Are you looking to completely change the look of your house with a splash of paint? Thinking of adding colors to your finest wood furniture? Want to decorate the DIY wooden project with the perfect paint colors? Then you are in the right place. Wood is one of the finest and coolest materials. It is fairly forgiving and needs proper maintenance to keep it shiny like new. Asking yourself a few questions before starting to paint wood is extremely important. Wood is adaptable to receiving both oil-based and water-based paint, depending on the type of primer you are using. But knowing the type of paint you are using is essential to choosing the best for the wooden surface. In this article, you can find out the types of paint for woodwork:
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What Kind of Paint Do You Use on Wood?
There are hundreds of different paint options you can choose from. Knowing the type of paint is key to finding the right paint that works amazingly on your wood vanity.
1. Oil-Based Paint:
Many people like to choose oil-based paint because it is highly durable and lasts for almost decades. It creates an amazingly smooth surface and glossy finish as soon as it gets dry. You can also achieve a matte finish depending on the type of paint you are using. Most of the projects finished using oil-based paint doesn’t require any topcoat to add on shine. However, if you want to enjoy a smoother finish, you can skip using a roller and use the best quality paintbrush. Make sure you do not have any primer on the wood before painting because oil-based paint doesn’t mix well with the latex primer layer.
PRO-TIP:
Always wash your brushes and hands soon after painting with oil-based paints. You can use mineral spirits in the washing process because these paints are very tough to remove.
2. Water-Based Paint:
Water-based paints are sold in big box and hardware stores as they are simply easiest to use for any kind of paints without any stress. You do not have to provide any kind of pre-application treatment on the wood before painting it with
Water-Based Paint. Generally, this kind of paint dries very quickly and lasts for a long time as the color resists cracking and fading. The most common types of water-based paints are milk and chalk paint. You do not have to fear about heavy odor or mildew growth when it comes to this paint. The other benefits with these paints are like the base is of water, you can wash them solely with water.
3. Latex paint:
Latex paints are much easier to use than oil-based paints, but the disadvantage here is that they are less durable than other paints and cause intense strokes in the finished product. Mixing a little Floetrol in the latex paints reduces the number of visible stocks on the wood. There are two types of latex paint, which give a semi-gloss or gloss finish that doesn’t need any topcoat. But matte or satin latex paint needs a topcoat layer for better results.
4. Acrylic craft paint
Depending on the type of wooden project you are working on, you can use acrylic craft paint for a wonderful finish. It works best for small projects, especially to obtain an artistic appearance. These kinds of paints dry pretty quickly and do not have any odor. These are also inexpensive and available in various quantities to scope your projects.
Examples of Oil, Water, and Latex Paints:
- Velvet finish paint:
Velvet-finish paint has been around for centuries and is useful for furniture projects. Velvet paints contain a built-in topcoat that doesn’t require priming or sanding before or after painting, unless you need a complete glossy finish. You might need to use a primer if the wood is glossy before painting.
- Specialty paints:
Specialty paints are created for painting wood furniture. Since furniture painting is different from other paintings, you need to choose latex paints or better-finished oil-based paints.
- Chalk Paint
Chalk paint is one of the most beloved paints for many people all around the world. The main reason for this is that it is straightforward to paint, simple to apply, and doesn’t need any sanding. But it requires some sort of topcoat to protect the paint from the environment. Using a wax coat on the top of the wood prevents it from fading.
- Milk Paint:
Milk paint gives the wood a complete farmhouse effect, and unlike other paints, it needs good care and maintenance.
I hope in this article you found everything about paint types for woodwork, and now it’s time to use creativity to lighten up the woodwork in your house or office. Consider this article your one destination to remove all the confusion about what kind of paint you use on wood. Now dust off the paint brushes and start painting!
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