How to Paint Over Interior Woodwork

Walls are typically painted with a flat finish, while woodwork is finished with a gloss. However, many people prefer to use flat paint on woodwork as well as walls. Painting over woodwork is just as easy as painting the walls of your home.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Paint brush Flat paint Sandpaper Shellac

1. Prepare the woodwork for painting. This means making sure the surface is clean and smooth. Fill any cracks you find with plaster. Sand off any pimples, ridges and paint runs. Remove any cracked or chipped paint.

2. Ensure the stain of the wood will not bleed through the paint and cause discoloration. You can do so by applying the paint to a small area of the woodwork, and letting it dry for several days. Then go back and check for any discoloration.

3. Apply paint to the woodwork. Dip the brush into the paint at least 1/3 the length of the bristles.Once the brush is covered, remove it and tap the tip against the inside of the can to remove any excess paint. Apply the paint liberally to the woodwork and spread without additional dipping into the paint can.

4. Exert light pressure with your fingertips as you paint. Use slow brush strokes or you may get a skip in the enamel. The slow strokes allows the bristles to force paint into contact with the surface and insures better coverage with less brushing.

5. Close off the room when painting is completed. Any dust that may be kicked up in the room you are painting in will instantly adhere to the wet paint.

Tips & Warnings

• If the original stain of the woodwork bleeds through the paint, apply two coats of thinned white shellac to the wood before applying paint.