A glossy finish you wonโ€™t regret tomorrow ๐Ÿ‘‡

Haymes Ultratrim, what it is and when to use it on trims and doors

Trims are the part of a paint job that people notice last and then cannot stop noticing. You pack the drop sheets away, the afternoon light comes across the skirting boards at a low angle, and every brush mark you left is suddenly visible from the other side of the room. Trims are smooth and glossy and they throw light back much harder than a wall does, so they show up everything a flat wall would have hidden, and the paint you use makes more difference there than the steadiness of your hand does.

Haymes Ultratrim is the water based acrylic enamel I reach for when somebody is painting skirting boards or door frames and wants them to look right. It has the toughness you used to only get out of an oil based enamel, without the smell sitting in the house for days afterwards and without the turps at clean up time.

Why it flows better than a standard paint

The thing Ultratrim does that matters most is that it levels itself out after the brush has gone through. A lot of trim paint starts setting the moment it goes on, so the ridge the bristles leave behind stays exactly where the bristles left it, and Ultratrim stays open long enough for that ridge to settle back flat. If you are a brush painter rather than a spray painter, that one property does more for the finish than any technique you could practise.

What it is good for

  • Interior and exterior trim
  • Doors, inside and out
  • Windowsills and skirting boards
  • Timber furniture and upcycled pieces
  • Aluminium features that need freshening up

The finishes it comes in

Ultratrim comes in high gloss if you want the reflective look, and in semi gloss if you want something quieter that still wipes clean when somebody puts a hand on the door frame. There is a low sheen as well, which is worth knowing about for anywhere the light comes in low and unkind. We carry it from 500ml tins up to 10 litre drums, so a couple of door frames and a whole house are both covered.

What to put with it

  • A microfibre roller cover for flat door faces, which leaves a far glassier finish than a brush can
  • An angled synthetic brush for the corners and the edges, where a roller cannot reach
  • Masking tape, pulled off while the paint is still slightly tacky rather than after it has gone hard
  • Sugar soap or a damp cloth first, because enamel over dust is still enamel over dust

Why the trims are worth the trouble

Crisp trims make the wall colour look better than it actually is, and they are the cheapest way I know of to make a room read as finished. You do not have to repaint the whole space to get that lift. One weekend, a tin of white semi gloss and the skirting boards done properly will do more for a room than a full colour change would, at a fraction of the time and the mess.

Shop related products

Did you know we stock Ultratrim in sizes that are not all listed on the website, including the 500ml tins, the 10 litre drums and the low sheen. Give us a ring on (08) 8536 4333 to check what is on the shelf.

The rest of the brushes, rollers and sundries are in paint and accessories.

Picking the finish

We mix and tint to order in store from the Haymes and Taubmans range we stock. Have a look at the paint mixing service, or just come in and we will talk you through which finish suits the job you are doing.

More on getting a clean finish

I have done trims with a brush that was well past its best and I have done them with a good one, and the good brush is the cheapest lesson in this entire post.

Happy painting,
Candeece

Candeece

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