This is a great guide for homeowners who are not professional painters, on how to get a super smooth coat of paint when you need it, cabinets, woodwork, trim, these all need smooth paint without unsightly brush marks.
Painting wood seems like such a basic project that people often attempt short cuts or rush the project and end up with poor results.
Mastering the techniques of painting wood surfaces is not difficult, follow these tips and you will end up with beautiful results, let’s begin with what you will need.
Equipment / Tools
- Plastic Drop Sheeting
- Rubber Gloves
- Bucket
- Clean Cloths
- Random Orbital Sander or Sandpaper
- Vacuum
- 70mm Paintbrush
- Roller With a High-density Foam
- Paint Tray
Materials
- TSP (tri-sodium phosphate)
- 180-grit and 220-grit Sandpaper
- Tack Cloth
- Primer
- Enamel paint or an Interior Acrylic-latex Paint
- Paint additive such as Penetrol or Floetrol (optional)
Cover Your Work Surface and Clean the Wood
Drape plastic sheeting over the floor or other work surface to protect it from paint spills. The plastic keeps the paint from soaking through to the floor and helps to contain paint spills.
Mix a solution of TSP with warm water according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, wet a cloth in the water and firmly squeeze it dry, then wipe down the wood to remove all the dirt and oils.
Let the wood dry completely, now check for large nicks, gouges, and scratches, if necessary, fill these with a wood filler.
Note: TSP is a strong cleaner and degreaser that is used for cleaning surfaces in preparation for painting, but you could substitute it for a similar product.
Prep the Wood and Sand Your Primer
A good paint job is in the preparation before you even touch a paint brush. Without a smooth base, you can’t get a smooth finish.
Sand the bare wood to 120-grit, this will give the primer a good hold and create the right base to start with. Paint your primer onto the wood, if the primer looks transparent or streaky, prime a second time.
Sand the primer down with 220 grit paper once the primer has dried enough, for a super smooth feel before your final paint. Between each sanding we recommend that you use a vacuum cleaner to remove the majority of the dust, then clean off the remaining dust with your tack cloth. A tack cloth or tack rag is a gauze-like, lint-free material, impregnated with a waxy substance used to remove dust and dirt from wood.
Note: Too much pressure on the tack cloth will be counter-productive, lightly wipe it across the surface, as not to press the tack cloth’s embedded wax onto the surface.
You can Use Additives
There are additives that you can use, like Penetrol and Floetrol for your paint that slow down the drying process and makes the paint less sticky.
Thinner paint lays down better and helps hide brush marks.
Penterol Oil-Based Coating Additive is a versatile low-odour additive to improve penetration, adhesion and flow of oil-based paints, stains, varnishes, and primers. It is a versatile blend of natural oils with a penetration power 3 times more than water and has a powerful bonding ability.
Floetrol is a latex paint additive that makes interior and exterior latex or acrylic paint flow and level like oil-based paints, while compensating for the adverse effects that weather and surface conditions have on paints and primers.
Buy The Right Paint
Do not skimp on buying a good quality paint, for woodwork and cabinets, you should consider Enamel paint, which dries harder than regular paint.
Put it On, Leave it Alone
Roll the paint on with the foam roller, smooth it out and leave it alone. The quicker you can get the surface covered, the more time the paint has to smooth out as it dries.
Note: Unlike the nap-style roller, the foam roller soaks up paint like a sponge, preventing drips and splatters. High-density foam roller covers work better with thinner latex paint than with oil-based paints.
You can use the paint brush to fill in the creases. Keep a wet edge at all times to prevent lap marks, do not add a second coat of paint during this step, as this can cause the paint to tear.
If you find any defects while the paint is drying, you will have to fix it later with the next coat.
For the best results, if possible, let the piece dry overnight before using it, paint becomes more durable after it fully cures. Remember that some of these are techniques that take a little practice to get just right, so don’t be frustrated if it takes a little time to get perfect, as in everything else, practice makes perfect.
For your convenience all the products and materials are available from the Build it Hermanus store, please feel free to ask any of our experienced salespeople for assistance or advice when purchasing a product, we are here to make your shopping experience as memorable as possible.
Build it Hermanus offers local delivery, supplying the greater Overberg area with building materials, do-it-yourself home improvement tools, and expert advice.
Please follow us on social media to stay up to date with our latest sizzling specials and promotional offers! Or log on to our online store and shop from the comfort of your home: www.buildit-store.co.za
Build it Hermanus offers added value services in respect of hardware retailing; embracing all activity within the building materials industry, focusing specifically on the building of; urban, township, rural housing as well as all home improvements and do it yourself.