The most common mistakes when painting wood

Wood, as a natural material, does not forgive mistakes made when painting it. Depending on the chemicals used and the type of painted wood, many aspects must be taken into account to be satisfied with the final effect. What are the most common mistakes we make when painting wood? Here is a list.

1. Inadequately prepared surface.

Painting wooden surfaces may only be carried out on a properly prepared surface. Often, out of haste or lack of knowledge, DIY enthusiasts ignore this issue. It has a direct impact on the final effect. Therefore, all wooden surfaces should be clean, dry, degreased (with white spirit) and free from old paint or varnish coatings.

Uncleaned surfaces may cause stains to appear on the painted surface or insufficient coverage of the wood by paint, varnish or impregnation. To avoid such a "failure", the wood surface should be sanded manually or with a grinder, using sandpaper with a grit from 120 to 320, depending on the condition of the wood.

Another mistake made when preparing the surface of painted wood is skipping interlayer sanding. They should be performed before applying the second layer of the chemical or the next layer of preparation. Its purpose is to even out the raised wood fibres and increase the adhesion of the next layer of the product. We use high-grade sandpaper for interlayer sanding.

2. Poor selection of tools.

The market of chemical products for wood is full of preparations that have different properties and compositions and have various effects on wood. Consumers are increasingly getting better to recognize individual impregnations, glazes, stains, varnishes and waxes. However, they often do not remember that each of these preparations should be applied using different types of rollers and brushes.

There is still a belief that a brush is a brush, regardless of what it is made of - it can be used to paint anything and everything. Nothing could be further from the truth! Choosing the right roller or brush may be crucial for work ergonomics, wood protection and the final effect.

When selecting tools, you should follow two rules. First, depending on the surface to be painted, we decide which tool to use. A roller will undoubtedly help us achieve greater efficiency in painting large surfaces (floors, facades, walls). Additionally, it does not leave streaks and uses smaller amounts of the preparation. It also seems to be an irreplaceable tool in painting, e.g. high parts of facades. We can then use the "telescopic boom" and do not need a ladder. The brush will work well for precise painting of details, edges, and nooks and crannies (furniture, stucco, alcoves, corners, fences, pergolas). Thanks to different widths and shapes of brushes, they help reach hard-to-reach places. A brush is also helpful in painting recesses because the bristles can reach uneven surfaces more easily than the fleece of a roller.

The second selection criterion is the material from which the roller or brush is made. Brushes with natural bristles are intended for solvent-based paints, and to a lesser extent for water-based paints, because they absorb water. Artificial bristle brushes are intended for water-soluble preparations.

3. Bad conditions during product application.

The conditions in which we apply individual products have a very large impact on the final effect obtained after painting wood.

Too low or too high a temperature, inappropriate air humidity or dust may result in unintended effects. An example would be the application intended for garden wood. We cannot paint it in heavy rain or in direct sunlight. Then it is best to move the work to a roofed room. The conditions under which the preparations should be applied to wooden surfaces are always described in detail in the chemical data sheets.

4. Reluctance to read labels and advice.

We can call this problem another way - lack of knowledge. The variety of chemical preparations available on the market means that users should read their labels, catalogue cards and widely available guides on painting wood. Each preparation is different, so mistakes may occur frequently.

Therefore, each manufacturer creates them so that they can be read in the simplest way possible. When caring for wood, you should familiarize yourself with all the rules related to painting it, because although beautiful, it does not forgive mistakes.

We are glad to inform you that our company takes pride in following diligently every process when painting wood!