what type of paint is best for wood

What Type of Paint Is Best For Wood – All You Need to Know

What type of paint is best for wood? Wood, plastic, and masonry: These surfaces are probably the most frequently painted. Perhaps you have an old piece of furniture that you want to give a makeover. To be able to paint different materials, you need the right color and the right technique.

Here you can read which paint you need for which material. Also, you will know what you should bear in mind when painting so that the result is convincing.

What Type of Paint Is Best For Wood

Wood is a natural material that needs care. It means you should treat wooden elements at regular intervals so that they remain as beautiful as on the first day.

Which Means For Which Purpose?

There is a wide range of products for processing and preparing wood. If you want to paint wood, the choice ranges from varnishes and glazes to wood oils, wood wax, and stains.

These products are grouped together in the categories wood treatment and varnishes. Glazes are also available with paints.

Wood varnish offers rich colors and an opaque coating, where the natural grain of the wood is not visible. The varnish closes the pores so that a smooth, even surface is created. Keep in mind that varnishes are suitable for furniture, toys, or window frames.

While you should use acrylic lacquer when painting furniture, a synthetic resin lacquer or special door and window lacquer is more suitable for painting window frames. Toys or similar items are best treated with solvent-free colored paints, which are also saliva-proof.

Glazes have more of a protective function. Colored glazes contain less color pigments than lacquers and therefore do not cover so much – the grain of the wood remains visible.

Glazes are well suited for wooden fences, for example, but equally well for window frames, doors, and generally all woods indoors and outdoors. With colorless glazes, the wood retains its natural patina and at the same time is optimally protected from the weather.

Paint Wood Step By Step

Before you can start painting, you must prepare the wood so that the paint will hold well and can be applied evenly. How complex the preparations are depends on the condition of the wood. Untreated wood only needs to be sanded and cleaned.

If there is already paint on the wood, you may have to remove it first. This works best with a paint stripper: Simply apply, let it work for about 30 minutes, and then scrape off the varnish with a spatula. Then rinse thoroughly with clear water.

Now it’s time to sand the wood: This way, the surfaces become more even – protruding fibers or small unevenness can easily be removed with sandpaper. Tip: Sometimes you need to to repeat sanding. If the surfaces are very rough and uneven, this may be the case.

Start with a coarse sandpaper. During the second and, if necessary, third sanding cycle, use finer and finer sandpaper to make the surface smooth.

For the final sanding, 180 grit or finer sandpaper is suitable. Regardless of whether you use wood paints for the exterior or the interior, sanding is always important.

Apply the Primer

In the next step you apply the primer. Remember to dust the wood well beforehand so that no particles are left behind. In addition you can wipe the wood with a damp cloth before painting. If there is still dust on the surface, the coating will become less even.

You can apply the primer either with a brush or with a fine-pored foam roller. Note: You only need the primer if you paint with wood varnish that does not already contain a primer. When varnishing the wood, the grain still shows through, so the primer is not necessary.

When the primer is well dried, you can start with the first coat. The basic rule is: The more often you paint, the more homogeneous the result will be. In most cases, two coats are sufficient.

A fine plastic roller is suitable for the final coat. Make sure that you draw straight lines to avoid color gradations. It is also advisable to paint in one direction only.

Conclusion – What Type of Paint Is Best For Wood

Too much paint tends to collect on edges and corners. If this hardens, it is difficult to get rid of the noses that have formed. So keep an eye out for accumulations of paint and remove them immediately with the foam roller. It is best to get into the corners with a fine brush.

There must be enough time between the individual coats of paint so that the paint or varnish dries thoroughly. You will find information about this on the packaging. In most cases, a 12-hour break is best for varnishes.

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