How To Make Watercolor Paints Glittery

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From the cabinets in your kitchen to a piece of furniture to a fun craft, there are plenty of forest items you lot can paint. And 1 of the best things about woods 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 easy way to modify its await and requite it some new personality, but it's not always clear what paint to use for different projects and applications. Here'south what you demand to know about the right pigment to apply for woods.

What's Your Projection?

Start, it's essential to figure out the nature of your projection, meaning you lot'll need to determine not only what you're painting simply likewise where it'southward located or going to be used. Are yous painting shingles on the outside of your home? Or are y'all painting an outdoor deck that'll see a lot of foot traffic? How about kitchen cabinets that people will bear upon often, or a bathroom shelf that'll be exposed to high humidity from the shower?

Knowing things like whether or non it's going to get moisture, how often someone's going to use it or bear on it and what overall upshot or expect you want to achieve are all essential for determining what paint you lot should use for the projection. Wood accepts a very wide range of paints and stains, but each of those tin can have differing levels of durability and protection. Some paints are improve than others in certain situations, and you'll demand to know your particular situation before you make your choice.

The swell thing about wood is that, equally long as you employ primer to it in most cases, any type of paint works well on it, depending on what function you demand your project to serve. Generally speaking, paints to use on wood are water-based or oil-based. Acrylic and latex are the ii virtually common types of h2o-based paints, while oil-based paints fall into two categories: synthetic or natural. Each of these is better than others for specific applications.

Latex pigment is quick-drying, like shooting fish in a barrel to clean and better for the environment than other types. It's too less likely to discolor over time. Still, it'southward not the most durable option, as it can scratch and flake easily. It's best for indoor wood items or surfaces that you lot won't impact or utilize very oft, such as rarely used furniture, storage cabinet doors, stair spindles and motion picture frames. Latex paint is oftentimes the most affordable type.

Acrylic pigment is platonic for home exteriors, although yous can also use oil-based paint here. If the exterior is made up of different materials, such as stone and wood, you're meliorate off choosing acrylic. Materials like rock and masonry need breathable paint to allow moisture and h2o vapor to laissez passer through, and oil-based paint prevents this. Acrylic craft paints are also widely available and piece of cake to use and clean up if you're doing a simple DIY craft project using wood.

Constructed oil paint, which is too chosen alkyd, is the best choice for applications where yous need a lot more durability. Call up everyday piece of furniture that'll get used and jostled frequently, kitchen and bathroom cabinets, interior trims similar baseboards and door frames that'll get kicked and touched frequently, and flooring indoors and out. Oil-based paints are more rigid than flexible, water-based types so they're less likely to scrap — fifty-fifty when people are walking on them — and they're also easier to wash clean considering of this.

Natural oil pigment, called linseed, is best for arts and crafts projects on which you want to create a warm, anile patina. It'due south typically much more than expensive than the synthetic diversity, which is why it's best for smaller projects.

Prepping for the Projection

To help the paint adhere well and to ensure the finish looks its best when everything is dry, it'due south of import to prep your woods to get it prepare. If you're painting an exterior surface or detail, requite everything a thorough wash to brand certain there isn't any clay, dust, moss or algae, all of which can go along the paint from sticking to the surface. If y'all're painting wood deck piece of furniture, a tabular array or something else for the outdoors that people volition touch frequently, information technology's a wise idea to sand it earlier painting to give the pigment something smooth to adhere to. Splinters and cracks can also proceed the finished product from looking its best, and they're uncomfortable to sit on. Let the surface or or item dry out fully earlier applying the paint, and give it a few days to dry and start curing before you use information technology. It'due south best to exercise outdoor wood-painting projects while the conditions is prissy.

If yous're repainting an interior surface or piece of furniture such as kitchen cabinetry or a dresser, take a look at the existing paint or terminate. If the item'south electric current pigment isn't chipped, cracked or bubbling, you tin can unremarkably pigment right over it; just sand the woods areas briefly to give the surface more texture for the paint to stick to. If you lot don't need to remove cabinet paint, it's still a good idea to clean the doors with a heavy-duty solution like TSP to eliminate all traces of grease and crud. If yous do need to remove a little bit of pigment, such as a few chipped areas, you lot can sand them downwardly. However, y'all may need to use paint stripper for items with paint that'south very damaged. This is a product that softens the former paint so you can scrape and wipe it all off.

A discussion of caution here: If your cabinets or other painted dwelling house surfaces were last done in the 1970s or earlier, they may contain lead-based paint. If you utilize a testing kit and make up one's mind at that place's lead in your paint, telephone call the National Atomic number 82 Information Eye or your local health department to notice out how to proceed.