I am about to dive into the final stages of my project and am down to the trimwork….base and casing.
Which is the proper steps to take, cut to fit then apply stain and poly…..or stain/poly then cut to fit? Time is of the essence as graduation is about 3 weeks away!!
Your thoughts and input are appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Ebe
Replies
It's a lot easier to stain and poly everything while it's on the bench. No crawling around the house on hands and knees, trying not to go off your lines, cutting in every where, dust, bad lighting, etc. We prefer to stain and apply one coat before installing. Color putty can then be used for nail holes and a final top coat applied after the trim is up. You are not likely to get the trim dirty with finger prints or other contaminants if it's coated. If the walls are primed and painted before the trim, it's another time saver. You eliminate the slow process of cutting in and transitions are clean and straight. When it comes to things that have ends that show or mitered returns, I cut and make those up before staining. You can always touch things up when necessary.
Homeowners often take on the paint and stain to save some money. A couple of years ago, I did this house. I had them stain and coat everything before it went up. I visited this week and they haven't applied the final top coat yet, may not for several more years. It would be a mess and require lots of prep work if it was still raw wood. Once the trim was up, it looked finished and it was protected. Sure wish they would finish it up but that may never happen.
Be sure to finish coat all the walls. Then (stain grade) I pre-stain, stain, & 2 coats of poly you can fill the holes after installation. Much easier on saw horses. If that is not possible I'll use the brown painters tape (glue on one edge only) tape off the caseing area, hang the trim and back cut the tape with a matt knife.
If you stain first, it's easier to see the cut line for coping joints.
"Put your creed in your deed." Emerson
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt