How To Paint Pine Trees Acrylic

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From the cabinets in your kitchen to a piece of piece of furniture to a fun craft, there are enough of woods items y'all tin pigment. And ane of the best things about wood is that it accepts a variety of paints well, whether you opt for something that's acrylic or an oil-based formula. Painting wood is an like shooting fish in a barrel manner to alter its look and give it some new personality, merely it's not always articulate what paint to use for different projects and applications. Here'southward what you need to know about the right paint to utilize for forest.

What's Your Project?

Kickoff, it'south essential to effigy out the nature of your project, meaning you'll need to determine not merely what you're painting but also where it'south located or going to be used. Are you lot painting shingles on the exterior of your home? Or are you painting an outdoor deck that'll see a lot of human foot traffic? How about kitchen cabinets that people volition touch often, or a bathroom shelf that'll be exposed to high humidity from the shower?

Knowing things similar whether or not it'southward going to get moisture, how oft someone's going to utilize information technology or affect it and what overall effect or look you desire to achieve are all essential for determining what paint yous should use for the projection. Forest accepts a very wide range of paints and stains, but each of those can have differing levels of immovability and protection. Some paints are better than others in sure situations, and you'll demand to know your particular state of affairs earlier you make your pick.

The swell thing nigh wood is that, as long equally yous apply primer to information technology in most cases, whatsoever type of paint works well on it, depending on what function y'all demand your project to serve. Generally speaking, paints to use on forest are h2o-based or oil-based. Acrylic and latex are the two most common types of h2o-based paints, while oil-based paints fall into two categories: constructed or natural. Each of these is better than others for specific applications.

Latex paint is quick-drying, like shooting fish in a barrel to clean and better for the environment than other types. It's also less likely to discolor over fourth dimension. Yet, it's non the virtually durable choice, as information technology tin can scratch and chip hands. It'south best for indoor wood items or surfaces that you won't bear on or utilize very often, such as rarely used furniture, storage cabinet doors, stair spindles and picture frames. Latex paint is often the most affordable blazon.

Acrylic paint is ideal for abode exteriors, although you can also use oil-based pigment here. If the exterior is made up of different materials, such as stone and wood, yous're ameliorate off choosing acrylic. Materials similar stone and masonry need breathable paint to allow moisture and h2o vapor to pass through, and oil-based paint prevents this. Acrylic craft paints are also widely available and like shooting fish in a barrel to use and clean up if y'all're doing a simple DIY craft project using wood.

Synthetic oil pigment, which is too chosen alkyd, is the best choice for applications where you lot need a lot more durability. Think everyday piece of furniture that'll get used and jostled often, kitchen and bath cabinets, interior trims like baseboards and door frames that'll get kicked and touched often, and flooring indoors and out. Oil-based paints are more rigid than flexible, water-based types and so they're less likely to bit — even when people are walking on them — and they're also easier to wash clean because of this.

Natural oil paint, called linseed, is all-time for craft projects on which yous desire to create a warm, aged patina. It's typically much more expensive than the constructed variety, which is why it's all-time for smaller projects.

Prepping for the Project

To help the pigment attach well and to ensure the end looks its best when everything is dry, it's important to prep your wood to go information technology ready. If you lot're painting an exterior surface or particular, requite everything a thorough wash to make certain there isn't any dirt, dust, moss or algae, all of which tin can go on the paint from sticking to the surface. If y'all're painting wood deck article of furniture, a table or something else for the outdoors that people volition touch frequently, it'southward a wise idea to sand it earlier painting to requite the paint something polish to adhere to. Splinters and cracks can also keep the finished product from looking its best, and they're uncomfortable to sit on. Let the surface or or particular dry out out fully before applying the paint, and give it a few days to dry and start curing before you lot utilize information technology. Information technology's best to do outdoor wood-painting projects while the weather is squeamish.

If you're repainting an interior surface or furniture such as kitchen cabinetry or a dresser, take a look at the existing paint or cease. If the item'due south current pigment isn't chipped, croaky or bubbling, yous can usually pigment correct over it; just sand the wood areas briefly to requite the surface more than texture for the paint to stick to. If you don't need to remove cabinet pigment, it'southward still a good thought to make clean the doors with a heavy-duty solution like TSP to eliminate all traces of grease and crud. If you practice need to remove a little flake of pigment, such as a few chipped areas, y'all can sand them downward. However, you may need to use paint stripper for items with paint that's very damaged. This is a product that softens the old paint then you tin scrape and wipe information technology all off.

A discussion of caution hither: If your cabinets or other painted home surfaces were last done in the 1970s or earlier, they may contain lead-based paint. If you use a testing kit and determine there'southward pb in your paint, call the National Lead Information Center or your local health department to find out how to proceed.