How To Make A New Layer In Paint

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From the cabinets in your kitchen to a furniture to a fun arts and crafts, there are enough of woods items you tin can paint. And one of the best things about woods is that it accepts a diversity of paints well, whether you lot opt for something that'southward acrylic or an oil-based formula. Painting wood is an easy way to change its look and requite information technology some new personality, but it'due south non always articulate what paint to employ for different projects and applications. Here'south what yous need to know nigh the right paint to utilise for wood.

What's Your Projection?

Commencement, it's essential to effigy out the nature of your projection, meaning yous'll need to determine not only what you lot're painting but also where it's located or going to be used. Are you painting shingles on the exterior of your dwelling house? Or are you painting an outdoor deck that'll meet a lot of foot traffic? How about kitchen cabinets that people will affect often, or a bathroom shelf that'll be exposed to loftier humidity from the shower?

Knowing things like whether or not it's going to get wet, how oft someone's going to use it or touch it and what overall consequence or expect yous want to achieve are all essential for determining what paint you should use for the project. Wood accepts a very wide range of paints and stains, but each of those tin have differing levels of durability and protection. Some paints are meliorate than others in certain situations, and you lot'll demand to know your particular situation before you brand your choice.

Paint Types and Formulas

The swell affair about wood is that, as long as you lot utilize primer to it in nigh cases, any type of paint works well on it, depending on what role you need your project to serve. Generally speaking, paints to use on wood are water-based or oil-based. Acrylic and latex are the ii about common types of water-based paints, while oil-based paints fall into two categories: synthetic or natural. Each of these is ameliorate than others for specific applications.

Latex paint is quick-drying, piece of cake to clean and improve for the surroundings than other types. It's also less likely to discolor over fourth dimension. However, information technology's not the most durable choice, every bit it tin scratch and chip easily. It'due south best for indoor wood items or surfaces that you won't touch on or utilise very oft, such every bit rarely used piece of furniture, storage cabinet doors, stair spindles and picture frames. Latex paint is often the most affordable type.

Acrylic pigment is ideal for home exteriors, although you tin also use oil-based paint here. If the outside is made up of dissimilar materials, such as stone and forest, you lot're improve off choosing acrylic. Materials like rock and masonry need breathable paint to allow moisture and h2o vapor to pass through, and oil-based paint prevents this. Acrylic craft paints are likewise widely bachelor and easy to use and clean upward if you lot're doing a elementary DIY craft project using wood.

Synthetic oil paint, which is likewise called alkyd, is the best choice for applications where y'all demand a lot more immovability. Remember everyday furniture that'll get used and jostled often, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, interior trims like baseboards and door frames that'll get kicked and touched often, and flooring indoors and out. Oil-based paints are more rigid than flexible, h2o-based types so they're less likely to chip — even when people are walking on them — and they're also easier to wash make clean because of this.

Natural oil pigment, called linseed, is all-time for craft projects on which you want to create a warm, anile patina. It's typically much more expensive than the synthetic diversity, which is why information technology'southward all-time for smaller projects.

Prepping for the Project

To help the paint adhere well and to ensure the finish looks its best when everything is dry, information technology's important to prep your woods to get it ready. If you're painting an exterior surface or detail, requite everything a thorough wash to make sure there isn't any dirt, dust, moss or algae, all of which can keep the paint from sticking to the surface. If y'all're painting wood deck furniture, a table or something else for the outdoors that people will touch on often, it's a wise thought to sand it before painting to give the paint something smooth to adhere to. Splinters and cracks tin can as well keep the finished product from looking its best, and they're uncomfortable to sit down on. Let the surface or or particular dry out fully before applying the paint, and requite it a few days to dry out and start curing before you employ information technology. It'southward best to do outdoor woods-painting projects while the weather is overnice.

If you're repainting an interior surface or furniture such as kitchen cabinetry or a dresser, have a look at the existing paint or stop. If the item's electric current paint isn't chipped, croaky or bubbles, you tin can normally paint right over it; just sand the wood areas briefly to requite the surface more texture for the pigment to stick to. If you don't demand to remove cabinet paint, it's all the same a good thought to clean the doors with a heavy-duty solution like TSP to eliminate all traces of grease and grime. If you do need to remove a little bit of paint, such as a few chipped areas, you tin sand them downward. However, y'all may need to use pigment stripper for items with paint that'due south very damaged. This is a production that softens the old pigment and then you can scrape and wipe it all off.

A word of caution here: If your cabinets or other painted domicile surfaces were terminal done in the 1970s or earlier, they may contain lead-based paint. If you utilize a testing kit and decide at that place's pb in your paint, phone call the National Atomic number 82 Information Middle or your local health section to find out how to proceed.