Like walking and perhaps cycling, painting wood is among the easiest things to do. Let's take the case of the wood of an old barn. You can go about painting it in two ways: by doing it well or by working loosely. Make an effort to do it as best you can: with a little patience and a good technique you can paint it like a pro.
Steps
Step 1. Calmly prepare the wood to be painted
This is probably the most overlooked and most critical step. As an artist, your work will be perfect if the canvas on which your creation takes shape is perfect. The paint will not fill in cracks, dents, holes or any other imperfections in the wood, and once the paint has dried these imperfections will likely show even more.
- Remove existing paint (if any). Use a stiff putty knife or putty knife to peel off existing paint as much as possible.
- Unless the surface of the wood has an oil-based stain, do not use chemical paint strippers. Scrape as much as possible and then pass the trisodium phosphate to remove paint residue and remove dirt. Rinse well.
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Fill in any dents and deep scratches with a good wood putty. Use a spatula and fill in all the areas that need it. In this step it is better to abound with the product rather than be scarce. Sand the surface well once the grout has dried and hardened.
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Use a compound to seal and repair cracks and to fill in small scratches.
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Step 2. Sand the surface where you used the putty or filler
Use a fine sandpaper for this step.
Step 3. Wipe the sandpaper in the direction of the wood grain and not the other way around
Step 4. Use coarser sandpaper to sand old brush marks
The latter will have to be completely eliminated.
Step 5. Seal the parts with long and deep cracks
You can use a round object to apply the putty evenly.
Step 6. Dampen a rag and wipe off excess sawdust, earth, sand, etc
If you paint over it, the final result could be poor quality work.
Step 7. Don't rush things
Take your time and do a good job.
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Use a good quality brush.
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Use a paint that dries slowly (do not use latex), unless you use an additive to speed drying. Paints that dry slowly leave fewer visible brush marks.
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Dip the brush into the paint, start at the top and work your way down to the bottom of the wood. Repeat this gesture 3-4 times without letting too much time pass between each hand.
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Don't let more than a minute go by and use a clean brush to remove excess paint.
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Step 8. Make long strokes with the brush
The marks left by the brush will disappear as the paint dries. It is for this reason that it is recommended to use a paint that dries slowly.
Advice
Use a stiff spatula to scrape and a flexible one to putty
Warnings
- Wear protective clothing and safety glasses when using trisodium phosphate. It is a very strong cleaning product that can cause irritation and burns on the skin. Thoroughly rinse all parts that come into contact with the trisodium phosphate.
- Wear a mask as you sand and scrape the wood. Old wood especially can contain lead which is very bad for your health.
