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Q: My wife and I live in an older, rustic home, and we’d like to freshen it up with some paint. What’s the best paint for wood surfaces in our home, indoors and out? Is oil-based or water-based the better choice? Which paint finish should we choose?
A : Wood is adaptable enough to receive either water- or crude oil - based pigment , as long as you surface it with primer beforehand . But the countless type of paint and sheen within these two categories can present you with a dizzying array of options at the paint store . Ultimately , the skillful case of blusher and shininess to use depends on the wooden surface you ’re paint . Ahead , see which of the most usual type of paints and sheens on the market are well beseem for your Sir Henry Joseph Wood painting undertaking .
There are many types of paint and paint sheens for wood.
Water - found key is sold at paint store and family centers in traditional latex paint ( $ 15 to $ 40 per gallon ) , milk ( $ 15 to $ 25 per dry quart ) , or chalk varieties ( $ 15 to $ 35 per quart ) , while oil - based paints are either alkyd - based ( made with synthetic rosin called alkyds ; $ 20 to $ 50 per Imperial gallon ) or industrial plant - oil - based ( made with flaxseed or other plant petroleum ; $ 30 to $ 50 per quart).Traditional latex , alkyd - establish , and plant - vegetable oil - ground paintalso come in a number of sheens : two-dimensional ( matt ) , eggshell , satin , semi - gloss , and high gloss , in orderliness of lowest to highest splendor . you may expect to pay one to two dollar sign more per gallon for every step up on the luster spectrum . Milk River and chalk pigment , which you may grease one’s palms or DIY with secure results , are naturally mat , so commercial-grade cans of these paints do n’t ordinarily signal a sheen .
Paint a coat of stain-blocking primer on the wood, no matter the project.
Whether you ’re painting bare or painted wood , it ’s all-important to prime it before painting . Otherwise , tinted organic compound in wood call tannins will shed blood into any water - based paint hold on top — especially when painting over dark , tannic acid - rich woods like knotty pine . Primer make a barrier between wood and paint that prevents this tannin bleed - through . While oil - free-base paint is less susceptible to tannin bleed - through , primer ( which runs $ 16 to $ 25 per gallon ) is still recommend under all paints to ensure an even foundation that will aid you achieve a more consistent paint finish . Choose a primer that matches the type of blusher you ’re using : stigma - blocking latex fuse for latex paint and stain - blocking oil - based primer for oil - ground paint . How knotty your wood is may guide you in deciding which types of fuzee and paint you practice , as petroleum - based primers ( like rouge ) do a better job penetrating and sealing the wood and block tannins more effectively than water - based primers .
In most cases, the best paint for wood furniture is alkyd-based oil paint.
Alkyd - base oil paint dries into a strict level over wood and uphold to harden on the Mrs. Henry Wood surface over clock time , cause wooden chairs , dining tables , and otherfrequently used furnishingsless susceptible to mule German mark or dents than they would be if cover with a more flexible pelage of H2O - base paint . This character of paint dry faster than plant - fossil oil - base paint ( some plant - petroleum - based paints take up to 3 days to dry ) , so with an alkyd - based blusher , your furniture will be dry and back in use much earlier . Opt for a semi - gloss or gamy - glossary sheen ; these are the smoothest to the touch and the easiest to pass over clean . These sheens also curb up better to harsh dry cleaners and scrubbing brush , which may stain a small - luster paint coating .
On decorative furnishings, use traditional latex paint.
Water - based latex key is a top selection for furnishings that are more cosmetic than useful , like entryway tables or step spindles , since it can be tinted to rival any color you desire for the furniture anddries fasterthan oil - based pigment . ( For reference , latex pigment coats usually dry out to the skin senses in 1 to 4 hour as fight to 8 hours or more for oil - based paint . ) Latex paints today are also chintzy , lower involatile constitutional compounds(VOCs ) , and less likely to show bothersome light touch Deutsche Mark seen on alkyd - based crude oil rouge coating . Latex paint with a flat to satin sheen muse less light than glossier sheens , so a smooth coating can mask piece of furniture flaws ( nicks and scratches to be painted over ) more efficaciously . They ’re also the most inexpensive sheen pick for furniture you do n’t handle often .
Use milk or chalk paint on furniture that’s distressed.
Water - basedmilk paint and glass paintsare known for their elegant shabby - chic look and matte sheen , making them an attractive option for furnishing that would gain from a disquieted spirit . Milk paint cracks , chip , and straiten easily , which impart it a more marked weather character that ’s idealistic for focal point pieces like wooden hutch or headboard . Chalk paint less easy distress on its own , giving youmore control over the disturbed effectand commonly resulting in a diffused , more mortify senior appearance that ’s perfect for particular that complete a room , such as terminal table or wooden coat racks .
The best paint for wood cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom is alkyd-based oil paint.
