Painting Basics - Prepping Wood Surfaces
By Prudy Vannier
1002-3

You’ve chosen your wood piece. Now what do you do with it to prep for painting?

Look over each piece carefully checking for cracks, scrapes or gauges. These can be filled with wood filler. Nail holes can be filled prior to painting. Cracks can be filled with wood filler. Once it’s dry, it’s ready to be sanded.

Every piece of wood needs an inspection and some sanding to insure a smooth painting surface. Sand paper comes in many grits, from course to extra fine. Start with a medium coarseness, then go to a fine one. Sand with the grain of the wood.

There are other sanding tools as well. There are sanding sponges, disks, and pads. Some people use steel wool, and some use pieces of brown paper bag for the finest sanding. Sanding sticks are used for tiny areas such as in this wood ornament. It allows you to get into all of the nooks and crannies.

When your piece is sanded, you need to decide if it will be painted or stained. If you are painting it, you’ll need to seal it with wood sealer or all purpose sealer. This closes the pores of the wood and creates a super-smooth surface for your paint to adhere. To apply, use a big brush loaded with sealer, then go in long, even strokes with the grain of the wood.

If staining, there’s no need to seal. The wood needs to absorb the stain to bring the grain out. Apply stain as you did the sealer – long, even strokes with the grain of the wood.