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From planning and design to construction and materials, we'll walk you through every step of the process to help you replace your trim and doors.


Step 8: Select Your Finishing Touches

Door Finishes

Doors can be finished in a variety of ways such as:

  • With a protective clear coat.
  • With a stain and clear coat.
  • Primed and painted

Here are some options to consider when finishing your door:

  • Refer to the manufacturer’s finishing instructions and recommendations
  • Ensure that the door has sufficient time to acclimatize to the room it will be installed in, this will prevent any issues with primer or paint adhesion due to moisture content and will help prevent warping once installed.
  • Priming can be done in advance of painting. This is a safe step to do early on before you decide on paint colours.
  • It is important to note that any clear coat will change the colour of the door slightly. It is a good idea to test any stain or clear coat on a sample of the same species of wood. This lets you get a preview of the finished colour before it is too late to change it.
  • Doors, whether painted or stained still need to be finished/sealed on all six sides (top, bottom, front face and back face, left and right sides) with a top coat before you install it to protect the manufacturer’s warranty.

Minwax - Oil-Based Stain

How To Paint Trim

Trim Finishes

Finishing your trim can be a simple as picking out a paint colour and rolling it on in the case of pre-primed trims; or as complex as selecting a wood filler, a stain to shade it and a protective clear-coat. Ask your Build-It-Better coach to help you select the finish that is right for you.

Trim can come in one of the following finishes when you purchase it:

  • Poplar trim such as the trim produced at the Turkstra Mill comes raw and will require priming and painting before installation.
  • Other solid wood trims such as Oak or Pine come raw and must be finished by applying a stain, and a clear coat.
  • Finger joint trim can be either raw or primed white at the factory.
  • MDF trims typically come primed or painted, from the factory.

Here are some tips to selecting your finish.

  • Trim that will be painted will also require a primer to be applied in order for the paint to adhere correctly.
  • Trim sold with a primer applied from the factory may require the primer to be ‘touched up’ as it can get scuffed or damaged during transportation.
  • Stain colour can vary with wood species as the base colour of the wood will affect the final product, we recommend testing on the back of your trim.
  • Clear Coat will change the colour of the material you are working with to some degree as well, again testing on the back of your trim is recommended.
  • All trim requires finishing in order to preserve it against UV light, moisture, and dirt. Ask your Build-It-Better coach for more details.
<h3>Visual Learner? <strong>We get it.</strong></h3><p>We get it. Turkstra TV is full of helpful videos to get you up and running on your next home improvement project.</p>

Visual Learner? We get it.

We get it. Turkstra TV is full of helpful videos to get you up and running on your next home improvement project.

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<h3>Our Coaches have your back</h3><h3></h3><p>Need help? Talk to our professional coaches - it's free.</p>

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