How do I paint woodwork properly?

Woodwork is less forgiving than walls because the finish is sheen rather than matt, and sheen shows every ridge, brush mark and bit of dust. The extra work is all in the preparation and in resisting the urge to keep brushing.

What you'll need

• Eggshell or satin woodwork paint
• Primer or undercoat
• 120 and 240 grit sandpaper
• 50mm angled brush
• Tack cloth or lint-free cloth
• Sugar soap

Step by step

1. Sand the whole surface with 120 grit to key it, working along the grain.You're not stripping — just dulling the sheen so the new coat has something to grip.
2. Fill any dents and nail holes, then sand those flush at 240 grit.Use a flexible filler on skirting; rigid filler cracks where timber moves.
3. Wash with sugar soap and wipe dry, then go over with a tack cloth.Skirting collects grease and dust at floor level more than anywhere else in a room.
4. Prime any bare wood, knots or stained areas.Knots need knotting solution or a shellac-based primer, or resin will bleed through the topcoat within months.
5. Apply the first thin coat, brushing along the grain.Load the brush a third of the way up the bristles and don't overfill it.
6. Lay off with light, single strokes in one direction while the paint is still wet.This is what removes brush marks. Once the paint starts to set, stop touching it.
7. Let it dry, sand very lightly with 240 grit, wipe, and apply the second coat.That light sand between coats is the difference between smooth and merely painted.

Tips

• Paint doors in a set order — panels, then centre rails, then verticals, then outer frame — so you always work into a wet edge.
• Take door furniture off rather than cutting around it. It takes ten minutes and looks incomparably better.
• Water-based satin has come a long way, yellows far less than oil-based gloss, and dries fast enough for two coats in a day.
• Work in daylight if you can. Brush marks and missed patches are almost invisible under artificial light and obvious the next morning.

Common mistakes

• Overworking the paint — Brushing paint that has begun to set drags it into ridges that dry in place.
• Not sealing knots — Resin bleeds through and stains the finish yellow-brown in patches.
• Loading the brush too heavily — Runs on vertical surfaces, and they're only visible once dry.

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