Updated: 08/12/2020

How to Paint Wood

External paintwork and maintenance is a tedious and time-consuming, but necessary job. While it is mostly ignored or procrastinated, it should be done early on to avoid huge costs later. It is tempting to make the interior look beautiful, elegant, or inviting, and ignore the exterior of the house. Almost all experts advise against neglecting the outside of the house. The exterior maintenance and paint help protect the woodwork and the foundations of the house from rot, damp, and mould.

With the improvements in paint and technology, different types of wood paint are now readily available in the market. This increase in numbers and volume has led to a decrease in the overall cost of the paint. What this means is that painting the exterior of the house to suit the ever changing British weather is not necessarily an expensive job. 

These aspects of home maintenance should be done quickly to save money and time in the long term.

When is the Best Time to Paint Wood?

Warm and summer months are ideal times in the year to paint wood. Exterior wood paints do not dry in the rainy season or during the cold. Cold, damp periods can wreak havoc on woodwork, wood stains, and paints. 

Oils and stains should be applied before paint application to ensure the wood stays in excellent condition for more extended periods. Wood preserver should also be liberally applied in 2 coats, so the wood absorbs all the preserver and does not absorb the paint directly. Doing this helps preserve the wood for an extended period to avoid damp, fungus, mould, and rot. Since wooden doors and windows can expand slightly during the rainy and winter seasons, it is best to ensure the wood soaks as much preserver as possible before applying the coats of paint. 

How to Restore Outdoor Woodwork?

Outdoor woodwork needs to be cured with cleaning, wood filler, and an abrasive paper to remove any mildew or algae. Scrub down the doors and windows with soap and hot water solution and a rough scouring cloth. Rinse off with fresh, clean water, and apply a sterilizing solution. You should follow this process for patios and outdoor spaces before applying decking paint.

Once done, scrape off the earlier flaky paint with a scraper or a chemical paint stripping solution. If using this solution, ensure you put a neutralizer to help restore the wood. Rake out any rumbling putty from windows and apply fresh putty. Removing old putty is essential for removing condensation from gaps. Then, replace the beading if it has turned rotten. Remove old screws if rusted, and replace the screws on all doors and windows. 

Now apply the wood preserver and wood filler and smoothen it down with glasspaper before using paint. 

Repeat these steps on any outdoor wooden surfaces depending on the degree of damage or rot. If the wood is damaged beyond repair, consider replacing it with fresh timber and then treating it to accept the oil and wood preserver before continuing with the painting work.

How to Paint Wood?

If the existing paintwork is in good condition, start prepping the exterior wood by rubbing down the surface with a good quality scraper or abrasive substance. Loose and flaky paint needs to be removed first to avoid further damage. Water damaged wood needs to be sanded down and treated with a wood preserver to restore it to its earlier condition. Allow the wood to rest and dry out before using any primers.

Exterior wood paints are usually one of two types – water-based or solvent-based (oil-based). Water-based paints are generally all-in-one and should be applied directly without needing a separate primer, preserver, and finish. Solvent-based paints need an undercoat with a different finish. 

Water-based paints are usually not glossy and do not have a high shine. Oil-based paints have an incredible sheen and finish. Water-based variants in exterior wood paints are also longer lasting than their oil-based counterparts. 

To paint wood:

1. Ensure that the weather forecast is sunny or mildly cloudy without a chance of rain.
2. Scrape old paint off and prep the wood with a preserver.
3. Read the manufacturer’s instructions on the paint can carefully before beginning.
4. Ensure that the colour has enough time to dry off before applying another coat of paint.
5. When painting, always follow the grain of the wood. 
6. Use suitable quality primers, preservers, undercoats, and varnishes to maintain the health and shine of the paint. 
7. Paint all doors and windows before starting on the walls to ensure enough drying time till evening or night.