The way you prepare a surface, the type paint and the number of coats you need, depends upon the surface you are painting, Below are some guidelines for common surfaces.
No matter what surface you are painting, care at the preparation is essential to achieving a professional finish - skimping on preparation will show in the final finish.
Painting Timber
| Type of surface | Preparation | Number and type of coats |
| New Softwood | - Smooth with plane (if required).
- Use glasspaper to get a smooth finish over the entire surface.
- Apply knotting solution to any knots (follow manufacturers' instructions).
- Apply a coat of wood or universal primer.
- Fill any voids with a suitable filler and smooth using glasspaper.
- Brush off all dust.
- Touch up any exposed knots and primer as required.
| Internal timber - Apply undercoat and at least 1 top coat.
External timbers - apply undercoat and at least 2 top coats.
Alternatively, use at least 2 coats of a 'one coat' paint. |
| Painted Softwood | | |
| Undamaged | - Wash with sugar soap to remove surface grease.
- Rub down with glasspaper.
- Brush off.
| If repainting the same colour - Two gloss coats.
If changing colour - as undercoat/ top coat for new softwood above |
| Light damaged | - Wash with sugar soap to remove surface grease.
- Rub down the paint (especially around the damage) with glasspaper.
- Apply knotting, primer and undercoat to the underlying timber where exposed,
- Lightly rub with glasspaper.
| Treat as undamaged above. |
Damaged (exterior woodwork at roof level, can normally be treated as undamaged providing all loose material is removed - birds tend not to complain) | - Strip off all existing paint (Take care if the layers of paint may include layers which were applied in the 1960's or earlier - these paints may contain lead).
- Use glasspaper and scraper to remove any remaining paint back to the original timber.
- Treat as new softwood above.
| Treat as new softwood above. |
| | | |
| Hardwood | - Scrape off old varnish, linseed oil or sealer. Smooth with glasspaper.
- Use filler to match timber.
- Rub down with glasspaper.
- If varnishing the wood, apply a thinned coat of varnish (50/50 - varnish/ thinners).
| Two coats preservative or varnish. |
| New hardboard | | |
| Emulsion paint | - Rub down with fine glasspaper.
- Brush off to remove all dust and particles.
- Apply 1 coat of thinned emulsion paint (1 part paint to 3 parts water) as primer.
| Two coats of standard emulsion. |
| Gloss paint | - Rub down with fine glasspaper.
- Brush off to remove all dust and particles .
- Apply one coat of hardboard primer or aluminium paint.
| Undercoat and one gloss coat.
NOTE: Paint the reverse side of the hardboard to avoid distortion. |
| Old hardboard | | |
| Emulsion paint | - Scrape off loose paint and rub down with glasspaper.
- Brush off to remove all dust and particles.
- Seal exposed hardboard with thinned emulsion paint (1 part paint to 3 parts water).
| Two coats of standard emulsion.. |
| Gloss paint | - Scrape off loose paint and rub down with glasspaper.
- Fill and rub down if necessary.
- Brush off to remove all dust and particles .
- Touch-in exposed areas with hardboard primer/ aluminium paint.
| One undercoat.
One gloss coat. |
Painting Metals
NOTE: a number of manufacturers produce paint 'systems' for use on ferrous metal (new and rusted) - usually including surface preparation, priming and top coat. These products generally produce a longer lasting finish than if ordinary 'metal' primer with ordinary undercoat/gloss products are used.
For painting central heating pipes and radiators, use the special paints available for this type of work as they stand up to the heat produced. Most of these paints are water based and although they need the surfaces to be cold when the coats are applied, they need the heat within about 24 hours of application to be properly cured.
New, ferrous metal (e.g. steel, cast iron). | - Remove all traces of grease and oil using white spirit or other suitable solvent..
- Clean the surface with wire brush and brush off.
- Apply a suitable metal primer.
- Lightly rub down with glasspaper and brush off.
| One undercoat.
Two gloss coats. |
| Rusted ferrous metal | - Remove all rust and rub down.
- Apply a suitable anti-rust treatment.
- Apply suitable metal primer.
- Lightly rub down with glasspaper and brush off.
| One undercoat.
Two gloss coats. |
Painting Stone, brickwork and rendering
The following apply to sound, dust free surfaces - if the surface is powdery or excessively dusty, the application of a stabilising solution to 'seal' the surface is recommended,
| New stone or brick | |
| Cement paint | - Clean surface with stiff brush.
- Cement paints normally incorporate a fungicide so no further treatment is normally required.
| Two coats of cement paint. |
| Emulsion paint | - Clean surface with stiff brush.
- You may wish to treat the surface with a fungicide if the emulsion paint does not contain it.
- Apply thinned emulsion (1 part paint to 3 parts water).
| Two coats of emulsion. |
| Gloss paint | - Clean surface with stiff brush.
- Apply sealer.
| Two undercoats to cover a dark colour with a lighter one.
One gloss coat. |
| Painted stone or brick | |
| Cement paint | - Wash off old paint and allow to dry.
- Wire-brush off loose material.
- Repoint as necessary.
| Two coats of cement paint. |
| Emulsion paint | - Scrape or wire-brush flaking paint.
- Repoint if necessary.
- Apply thinned emulsion (1 part paint to 3 parts water).
| Two coats of exterior type emulsion.. |
| Gloss paint | - Scrape or wire-brush flaking paint.
- Repoint if necessary.
- Apply thinned emulsion (1 part paint to 3 parts water).
| Two undercoats to cover a dark colour with a lighter one.
One gloss coat. |
| Rendering | | |
| Cement paint and emulsion | - Wash off old paint Two coats of paint. Use stippling brush.
- Brush with dampened soft brush.
| Two coats of paint. |
| Gloss paint | - Wash off.
- Use special sealer on new surfaces and damaged old paintwork.
| One or two undercoats. One gloss coat. |
