Much like varnishes, wood stains are painted directly onto the wood to protect it. Wood stains soak into the wood, and are usually coloured to enhance the appearance.
Whereas varnishes tend to sit on the surface, wood stains are thinner and soak into the wood. They don’t peel like varnish can, but will not offer the same high gloss coat that a varnish can offer.
Gloss, satin, silk and matt are terms that describe how shiny the surface will be. A good quality gloss finish should look a bit like polished car bodywork, whereas a matt finish is at the other end of the scale with no sheen at all. Of course, you’re dreaming if you think a brush painted wood surface will have the same high gloss as a professional car finish, but hey we can give it a go!
Water based paints have come a long way in the last few years, but if you want a gloss finish, then oil based paints are still the way to go. They give a finish with a much glossier sheen.
If you just want an easy life however, go for water based paints. They dry faster and you can wash off water based paints with a little soap and water, which is much simpler than getting out the white spirit or brush cleaner for cleaning oil based products. Of course it‘s not just brushes that you need to clean - it‘s anywhere you spill the paint - the carpet, walls, your shoes and the cat are all likely targets. Water based paints also tend to have less environmental impact than oil based paints.
When you‘re buying paint, read the tin! It will tell you all kinds of useful stuff, such as how long it will take to dry, and how much paint you will need.
The bristles of cheap brushes tend to escape and live forever in your paintwork. Other people may not notice, but every time you look at your own paintwork and notice a bristle stuck in there, you‘ll curse yourself for saving a few quid on cheap brushes!
Here‘s a simple shopping list:
Bare wood should be sanded down and primed. Pre-painted surfaces should be sanded down to provide a key for the new paint, then painted over with an undercoat. Old paint can contain lead, so wear a mask when you‘re sanding it down.
When painting wood, always try to paint along the grain. This will align the brush marks with the wood to create a better finish.
After the first coat of undercoat or primer it‘s a good idea to lightly sand down the work once the coat has dried. This smoothes off surface imperfections and makes a big difference on the final finish. You can also lightly sand between topcoats too, if you want a really good finish.
Hopefully you‘ll have a great finish and all that hard work will have paid off. Give the workpiece plenty of time to dry, stand back and be proud!
Have you ever noticed that little green globe symbol on paint tins? It is there to show you the environmental impact of the paint you’re buying. But what kind of environmental impact can paint have?
When solvent based paints dry they emit "Volatile Organic Compounds". These VOCs react with oxygen to form ozone. Ozone formed at ground level in this way can have several negative affects. The most important being global warming.
Other more straight-forward affects include:
It’s not all bad. Water based paints have low levels of VOCs. If you’re at all worried about the above affects, then they’re the way to go. Always read the label!