dilute the paint by five to ten percent more per coat. In this way, you can increasingly smooth the covering and work out any profiles more free. And when you paint trim and baseboards, use an airless sprayer, to get a smooth finish.

Conclusion – What Type of Paint Is Best For Trim

To achieve a perfect result, even before you start painting, you must take a few precautions. First, you must clean the surface you want to paint. Avoid the use of chemicals to clean them: these may conflict with the paint.

Remember to slightly discard the surfaces, so as to have an even surface. Choose the right brushes: they will surely make your job easier. Finally, before painting, mix the paint well to obtain a uniform color!