Painting wood is time-consuming, especially if the wooden project you want to paint has a lot of difficult-to-reach angles. Spray painting it, on the other hand, is very easy.
Spray paint can be used on wood in general. However, it is critical to verify the product description on the container of the spray paint and ensure that it is intended for use on wood. However, most spray paints adhere to wood and the results are just as good as regular painting.
There are also a few things to bear in mind when it comes to the project you wish to spray paint. For example, before it can be sprayed with spray paint, the wood must be primed.
Applying spray paint on wood vs regular painting
There are several benefits and drawbacks to spray painting wood. So, before we get into how to properly spray paint wood, let’s take a look at the advantages and disadvantages. You may use either spray paint or regular paint based on your preferences, so knowing their pros and cons can help you make your decision.
Benefits of spraying:
- The process takes less time
- Perfectly even finish as a result
- There are no brush marks to worry about.
Drawbacks of spraying:
- The paint is more expensive as you need more of it.
- It is bad for the environment
The biggest disadvantage of spray paints is that they are quite costly when compared to other types of painting.
Spray paint is also quicker than applying paint with a brush or a roller. This is why we frequently recommend our clients to use spray paints for their smaller to medium-sized projects. However, for bigger jobs, we advise using traditional paint.
So, if you need to cover a wide area or your project is quite large, we use conventional paint. However, if your project is relatively small, spray paint will typically produce the quickest and finest results.
Another reason to choose spray paint is when your project has a lot of nooks and crannies, in this case, spaying is especially helpful and gives the best result.
Spray paint is ideal for most applications because it typically provides the cleanest results in all areas. This is also why we like using it so much on our projects.
Reasons for using a primer
When it comes to priming a surface for painting, many novices are perplexed. They might ask the following questions:
- Is it really necessary to prime a surface before spray painting it?
- What exactly does a primer do?
- And what is the difference between priming and preparing the surface?
Unless the surface of the wood has been sealed, varnished, or damaged, as a general rule, it does not have to be primed before spraying. Otherwise, the spray paint may be used straight out of the can without the need for a primer.
If you’re just looking to paint on previously untreated regular wood, go for it. You don’t need a primer to get a good result, but we still believe it’s a good idea to use one. That is the case since a primer prepares the surface for painting. As a result, it will almost certainly guarantee that the paint does not peel off, bubble up, or change color after you’ve applied it.
When the surface is rough, uneven, not yet finished, or if it’s a surface that the chosen paint won’t stick to properly, a primer is usually needed.
So, in general, it’s a good idea to use a primer on almost anything but you only need one if the surface you’ll be painting has flaws or if the paint wouldn’t usually adhere because it had been varnished, for example.
By the way, if you don’t want to apply the primer with a brush or don’t want to use a primer at all, even though you need one, consider using a 2-in-1 primer and paint in one) spray paint instead.
You don’t have to apply a primer first if you use a 2-in-1 spray paint. You simply spray the wooden surface and it will adhere to virtually anything, including epoxy and varnish. You may get a spray primer or a 2-in-1 paint from your local hardware store or Amazon.
Wood surface preparation
Before we can spray paint, however, we must prepare the surface to ensure that the paint bonds correctly to the wood’s surface and that the finish is uniform and smooth. By “preparing the surface,” we don’t necessarily mean priming it.
To prepare wood for spray painting, it must be smooth and dust-free.
It’s critical to sand down the wood with fine-grit sandpaper and to clean it using lukewarm soapy water afterward.
If you want to get the best result, before spray painting the wood, apply a primer for an even better finish.
Depending on whether you want to paint raw wood or previously painted or sealed wood, the procedure for preparing a wooden surface for spray painting will differ.
Raw wood preparation
The most important aspect of painting raw wood is ensuring that the wood’s surface is smooth and free of flaws. If you have uneven areas, such as small scratches or blemishes, a primer is required to get a completely smooth finish.
Sanding is the first step. To eliminate any flaws in the wood and render it as smooth as possible, sanding is critical. Sanding will make the primer or paint more likely to adhere to the surface.
