DIY Home Improvement: How to Prepare Wood Surfaces for Painting

When you prepare wood surfaces correctly with the right primer choices and other pre-painting steps, you start your painting project on the right foot. Whether you're working with unfinished wood, painted wood, or varnished wood, each surface requires its own special preparation before you can paint successfully. The right primer and the right cleaning regimen can mean the difference between a smooth, lasting, pro-caliber finished product, and a globby, drippy mess of a job that quickly shows wear and tear. Painting is one of the most popular DIY home improvement projects, but many non-professional painters don't have sophisticated knowledge of what primer choices are appropriate for different surfaces, or how to adequately clean different kinds of surfaces before primer is applied. Read on to learn how to prepare wood surfaces so that your DIY home improvement painting project turns out perfect.

Unfinished Wood

When you prepare wood surfaces that have never been painted before, like unfinished wood, you don't need to do the careful washing that more weathered surfaces sometimes need. However, unfinished wood does require a little bit of TLC to prepare the surface before you take out the paintbrush. Start by gently sanding your unfinished wood surface to remove any splinters or small imperfections. Then, wipe your unfinished wood down with a slightly damp cloth to remove any sawdust or grit that's lingering on the surface. Now, prepare your wood surface for painting by applying a quick-drying oil or latex based primer. These non-water-soluble primers will protect the delicate surface of your unfinished wood from absorbing damaging water or other liquids, ensuring that the surface stays smooth and unblemished for a long time to come. Plus, the inexpensive primer keeps the wood from soaking up all of your expensive paint, saving you money so that you get maximum coverage for a minimum cost. Once your primer is dry, spackle in any holes or dents, and apply caulk in any cracks on your unfinished wood surface. Then, you're ready to paint!