Best Paint for Wood

Painting wood protects it from the elements, from cracking and seals it so it ages well. Depending on if the wood is interior or exterior, different paints should be used for best results. Vista Paint has several wood paints that will protect your project and make it look its best.

Which paint is right?

First, determine if your project is going to be interior or exterior. If it’s something that will only spend some time outside, like a folding table, that still should count as exterior since it will require protection from UV light and water.

Picking your paint is the essential first step. While stain will let some of the natural wood grain show through, paint is opaque and will hide everything but texture.

Unvarnished or painted wood is pretty porous, so a primer is required. Latex and acrylic primers both work well with wood since they dry more flexibly. Vista Paint primers include the 4000 Uniprime, which works for interior and exterior use. It comes in white and can be lightly tinted depending on the paint color you’ll be covering it with.

Another effective primer is the 8000 Carefree Prime-ZALL. This primer is uniquely formulated to paint on any interior or exterior surface regardless of if it has been painted over once before. It’s also low VOC, making it ideal for indoor use.

When choosing paints, decide if you want any gloss or prefer a matte finish. Most wood tends to look best with matte because it looks more natural, but you can also choose a finish with a light eggshell for some iridescence.

Exterior wood tends to look best with a matte finish, so Vista Paint recommends the 1900 Weather Master for exterior use as it resists mold and mildew and can be customized with any color.

The 1200 Coverall Low Sheen is an interior enamel topcoat that can be applied over previously painted wood. It’s available in white and many pastel shades.

The V-PRO 300 in Eggshell and Flat has almost no VOCs and is easy to clean, making it ideal for high-touch wood surfaces like doors and furniture. These are best for interior use.

Make sure the paint you select says it is for use on wood. Not all paint is and if you use the wrong one, you’ll have to do a lot of sanding to remove it. If you’re not sure about what gloss you want, you can test a small patch on a piece of scrap wood to see how it will look.

How do I paint wood?

Preparing wood correctly is key to having a beautiful final product. Before applying primer, make sure the wood is lightly sanded. This gives the primer something to cling to. If the wood is worn from being outside, it may benefit from being power washed to remove any mold and mildew.

Make sure you’ve covered your work surface if you’re painting indoors to protect your floors. A plastic drop cloth is helpful here.

Check over your wood project before painting. If there are any deep gouges or cracks that need puttying, fill them now and make sure you allow enough time for the putty to dry before you paint.

If you’re painting something that has previously been painted, give it a good cleaning with some TSP. This is a strong degreaser and phosphate that is helpful for removing oil, grease and other stains from wood. If you prefer a non-phosphate cleaner, there are several TSP substitutes you can consider.

If this is an interior project, sanding is still helpful but new wood doesn’t require power washing. After you’ve sanded, wipe down the wood with a dust cloth to pick up any stray particles that will interfere with the finish.

You don’t need to sand off the previous finish fully. Using 180 grit sandpaper, give the flat areas a pass with an orbital sander. This creates some rough spots for the paint to cling to and results in a better finished project. Use sandpaper by hand to scuff the edges, details and corners. You can use less pressure here especially if you don’t want to round off your corners.

Clean the sanded area with shop vac or dust cloth, taking care to pick up all debris. Tack cloths are great for small areas that are hard to reach.

Now it’s time to load up on your primer of choice and give the wood a healthy base coat. Use the right roller or brush and apply it liberally, pressing the roller into the wood so any low spots are filled.

Your first coat of primer may look streaky after it dries for about half an hour. You can apply a second coat of primer for thicker coverage.

After your primer has fully cured, sand it with a fine sandpaper like 220 and give it a light scuffing. Don’t remove too much primer. Clean up like you did when you first sanded, taking care to remove as much dust as you can.

Exterior projects like wood siding don’t typically require sanding between layers since you’re not trying to achieve as smooth a finish as you would desire for furniture.

Now you can finally add your color! Apply your paint of choice in even strokes, taking care not to apply with too heavy a hand. Rollers make this process much faster for interior painting. If you’re painting a large wooden exterior, you can use a paint sprayer with some thinner to speed up the work.

Two or three coats may be necessary to get the color saturation you’re looking for. For highly detailed surfaces like some furniture and crown molding, a paintbrush is best for getting into all the tiny spaces.

Painting wood is easy with the right preparation and tools. The finished project is rich in color and easy to clean because of the waterproofing wood paint provides. Additionally, it’s easy to use paint to modernize old wood furniture that no longer matches your home.