If the wood has a rough surface, you may want to start with rough-grit sandpaper. If the surface of the wood is very harsh, try an 80 grit.
Or, if your surface just needs a little bit of smoothing, you may start with finer-grit sandpaper. 100 grit sandpaper for the first pass would be ideal in that scenario.
After the first pass, we generally perform a second pass with very fine-grit sandpaper, such as 150-grit sandpaper, to obtain a very smooth surface before applying the primer.
Cleaning. It’s also critical to clean the surface properly in order to avoid any difficulties with the paint later. It’s enough to use a piece of cloth or a towel moistened with soapy water to wipe the surface. Just be sure no dust or debris is on the item before you apply the paint or primer.
It’s also crucial that you don’t use too much water. Cleaning the wood using a wet towel is more than enough.
Applying a primer
You don’t always need a primer, but we do recommend one for raw wood painting because the primer will ensure that the paint is smooth and prevent color fading between regions.
We recommend using a spray primer for smaller and medium-sized projects, but they can be quite pricey if your project is larger.
So I usually use a regular Primer that I apply with a roller or a brush. If the surface has brush marks on it, you may simply sand the primer smooth before applying paint by using fine-grit sandpaper.
It is a little more time-consuming, but it is also considerably less expensive.
Already painted wood preparation
If you want to repaint wood that has previously been painted, there are a few things to think about.
If the surface you want to paint is damaged or uneven in any way, you must repair it before proceeding. As a result, if you find any holes, scratches, or other anomalies on the surface, you should sand it.
If the surface is smooth, however, you just have to apply a primer to ready it for painting.
Sanding is required if the old paint layer is flaking, as a result of growing bubbles or because the wood’s surface has been damaged.
If the surface is smooth and the paint job isn’t damaged in any way, or if it’s varnished or gilded, you don’t need to sand it. To prepare sealed wood, simply apply a strong adhering primer directly to the surface and you don’t have to seal it.
The process of sanding the surface is straightforward. You must complete three separate passes with three distinct sandpapers.
First pass. To begin, the paint must be scraped off with coarse-grit sandpaper (about 70 grit) and the surface roughly smoothed.
Second pass. Use 100-grit sandpaper to smooth out any bumps and minor flaws.
Third pass. The last stage should be completed with 120 grit sandpaper to remove any minor flaws.
Cleaning. You must clean the surface in the same manner as you would raw wood.
Clean any dust or debris off of the wood with a piece of cloth or a towel and soapy water.
Check that the cloth isn’t wet but merely damp.
Priming
Finally, the primer is put on. You may apply the primer to a varnished surface directly, but only if you use a high-bonding primer. It will adhere to virtually any material, including sealed or varnished wood.
When you’re done sanding, a basic primer will be more than enough.
Simply apply the primer with a brush or roller, waiting for it to dry. Instead of one thick layer, we recommend applying two or three thin layers of primer.
Allow the Primer to dry while applying additional layers.
As a final touch, you may finely sand the primer’s surface to remove brush marks or other flaws by using fine-grit sandpaper.
Wood spray painting
Finally, we get to the part where you actually use paint! You’ve already completed the most crucial part by preparing the surface. All that’s left now is to choose the proper paint color and apply it.
All you have to do now is spray paint your project on a surface that will accept paint. Plastic bags or newspapers are examples of such surfaces. If you don’t want portions of your project to be painted, use masking tape to conceal them.
It’s easy to use, just follow the instructions. Spray painting is simple and quick. Simply spray paint the wood in thin and uniform layers after you’re finished preparing the project.
Shake the spray can well before using it to make sure that the ingredients are evenly distributed.
It’s usually better to apply paint in several thin layers rather than one thick coat, as this helps to prevent run-off and gives you a more even and smooth surface.
Let the paint dry in between applications to avoid runs. Spray paints dry swiftly. The paint is generally ready to use 30 minutes after application.
Sealing the painted wood
Some spray paints also seal the wood; nevertheless, most regular spray paints will not seal the wood so a separate sealant is required. The few spray paints that function as a sealant, as well as color, usually indicate so on the can.
With most spray paints, you’ll almost certainly need a separate sealer to protect your new paint job.
