How to Paint Poplar Wood Trim
- 1). Sand the wood with 150-grit sandpaper. If the poplar is unfinished, the sandpaper will remove surface imperfections. If you're working with treated glossy trim, sanding will remove the finish for easier priming.
- 2). Wipe the surface with a damp, not overly wet, paper towel. Don't saturate the wood.
- 3). Tape nearby surfaces with painter's tape in case of stray brushstrokes.
- 4). Prime raw poplar trim using a general-purpose primer and a paintbrush. Raw, unfinished poplar doesn't tend to bleed through. But if you're painting artificially stained poplar, use a stain-blocking primer to prevent bleeding. Stain-blocking primer is more expensive than general-purpose primer, but it's the only way to ensure that the stain doesn't bleed through. Wait for the primer to dry.
- 5). Paint the trim with oil-based or latex gloss or semi-gloss paint, using a foam brush. Glossy finishes tend to show brushstrokes even after the paint dries, but a foam brush eliminates these blemishes. You can paint the trim in a flat or eggshell finish, too, but glossy trim is more traditional.
- 6). Paint a second coat on your poplar trim after the first one dries.
- 7). Remove the protective painter's tape after the final coat dries.