What paint is best on wood? Painting wood is an operation that can seem extremely difficult. That is especially if you have never done it before, and also because there are different techniques.
You can paint by spray, with a sponge, or with brushes. In addition, there are many products on the market, from cementite for wood, to enamel for wood, to paint. How do you go about it?
With the help of some expert advice, we can quickly catch up and get all the knowledge we need. The result will be a perfect painting of our furniture and wooden objects.
What kind of products to use? Which are the best ones for varnishing wood? What are the differences between varnish and wood preservative? When should I use one or the other? We will answer all these questions.
Let us see everything there is to know about varnishing wood, and all the products we can use to carry out this task.
What Paint Is Best On Wood
Before analyzing specifically what are the different types of products you can use on wood coating, remember one thing. It is necessary to remember that you will make the choice of the product in relation to the object as such or the quality of this or that product. Furthermore, you will make your decision in relation to the aesthetic result that you will expect.
In order to obtain a good job, and therefore an impeccable varnished wood, the grain of the wood, the natural one, will play a fundamental role. For example, do we want to continue to see it? Or do we want to cover it?
From this question we can already address two very different types of products:
The impregnating agent: it is a product that precisely “impregnates the wood” without covering it with a thick patina.
The varnish: depending on the type you use, it can create more or less thick patina, able to cover even the natural grain of the wood.
However, these are obviously not the only differences between the two types of product.
What Paint Is Best On Wood – Types of Paint for Painting Furniture
We have many different types of paint available for painting furniture. We will analyze them immediately below.
Single-component paints: they are paints that contain only one product, which you can apply and dry, without the need to combine them with another product. In addition, they are the easiest to use, but also those with the worst yield.
Two-component paints: they are paints that are made by mixing two products before application. These types offer much greater resistance than the single-component ones, and also a harder film. You should use them on the furniture and wooden objects outdoors. These paints withstand the weather and the action of atmospheric agents.
Also with regard to the base of the varnish, there are two different types of products on the market:
On the one hand, we have water-based paints: they are easier to handle and wash. Moreover, they do not have the terrible smell of solvents and are not toxic. You can also use them indoors, even if they have a slightly lower yield than the ones we will present in a very short time.
Then we have the solvent-based paints: they typically use aquaragia or nigro thinner. Furthermore, they offer a much higher resistance than water-based paints. These paints protect better in case of frost and atmospheric agents. However, they have a terrible smell and are toxic, so you should always apply them outdoors.
There are still oil-based varnishes, even if they are less popular nowadays. They are special products based on linseed oil, and are able to penetrate deeply. Therefore, they protect the wood even better.
These products, however, offer a much coarser finish than other products. Further, they have very long drying times, and are not very resistant to other chemical agents.
For this reason they are now almost always, unless you need special effects, discarded in favor of other types of products, such as those above.
What Paint Is Best On Wood – Natural Paints
There is also a new possibility in the world of wood varnishing. Given the enormous and growing concern about ecology and nature, natural varnishes are becoming increasingly popular.
These are products that use natural products as a solvent base, as could be the case with vinegar, natural turpentine, beeswax, and even alcohol.
The use of these solvents, however, offers good resistance and permeability, while at the same time offering a product that:
- Safe for those who paint, and for those who will live in the rooms where the furniture is
- Is biodegradable
- Protects the wood without the use of dangerous chemicals
The yields are, whatever nature and ecology enthusiasts may say, still not optimal when you compare them to solvent-based paints.
You can certainly overlook this , however, bearing in mind that in reality these paints have very little impact on nature.
Synthetic paints
Let’s close our review on the best wood coatings by talking about synthetic paints.
In this category end up different types of product, which have in common the base, that is made by mixing solvents and resins.
They are the most toxic varnishes in circulation, even if they are popular because they can offer an extremely particular and impossible result to obtain with other types of product.
Polyurethane Paints
They are commonly used paints because:
- They are extremely resistant to atmospheric agents
- The paints are very hard
- Offer very good resistance to abrasion
- Have a considerable gloss
- Provide one of the best possible adhesion to the surface
- Dry very quickly
- Have an excellent transparency coefficient
You can also use varnishes based on polyurethane compounds in conditions of extreme stress. The same can apply in the case with wood in outdoor environments, or those even if constantly in contact with agents that can damage it, such as sea water.
Therefore, it is an excellent product for painting boats, and for the finishing of exteriors, wooden doors, and other types of objects that need a glossy, compact, and resistant finish.
Epoxy Paints
Epoxy paints are paints that are best for objects that are exposed to the sea, and therefore will be used to operate in particular conditions. For those who paint at home, there should never be the need to use these products.
However, epoxy paints need an additional finish, as they are poorly resistant to UV rays.
