Changing the color of your trim without painting

Changing the color of your trim without painting…(RETONING)

You like your current trim and doors through out your home and you just can not bare the thought of painting that beautiful wood.  Plus once the trim is painted it is nearly impossible to remove all the applied paint if you would like the wood to be seen again which would mean removing the paint. Retoning

How do you Change the color of your trim without painting? (RETONING)

To change the color of your trim takes a bit more than applying a darker color stain that is currently on it now.  The process is a multi-step process that I will explain in detail but starts with choosing a color to which to aim for.

We sometimes find on beautiful cared for wood trim, doors and banisters the colors fade over the time from different amounts of exposure to the suns rays.The windows sills are sometimes sun bleached as were the crown molding is nearly original bit with changes in trends and tastes over time we are called to freshen or darken the current stained wood.

The Process of retoning trim:

trim prior to darkened trim in an Andover home

1. protect all areas from sanding dust.
2. Wash areas of wood if needed to remove oils mostly from hands and animals.
3. light sand all woodwork to remove sheen from polyurethane currently on the wood 
4. mask off with plastic, paper and tape to protect surfaces from the application of the new stain color application
5. apply the new General Finishes Enduro water based Urethane with a tint to desired color
6. light sand first application after the Urethane has dried and clean any remaining dust from surfaces
7. Continue steps 5 and 6 until you achieve the desired color.*

• please note we often find some surfaces need one or two additional coatsthat other surfaces in the same room due to sun exposure and fading.

This process and products used with a High Volume Low Pressure (HVLP) will provide a flawless finish when used by a experienced professional.  Brush strokes will not be visible.

TIPS

finished darkened trim in an Andover home

• This is not a fast process and takes a bit of a learning curve to achieve fine finishes
• It will take longer to prep the room and perform cleanup than it will to apply the product
• VERY IMPORTANT: wear an adequate respirator 
• Cleaning the sprayer Gun is very important at the end of every spraying session as to achieve a flawless finish.
• Contaminants such as dust and animal hair will be very visible if not clean thoroughly from trim prior to application time.
• Utilize a test board or door to achieve and test for desired color prior to spraying on trim to be retoned.

If you have a project of trim, doors or cabinets that could need a freshening with a new coat of stain we would be happy to talk with you on the upcoming project.

Please et me know if I can answer any questions regarding this or any other painting questions. You may reach me at 978-683-9119 or at http://www.ramsdenpainting.com

Regards,

Ron Ramsden, owner

Ramsden Painting

serving the Merrimack Valley