Your project and the piece of wood selected will ultimately determine the extent of surface preparation needed prior to painting on wood. Before you begin, make certain that you have all of the necessary tools needed and allow yourself plenty of time to prepare the surface. Rushing this process will ultimately reduce the value of your work so make certain to do it right.

The first step is to evaluate your piece of wood. You will want a smooth surface to paint on so determine if there are any cracks, dents, scratches, holes, etc.

If there are superficial grooves or scratches in the wood you should be able to raise these using a steam iron. Water, or in this case steam, causes the wood to swell thereby raising the indentation. Do NOT set the iron on the wood itself; keep the iron close to the wood but not actually touching it. The steam will raise the surrounding areas of the wood but these should easily sand down.

If there are major grooves or holes in the wood you will need to fill these. If you are planning on staining the wood, use wood filler that is both sandable and stainable. If your finished work is to be used outdoors, insure that your wood filler is good for both indoor and outdoor use. Wood filler takes time to dry thoroughly. Each product is different so make certain to read the label. After your first application is dry it will shrink. Add successive coats of wood filler as needed. Once completely filled and dry, you may use a sanding block or piece of sand paper to smooth the filled area.

Note: if you are planning on painting the wood, a filler I recommend using that is both fast drying and very easy to sand is a product by DAP called DryDex Spackling. It is a versatile product used for filling holes in plaster, drywall, or wood, used indoors or out. The best feature is not just the ease of sanding, but the product tells you when it's dry by changing color so there is no guessing involved.

The next step is to sand your wood. If you have a relatively smooth surface to begin with, smoother sandpaper is all that is needed. If your wood is old and rough and/or has spots of glue on the surface, coarser paper should be used initially followed by a smoother paper. If you are uncertain on what grain sandpaper to use, ask a professional at any paint or hardware store and they can help you buy the appropriate paper for your project.

Once your wood is sanded smooth, wipe your wood using a tack rag or a cloth dampened with mineral spirits to wipe the residue off.

Now your wood is ready to stain or basecoat for painting!

Learn more about this author, Jennifer Brinkle.
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