You saw pre painted trim at the big box store. They promised that they would save you time and money. They must be a snap to install…
But, would you frost a cake before it is baked?
The truth is that using prefinished baseboards or window trim will end up causing several obvious and disappointing issues almost as soon as you start installing them. Sure, the paint or stain on a prefinished baseboard is usually of a substandard quality that will flake off, the color won’t match anything existing in your house – and will you wonder if the topcoat will have runs, fisheyes and look like your drunk uncle brushed them on while on a bender? You bet.
Moreover, the installation process of pre painted trim such as baseboards poses its own set of challenges. Although they are marketed as a time-saver, the necessary cuts and sanding of all joints will damage the finish. Which will necessitate extensive time and hidden costs spent on touch-ups or, in most cases, the need to completely re sand and refinish all of the prefinished baseboards anyway.
At the professional trim carpenter level, we vastly prefer to use raw or pre primed materials sourced from a reputable lumber yard so that we can account for the discrepancies that take away from a professional trim carpenter level result. So, before you are swayed by the big box store siren song of the seemingly convenient choice of prefinished baseboards, remember that the true value of a home renovation is gauged by the level of craftsmanship and attention to detail.