That dry-fit tip is spot on. I learned the hard way too—once you start foaming, there’s no going back if things aren’t lined up. As for the trim, I wish I could say I’ve figured out a foolproof method. Even with a sharp utility knife and a pry bar wrapped in painter’s tape, I usually end up with at least one nick or dent. Sometimes it feels like it’s just inevitable, especially with older woodwork that’s been painted over a dozen times.
One thing that’s helped a bit: running a thin putty knife all around the casing before using any bigger tools. It seems to break the paint seal and give me a little more control. But yeah, sometimes you just have to accept you’ll be doing a little touch-up after. At least with shims, you can improvise—trim damage is just more annoying to hide.
Glad to hear I’m not the only one raiding the scrap pile for backup shims. Never fails, right?
That putty knife trick helps, but sometimes I still end up pulling a chunk of old caulk or paint with the trim. The worst is when the casing splits and you realize it was barely holding together under all those layers. Ever tried using a heat gun to soften paint before prying? Curious if that actually makes a difference or just adds another step.
Ever tried using a heat gun to soften paint before prying? Curious if that actually makes a difference or just adds another step.
I’ve used a heat gun a few times, mostly on stubborn old paint. It does help soften things up, but you have to be careful not to scorch the wood or make the paint gummy. Sometimes it feels like just as much hassle as working carefully with a sharp utility knife along the seam. I do think it helps reduce splintering, though. Has anyone tried those oscillating multi-tools for this? Wondering if they’re gentler on fragile trim than the usual pry bar approach.
I actually found the heat gun to be more trouble than it was worth, at least in my 1920s place with a million layers of paint. Maybe it’s just me, but I always ended up getting impatient and either burnt the paint or made a sticky mess that was even harder to clean off the wood. Cutting along the seams with a sharp blade (and a steady hand) felt less risky for damaging the trim, even if it took longer.
That said, I did try an oscillating multi-tool on one window where the paint was basically acting like glue. It was definitely faster, but I wouldn’t call it gentler. If you’re not super careful, the blade can jump or dig in and leave marks on the wood. I guess it depends on how much you care about keeping the original trim pristine. For me, I was already planning to repaint and patch, so a few nicks weren’t a huge deal.
Honestly, what I wish I’d known before starting was just how much time it takes to do all this carefully—removing trim without wrecking it is way more tedious than I expected. If I had to do it again, I’d probably invest in those little pry tools made for car interiors. They’re plastic and surprisingly good at getting under painted edges without gouging stuff up.
Has anyone else found a magic tool that actually makes this part easier? For me, nothing’s perfect, just a lot of patience and some colorful language when things stick...
“removing trim without wrecking it is way more tedious than I expected.”
Couldn’t agree more. I tried those plastic pry tools too—honestly, they saved me from a lot of cursing, but still not a magic fix. I actually ended up using a putty knife most of the time. Not fancy, but if you go slow and keep it sharp, it’s less likely to gouge the wood. Still took forever. Heat gun was a bust for me too, just made everything gummy. This stuff is way less glamorous than YouTube makes it look...
“Heat gun was a bust for me too, just made everything gummy.”
I had the same problem with the heat gun—thought it’d be my secret weapon, but all it did was turn the old paint into a sticky mess. Ended up spending more time cleaning my tools than actually making progress.
One thing that helped a bit was scoring the caulk with a utility knife before even touching the trim. It’s tedious, but it reduced splintering when I pried things loose. I also learned (the hard way) to label each piece of trim as I took it off. Otherwise, you end up with a puzzle that only fits together one way... and you never remember which way.
If I could go back, I’d have budgeted more time for cleanup and repair. Even being careful, there were a few dings to patch up before painting. YouTube makes it look like you just pop the trim off and slap it back on—definitely not my reality.
Honestly, I’m surprised the heat gun didn’t work out for you guys. Maybe it’s just my old 1920s house with a million paint layers, but that thing saved my wrists—at least compared to scraping cold. Granted, I did end up with a few gooey patches, but if I kept the gun moving and didn’t linger too long in one spot, it mostly flaked right off. Maybe it’s a difference in paint or just dumb luck.
Totally agree on labeling trim, though. First time I did it, I thought “eh, how hard can it be?” and ended up with a weird jigsaw puzzle of mismatched corners. Never again.
One thing I wish I’d known: how much dust gets everywhere, even when you think you’ve taped things off. My dog was sneezing for days. If you’ve got pets or allergies, double up on the drop cloths and plastic sheeting... trust me.
Interesting—my experience with the heat gun was kind of hit or miss. On the thicker paint layers, it worked like a charm, but on some spots, I just ended up smearing half-melted paint everywhere. Maybe it’s the type of paint or how dry it is?
Labeling trim is huge, though. I tried to “eyeball” it once and spent hours figuring out which piece went where.
About the dust: did you try using a box fan in the window to pull air out? I found that helped a bit, but yeah, there’s still dust in places I didn’t even know existed.
About the dust: did you try using a box fan in the window to pull air out? I found that helped a bit, but yeah, there’s still dust in places I didn’t even know existed.
Yeah, the dust situation was wild for me too. I thought my “airtight” plastic sheeting would do the trick—nope. I’m still finding it in kitchen drawers somehow. The box fan idea worked a bit, but then I realized it was just redistributing the mess into my neighbor’s yard.
On the heat gun, I had similar issues. Some paint just turned into this weird goo, and scraping made it worse. I think older, oil-based paint reacts totally differently than newer latex stuff. Wish I’d tested a spot first instead of just going at it.
Labeling trim: 100% agree. I used painter’s tape and a marker, but still managed to lose track of two pieces. They’re now “decorative accents” in my garage.
They’re now “decorative accents” in my garage.
- Same here—ended up with two mystery trim pieces and zero clue where they go. Still bugs me.
- Dust: I taped every seam and doorway, but it still got into my HVAC vents. Months later, I was wiping it off plates.
- Heat gun: I thought it’d make things easier... but that old paint basically melted and stuck to the scraper. Latex vs. oil-based is a real thing—I learned the hard way.
- If I did it again, I'd budget more time for cleanup than install.