Cabinets , specially those in the kitchen , are uncover to moisture from water , cooking liquid , and preparation fumes . These are absorbed over time to a gravid degree by the middling weewee - based paint , and this can spur the maturation of mildew or mold on the cabinet Earth’s surface . Oil - based rouge is water- and hogwash - repellent . Thebest paint for kitchen cabinetsis an alkyd - found paint rather than a plant life - crude - base paint ; a downside of using plant oil - based key on wet - expose cabinets is that it ’s less likely to turn yellow over metre . Semi - gloss or high - gloss pigment sheens are your best wager ; their nonporous , smoother finish is easier to clean , and moisture beads on these surface rather than being absorbed , so the paint coat does n’t endure or fade with time . The exception is ledge in the cabinet interior ; if you paint these shelves , you need a flat to satin sheen , which will be effective at withstanding the weight of dish .
Latex paint is your best bet for cabinets in dry areas of the home.
Latex paint is the most inexpensive and fastest - drying option for cabinets in spaces where moisture is n’t a worry — say , in a home post or media room . A flat to satin sheen is best for storage locker shelves , particularly those that have a bun in the oven electronics or other heavy object , but choose a semi - gloss to high - gloss sheen for the cabinet exterior to make light workplace of cleaning it .
Alkyd-based oil paint is the best paint for wood trim.
Interiormolding — whetherbaseboards , room access casings , or window or cap trimming — accumulates a fair amount of scuff mug , gouge , and gouge over clock time . The set timber of an fossil oil - base paint coat defend against these flaws more effectively than a easygoing and less durable water supply - establish blusher coating . Trim being a noticeable characteristic in the house Department of the Interior ( particularly when set against white wall ) , you ’ll need to pick out an alkyd paint over a plant - oil - base paint to forfend the risk of yellowing . As with cabinet , choosing key in a semi - gloss or high - gloss lustre makes the job of cleaning dingy clipping easier .
For ornate trim like crown molding, latex paint might be a better option.
Decorativetrim — for case , a crown border with scrollwork — often has vallecula that oil - base rouge has worry reaching into and coat since it ’s thick and more pasty than pee - based paint . The low viscousness of water - base key makes for a thin paint that more pronto reaches grooves and recesses in trimness , catch you more uniform paint insurance coverage . A flatcar to satin sheen is the most cheap option for ornate trim in low - dealings areas you do n’t need to clean often .
The best paint for wood floors is alkyd-based oil paint.
It can deal daily abuse from boot heels , soak place and umbrellas , and furniture relocation without becoming water - damage or dent . ( The soft , more flexile surface of a piss - based paint coat does n’t deem up as well onpainted wood floorsin high - dealings zone . ) While plant - oil - found paint also volunteer these benefit , it ’s too price prohibitory for most householder to implement to the large Earth’s surface domain of a floor . take a semi - gloss or high - glossary paint finish ; coarser 2-dimensional to satin lustre finish are more labor - intensive to mop up .
Pick plant oil-based paint for small knickknacks.
Alkyd - based crude oil rouge are more low-cost and readily available , but plant oil colour - based paint is still popular for enhancing the raw patina of small wooden objects : think wooden jewellery boxes , photo frames , and decorative items , where its steeper price is n’t cost - prohibitory . Since plant life oil - based paint dries into a slightly softer and more supple surface than alkyd - based oil colour key , the Sir Henry Joseph Wood surface can amplify and sign with temperature changes with short endangerment of the paint pelage turning brickle and snap . Moreover , since the paint usually comprise only plant oil , oil drying agent , and raw pigments , they emit few to no VOCs . A semi - gloss to high - color sheen reflects more wakeful , so it will make small object stand out better than a lower shininess sheen would .
Acrylic is the best paint for wood crafts.
Like latex paint paint , acrylate resin is water - base , so it ’s loosely easy to clean up and emits few VOCs , making it ideal for crafty effort . Acryliccraft paint for woodis reasonably priced and available in finishes from matte to glossy . A chain of vivacious color as well as metallic and glitter multifariousness accommodate all kinds of crafts , and the paint can be easily thinned with urine . Acrylics are durable and dry rapidly , which is great if you ’re project on adding a second coat but less great if it dry out while you ’re still working on the first .
For outdoor furniture, use exterior latex paint.
Alkyd - base oil paints used to be the go - to option for exterior surface , but today’slatex paintis more durable than ever and offers advantages like quicker dry out clock time , easy cleanup , and better reportage . For all of these reasons , thebest outdoor paintfor woodwind article of furniture is a salutary - quality exterior latex . But for fast , durable , and liquid coverage for pieces that do n’t have a lot of flat surfaces — think chairs with spindles or wickerwork furniture — an exterior ( or interior / exterior ) spray pigment may be the elbow room to go .
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Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
