How to Paint Hardwood

Sweep or dust off loose dirt, dust, and debris. Wash the wood with a trisodium phosphate (TSP) if grime or cake-on dirt. TSP is a heavy duty cleaner that works well on wood. Rinse the wood and allow it to completely dry.

Patch cracks and holes with a wood filler. A variety of wood fillers is available at hardware stores, home supply stores, and paint stores. Follow the directions on the container. Apply the wood filler with a putty knife and allow it to dry for the recommended length of time.

Sand the wood with a medium grit sand paper. The idea is to roughen up the surface with the sandpaper. Primer and paint adheres better to a rough surface.

Prime the wood with an oil-base primer or a high quality acrylic primer. Acrylic primer and paint is water-based. Oil-based primers are more difficult to work than water-based primers because of the fumes. Apply the primer with a roller and brushes. Allow the primer to dry for 24 hours.

Paint the wood with either an oil-based or acrylic paint. Use an oil-based paint if the primer is oil-based and an acrylic paint if the primer is acrylic. Apply two coats of paint with rollers and a brush. Allow the paint to dry between coats.