How To Cover Nail Holes In Wood Trim Without Painting You Tube

Photograph Courtesy: eclipse_images/Due east+/Getty Images

From the cabinets in your kitchen to a piece of furniture to a fun arts and crafts, in that location are enough of wood items you tin can paint. And one of the best things about wood is that it accepts a variety of paints well, whether you opt for something that'due south acrylic or an oil-based formula. Painting wood is an easy fashion to change its look and give it some new personality, only it's non always clear what paint to use for different projects and applications. Here's what yous demand to know about the right paint to use for wood.

What'southward Your Project?

Beginning, it'due south essential to figure out the nature of your projection, significant y'all'll demand to determine not only what you're painting but too where it's located or going to be used. Are yous painting shingles on the outside of your abode? Or are you painting an outdoor deck that'll see a lot of human foot traffic? How virtually kitchen cabinets that people volition touch oftentimes, or a bathroom shelf that'll be exposed to high humidity from the shower?

Knowing things like whether or not information technology's going to get wet, how ofttimes someone's going to use it or touch on it and what overall effect or look you want to reach are all essential for determining what pigment you should apply for the project. Wood accepts a very broad range of paints and stains, but each of those tin can have differing levels of durability and protection. Some paints are better than others in certain situations, and you'll need to know your item state of affairs before you make your choice.

The great thing nearly wood is that, every bit long every bit you apply primer to it in most cases, any type of pigment works well on it, depending on what function you need your project to serve. Generally speaking, paints to apply on wood are h2o-based or oil-based. Acrylic and latex are the 2 most common types of water-based paints, while oil-based paints autumn into 2 categories: synthetic or natural. Each of these is improve than others for specific applications.

Latex pigment is quick-drying, like shooting fish in a barrel to clean and amend for the environment than other types. It'due south also less likely to discolor over time. However, information technology'southward non the most durable choice, as it can scratch and chip easily. It's best for indoor forest items or surfaces that you won't touch or use very often, such equally rarely used article of furniture, storage cabinet doors, stair spindles and picture frames. Latex paint is often the most affordable blazon.

Acrylic paint is ideal for home exteriors, although you can besides employ oil-based paint here. If the exterior is made up of different materials, such every bit stone and wood, y'all're better off choosing acrylic. Materials like stone and masonry demand breathable paint to permit wet and h2o vapor to pass through, and oil-based paint prevents this. Acrylic craft paints are also widely available and easy to use and clean up if you're doing a simple DIY craft project using wood.

Synthetic oil paint, which is also called alkyd, is the best selection for applications where you need a lot more than durability. Retrieve everyday furniture that'll become used and jostled oft, kitchen and bath cabinets, interior trims similar baseboards and door frames that'll become kicked and touched often, and flooring indoors and out. Oil-based paints are more rigid than flexible, water-based types so they're less probable to chip — even when people are walking on them — and they're likewise easier to launder clean because of this.

Natural oil paint, chosen linseed, is best for arts and crafts projects on which you want to create a warm, aged patina. It'south typically much more expensive than the synthetic variety, which is why it'due south all-time for smaller projects.

Prepping for the Project

To help the pigment attach well and to ensure the finish looks its best when everything is dry out, it's important to prep your wood to get it ready. If you're painting an outside surface or item, give everything a thorough wash to make sure there isn't any dirt, dust, moss or algae, all of which can keep the pigment from sticking to the surface. If yous're painting wood deck piece of furniture, a table or something else for the outdoors that people will bear upon frequently, information technology's a wise idea to sand it earlier painting to give the paint something shine to adhere to. Splinters and cracks tin besides continue the finished product from looking its best, and they're uncomfortable to sit on. Let the surface or or item dry fully before applying the paint, and give it a few days to dry and start curing before you use information technology. It's best to do outdoor wood-painting projects while the weather is nice.

If yous're repainting an interior surface or furniture such as kitchen cabinetry or a dresser, accept a look at the existing paint or finish. If the item'south current pigment isn't chipped, croaky or bubbling, you lot can usually paint right over information technology; only sand the wood areas briefly to requite the surface more texture for the pigment to stick to. If you don't need to remove cabinet paint, information technology's even so a expert thought to make clean the doors with a heavy-duty solution similar TSP to eliminate all traces of grease and grime. If you lot do need to remove a lilliputian bit of pigment, such every bit a few chipped areas, you can sand them down. However, you lot may need to utilise pigment stripper for items with paint that'due south very damaged. This is a product that softens the old paint so you can scrape and wipe it all off.

A discussion of caution hither: If your cabinets or other painted home surfaces were final done in the 1970s or earlier, they may incorporate lead-based paint. If you utilize a testing kit and determine at that place's atomic number 82 in your pigment, phone call the National Atomic number 82 Information Centre or your local health department to find out how to keep.