If you have a timber building in your backyard such as a shed, the best way to inject some colour is to add a coat of paint. As well as making the structure look beautiful, painting is a fantastic way to protect your investment as it ensures the wood is not exposed to the elements. Painting a timber building is a quick and easy process, especially if you follow this simple guide.
Don't Be Cheap
The wood will be exposed to all manner of conditions over the next few years so you need to choose a quality product that protects it. While brands such as Dulux are far from being the cheapest on the market, paints and stains are products where you usually get what you pay for. If a high quality trade product doesn't cut it, there is always the possibility of using a specialist product instead.
Staying Environmentally Friendly
Treatments and paints for outdoor timber used to be primarily solvent based, but the market has changed significantly. While solvent based paint offers a high gloss finish, it takes a long time to dry and the high levels of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) emitted are harmful to the atmosphere.
Manufacturers around the world are now being forced to comply with certain environmental standards which means they have had to come up with high performance water based paints. These products dry faster, emit little or no VOCs and don't even need an undercoat. Water based products also discolour more slowly than their solvent based equivalents and should last up to six years before repainting is necessary.
Preparation
Always paint your timber building on a warm and dry day and sand the surface to make it smooth before beginning. If the wood hasn't been pre-treated against fungal or insect decay, you must apply a clear preservative treatment. Don't forget the end grains of the timber such as the bottoms of doors.
Use dust sheets to cover the surrounding area and place newspapers or other coverings over your windows. You can apply the paint with a brush, although we recommend a sprayer for larger buildings. This piece of equipment can be costly for a one-time job so find out if it is possible to rent the sprayer from your local tool hire shop. Make sure you have a small brush available for more detailed work and keep rags handy for cleaning up spillages.
Once you're done, dispose of the remaining paint sensibly. If you use water based paint, keep it stored securely, remove the lid and wait until it is hard before disposal.
