How To Prepare Your Exterior Wood For Painting?
Do you have that old deck or fence that needs a paint coat? Want to get your wooden gate painted? Getting any surface, no matter wood or concrete painted can greatly improve its life and appeal. But there are few challenges you might encounter when trying to revive the look of a wooden surface, furniture, or deck. It’s advised to repair any flaws, sand the surface and apply a primer to ensure a long lasting and perfect paint finish.
Some steps you can follow to prepare your wood installation for painting include:
Cleaning
First of all, clean the wood surface using a Trisodium Phosphate (TSP) and bleach solution. Being a potent cleaner and a degreaser, TSP not only cleans the surface but also breaks down the glossiness of the paint coat and removes mould. This ensures a better and long lasting paint finish.
Another easy method you can use to clean the wooden surface is pressure washing. Make sure you allow the area to dry completely before applying a paint coat.
Sanding
Once you clean the wood surface properly, it’s time for sanding. Make sure all the surfaces and edges of a wooden door, fence or gate arecarefully sanded to smooththe grain prior to the painting job. If the surface was previously painted, remove any peeling, chipping, or cracking paint using sandpaper.
If you notice any soft or rotten wood patch, removed and replace it with fresh dry wood before getting the surface painted.
Patching
Patch any holes, dents, and cracks you notice on your wooden surface with oil-based fillers and epoxies to wood patch materials and latex caulks. Choosing the best repair option depends on the interior or exterior wood and how you’re going to get it painted or varnished.
For varnishing, choose a fillerthat is not visible through the final finish. Try to fill in any gaps between woodwork and walls for a smoother appearance.
Priming
Applying a primer properly ensures a uniform, smooth, and long-lasting paint finish. If you have applied a coat of primer before the paint job, it can greatly help in avoiding flashing and block stains to permeate the wood, thereby ensuring lustre and restoring shine.
You can use the primer in its original colour or mix it with a tint to match the wood colour.
So, these were some simple yet effective tips that can ideally help in preparing a wooden surface for a paint job. If you are looking for a reliable painting company for interior and exterior painting services, rely on our team of skilled painters at Gordon Coating.