First, thank you so much for the overwhelmingly kind responses to our announcement yesterday. We loved sharing the news, and your enthusiasm has been incredible. While we’ve been slowly making our way through the 3,000+ comments (yes, really!), our usual afternoon post got pushed back. Sherry is gathering questions from yesterday’s comments for a Friday Q&A, and I’m sharing an update on a few finishing steps that moved our sunroom from half-done to feeling a lot more complete.
This week’s progress came down to three straightforward but impactful tasks: installing trim, caulking, and painting. They’re not glamorous, but these details make a big difference — sloppy trim and messy caulk can make even a well-furnished room look unfinished. I initially planned to gloss over the trim work and focus more on caulking and painting, but a mistake we made during the trim install felt worth sharing, since it changed the approach and the final look.
We needed trim to finish off our recently installed tongue-and-groove planked ceiling. The plan was to use simple, lattice-like trim that matched the rest of the room, avoiding traditional crown molding and the tricky angle cuts it requires. After we installed the first pieces, we stepped back and realized the proportions were off. The 1×2″ trim against the ceiling and the quarter-round along the brick looked too small compared with the chunkier 1×4″ board at the bottom of the triangle. Even though I had chosen the 1×2″ to visually match other trim, it looked puny next to the heavier pieces.
That meant tearing down the freshly installed trim and doing it over with 1×4″ boards all the way around each triangle so the trim near the ceiling had the same visual weight as the lower pieces. It’s a good reminder that proportions matter. Hanging those longer pieces is much easier with two people: one holds the board level on the ladder while the other nails it in place. I also used wood glue behind each piece to help reinforce the bond.
The angled cuts added a small challenge. We used an angle finder (we have one from a previous crown-molding project, but any angle tool works) to capture the angle inside the triangle, marked that angle on the board, then made the cut with a circular saw. Most cuts weren’t absolutely perfect, but caulk handled the small gaps, so the job went fairly quickly — even with having to replace two triangular sections.
After the trim was up, it was time for caulking. We usually work together on finishing tasks, but outdoor caulk is high in VOCs, so I handled this one solo while keeping Clara away. Beyond caulking seams around the trim, I took extra time to fill every nail hole in the ceiling planks. That may sound obsessive, but sealing those holes now helps prevent moisture or temperature changes from causing warping or rot later. My method: apply a dot of caulk, press it in with a finger dipped in water (to keep it smooth), then finish with a damp sponge. The sponge step is key — it produces a clean result and speeds up the process.
The difference the caulking made is subtle in photos, but in person those small fixes remove visual distractions and make the ceiling read as finished rather than “almost done.”
Next up was painting. We matched the rest of the exterior trim and used Snowbound by Sherwin-Williams for the windows and door. The job was bigger than expected because of the many panes and mullions on the door and three large windows. Painting all those small sections took time; two coats for full coverage took about four hours total. I tried a specialty brush meant for that sort of work, but ultimately found our usual short-handled brush easier to control. Still, it was worth testing to see if a different tool would save time.
Where possible I avoided getting paint on the glass to save the tedious scraping that comes with primer or heavy exterior paint on panes. For the walls I used a small foam roller for the majority of the surface and an angled brush for tight spots. Once that was done, one final task remained: a touch-up coat of blue on the ceiling to camouflage the caulked spots. White caulk can “flash” at certain angles, so a thin coat of ceiling paint took care of that. Because I didn’t have to cut in much and only needed one coat, I finished it quickly while Clara was at preschool.
These straightforward, patient steps — redoing trim for better proportions, carefully caulking seams and nail holes, and thorough painting — helped take our ceiling all the way to “finished” (except for the fans, which we’ll address later). Below are the before/after impressions that made those small efforts feel worth it.
We were also able to mark a couple more items off the to-do list, which brings us closer to the part of the project we’re most excited about: installing the tile floor. We hope to get that rolling this week so we’ll have another update soon.
Rip up the old carpeting(more on that here)Remove the sliding doors and tracks to open things up(more on that here)Convert outlets to outdoor-safe rain-proof ones with covers(more on that here)Add fresh casing to the openings and caulk like crazy to waterproof everything(more on that here)Demo the old ceiling in hopes of possibly lofting it (get a pro in here for advice)(more on that here)Remove old beams, reinforce ceiling stability, and re-route electrical for two fans instead of one(more on that here)Prime, paint, and install our beadboard ceiling(more on that here)Add trim around the ceiling and caulk/paint thatRepaint the columns & interior of the sunroom with white exterior paint (it’s currently cream)- Hang two ceiling fans
- Tile the floors (we bought outdoor-safe tile that’s less slippery than the concrete)
- Choose a rug, furniture, and consider outdoor curtains and wall lighting
- Possibly build an outdoor fireplace down the line
We went into this thinking a sunroom reno would be quick since it’s not a kitchen or bathroom, but it’s still involved: removing doors, taking down a ceiling, rewiring, installing new ceiling planks, and painting lots of trim and windows. With a few more tasks to go — fans, tile, and finishing details — the project is progressing steadily. It’s surprising how much work a well-loved sunroom takes, but those finishing touches are exactly what make it feel complete.