The FUll GUIDE TO Installing Doors & Trim

We always hear that painting Has the biggest impact on your home, but we often forget the close second doors and trim! It really is cheaper and easier than expected!

When we moved into our new-old home i knew the doors and trim would be the first thing to go! That 90’s Flat Panel honey oak was slowly killing me inside. We started ripping it off faster than we could replace it and got a little ahead of ourselves but we are finally getting to see that finished product! I could stare at those freshly painted doors all day! So Check out these before and afters and Lets get into the details!

Step 1: Purchasing your doors and trim

The best places for purchasing doors and trim is of course a moulding store! Give it a google search, type it into your maps app, you’ll be amazed how many are out there! I use and recommend both OrePac Moulding and Alexandria Moulding. In these pics my casing and headers are OrePac and baseboards are Alexandria.

I’m in love with these 5.5″ baseboards! We found them through a local moulding store for .89 cents a linear ft! No sale, no coupon, just everyday price! That’s a steal right there! The casings and headers we purchase through BMC. They are great to work with and we are always lucky enough to have one close. So definitely call around to a few places near you!  Here are links to find distributors near you on both OrePac’s and Alexandria Moulding’s websites. OrePac you’ll have to call the closest branch for distributors but Alexandria lists them right on their site. Prices fluctuate ALOT! I can’t emphasize enough to call around. We were quoted 2.25/ln ft for the same baseboards we got for .89/ln ft! So take a little time to save ALOT!

Don’t forget to have them quote you on door prices as well! We ended up finding a door warehouse with new doors for $20 bucks! So don’t be afraid to search and ask around. We found out about the one near us through facebook marketplace. It’s always a great place to search for discounts. 

Step 2: Choosing a Style

There are so many different trim styles out there. Craftsman, Colonial, Classsic, Revival… Here are some things to consider when choosing a style…

1-Budget: Craftsman can be a beautiful option with the lowest budget. Many new homes are using this beautiful Crafstman style. It turns out modern and beautiful even as the least expensive option. We used it in our last house and loved it! In our new home we used a craftsman but dressed it up by repurposing and adding our old trim. Click here to skip ahead and see how. 

2-Amount of Work: Once again Craftsman comes out on top. Angles take longer and are harder. Craftsman’s straight modern edges are both easy and quick. My hubby is begging to finish our basement craftman style but we will see if I’ll be so nice. There are other options, however, like Rossettes, that can give you a more elegant look but with the ease of straight cuts.

3- Style of Your Home: Last but most importantly…What is the style of your home? Our last home was modern, new, and craftsman fit perfectly. Our new home is an older home, screaming with elegance. It has a lot of fine details. I felt we had to stick with the curves and details even if it meant the extra work and Im so glad we did! Walk around your home, find the things you love, pay attention to straight lines and curves, and stick with your homes style. 

Step 4: Sanding/ Priming Door Jams 

 First step pop off all that old ugly trim, yay!!!! I like to use a putty knife to wedge behind and pop it off. Destruction is the fun part! Next if you need to paint your door jams, like we did, then lets wipe down your door jams with tsp. Tsp helps clean and break up the finish. Once I finish wiping down all the door jams the first door jam is usually dry enough that I can start sanding it. We use the black and decker mouse sander. You really don’t need to sand it down to bare bones, just enough to clean up the finish and rough up the wood. I spend 15-20 min per jam. Lastly, slap on a coat of primer. Check out Sherwin Williams for a great primer to cover stained wood. They are always so knowledgable and willing to help. I buy all our paints there and have been so happy with the results. 

Step 5: installing / cutting trim

It’s FINALLY time to see everything come to life! Lets start by cutting the casing for the sides of your doors. Measure from the floor to the top of your door jam. We like to measure half way into that top door jam board to give another lip or groove to your trim… see picture…

Nail your casing up with a 16 or 18 gauge brad nailer. Remember to also leave about half of your door jam showing on the side like the picture below.  Repeat for the other casing side.

Next let’s cut the header. We like to let the header overhang about 3/4″ on both sides. Measure from the outer edge of one casing to the outer edge of the other casing and then add 1.5″. Cut and hang! Now stand back and admire your work! 

If you would like to dress up that craftsman still you can wrap the top with casing. We repurposed our old casing and wrapped the top. You can also purchase it new. This is slightly more work with harder cuts. But you get a slightly fancier trim! After we wrapped the header we added a flat top cap.