The Basics of Wood Painting

Wood is used extensively in every part of our homes -- from roof trusses to skirting boards. Structural timber is usually left rough and unfinished, while joinery -- windows, doors, staircases, architraves and so on -- is usually decorated in some way. Wood has just one drawback: as a natural material it's prone to deterioration and even decay unless it's protected.

Painting wood is one way of combining decoration and protection, and the popularity of paint is a testimony to its effectiveness. Properly applied and well looked after, it gives wood a highly attractive appearance and also provides excellent protection against dampness, dirt, mould, insect attack, and general wear and tear.

Of course, paint isn't the only finish you can choose for wood. If its color and grain pattern are worth displaying, you can use oils, stains or varnishes to enhance the overall effect and protect the surface. But as most of the wood used in our houses is chosen more for performance and price rather than looks, bland and uninteresting softwoods are generally the order of the day for everything from windows and door frames to staircases, skirting boards and door architraves. And painting them offers a number of distinct advantages.

Firstly, paint covers a multitude of sins -- knots and other blemishes in the wood surface, poorly-made joints patched up with filler, dents and scratches caused by the rough and tumble of everyday life -- and does it in almost every color of the spectrum.

Secondly, paint provides a surface that's hard-wearing and easy to keep clean -- an important point for many interior surfaces in the home. And thirdly, paint is easy to apply ... and to keep on applying. In fact, redecorating existing paintwork accounts for the greater part of all paint bought.