Preparing Trim

New paint or clear finish will not adhere well to gloss paints. Scuff-sand all glossy surfaces with 150-grit sandpaper. Use a sanding block or palm sander on flat surfaces or a contour sander on curved surfaces.

After scuff sanding, the surface will contain microscopic dust particles left in the grooves by the sandpaper. Pull these particles off the surface with a soft cloth dampened in mineral spirits or water. Don't use a tack cloth; it can leave a residue that will interfere with the paint bond.

Use the right size nail set to push nailheads below the surface of the wood. Set the point of the nail set in the recess of the nail head and tap sharply with a hammer.

If you will ultimately paint the surface, slightly overfill the nail holes with interior wood filler. Sand it smooth when dry.

For clear finishes, buy different colors of putty and use the one that most closely matches the finished tone of the wood.

Wash the surface of the trim with a TSP solution or a low-phosphate household cleaner. Rinse thoroughly with a vinegar/water solution and let the trim dry. Use a stiff putty knife to scrape loose paint to the bare wood.

Apply high-quality latex wood patch in nail holes, dents, and other damaged areas. Overfill the area slightly to accommodate its tendency to shrink. Let the filler dry.

Sand the repaired area smooth with 150-grit sandpaper. If the filler has shrunk below the surface of the wood, reapply another layer, and sand it after it's dry.

Clean varnished surfaces with a soft cloth and odorless mineral spirits. Scuff-sand the entire surface with 150-grit sandpaper.

Apply stainable wood patch whose color matches the surface closely. Level the patch and sand it smooth when dry.

Restain the patched area to match the finished surface. Apply the finish coat.

Apply a thick coat of stripper to the surface with an old natural-bristle paintbrush (many strippers will melt nylon bristles). Brush in only one direction to avoid lifting the stripper off the surface. Let the stripper work for about 20 minutes, then remove it and the paint with a scraper.

Reapply stripper where paint is still adhered and repeat the process. Remove small flecks of paint with a coarse abrasive pad, cleaning it with water or mineral spirits, depending on the stripper you've used. Finally, clean the surface with a fine abrasive pad dipped in denatured alcohol.

For large or small flat surfaces, a palm sander or random orbit sander is a great timesaver when sanding walls or woodwork.

Contoured surfaces are difficult to sand with rectangular sanding blocks because they can gouge the wood. Use flexible sanding blocks or sanding sponges to smooth these curved surfaces.