Print this page

back to Painting & Decorating

Step: 1 Prime new or stripped wood. You can choose from standard pink or white solvent-based primers or fast-drying acrylic primer. Paint live knots or resinous patches with knotting to prevent resin from bleeding through the primer.

Use good quality brushes to apply exterior paint, stain or varnish. For solvent-based products, use natural bristle brushes. For water-based products, use brushes with synthetic bristles.
You will need three sizes: 50 and 25mm (2 and 1in) for the main work and 12mm (1/2in) for narrow glazing bars.

Although some paints double as both undercoat and topcoat, the normal procedure when painting outside is to apply one or two coats of good-quality undercoat, followed by a gloss topcoat. One undercoat and two gloss coats will give improved gloss holdout, retaining gloss finish for longer. A gloss finish will weather better than eggshell.

Apply varnishes and exterior wood stains directly to bare wood. Check the manufacturer's instructions for the number of coats required. Clear preservative base coats are often recommended.
To avoid obvious joins in the paintwork, be sure to blend into the wet edges with each new application of paint. Do not go back over paint that has already started to dry.

Step: 2 Starting at the top of each surface, apply the paint vertically, then spread it with horizontal and diagonal strokes to cover the surface evenly. Finally, remove brush marks, using light strokes in the direction of the wood grain.

When painting up to the outer edge of a door or window frame, take care not to flex the bristles of your loaded paintbrush against the corner, or you may leave paint running down the edge.

• When painting windows, paint the glazing bars before the rails and stiles (window uprights), and paint the outer frame last. Use masking tape or a guard to keep paint off the glass.

• When painting panel doors, paint the mouldings around the panels, then the panels themselves, and finally, the other parts.

back to top