Painting Over Stained Wood & Gum wood?

Is Painting Over Stained Wood Going To Ruin The Look of Your Wood?

can you paint over stained wood without sanding? That’s something only you can decide based on your style preferences. There are people who love the look of wood in their homes and would prefer to stain all the wood in their home. If this sounds like you, then you may want to choose a different colour of stain to give your wood a more contemporary feel. Choose a stain that is not heavy on the yellow or orange hue so your new stain job does not look outdated. Or, consider staining and applying a whitewash.

Painting over stained wood can give your home a more up-to-date and contemporary feel. You will lose the wood look instantly. But, in its place, you will have a country-chic, shabby-chic or very modern style in its place.

What colour should you paint your stained wood? White is often the most popular as it is crisp, clean and goes with anything. Grey, beige and charcoal also colour to consider. If your house has a country feel you may want to choose a soft yellow, turquoise or coral to really add style and colour to the interior of your home.

Painting Over Stained Wood – Instructions

best way to paint over stained wood:

Step 1 – Prepare The Area – Gather your supplies and prepare the area. Move furniture out of the room, or cover it with plastic. Tape around the trim and panelling to ensure a crisp finish and avoid mistakes.

Step 2 – Sand The Surface – Wood stain does not sit on top of wood like paint or varnish. It soaks into the wood and colours the wood, not just the surface. To prepare stained wood or gumwood for painting you will need to feather sand the surface. Sand with the intention to take the gloss off the finish of the wood and to make the surface coarse enough that the paint can bond to it.

Step 3 – Apply Primer – If you want your paint to adhere to the surface you will want to prime the area first. We recommend you select a low odour oil-based primer for this task. Oil-based primers are best for painting over stained wood. Apply an even coat of primer as per manufacturer instructions. Here’s a tip for you: oil-based primers take longer to dry. You will want to ensure your primer is completely dry before you move onto the next step.

Step 4 – Paint – Waterborne or oil-based paint works best for painting over stained wood. While you can select a latex paint, your results may be better and more durable if you choose oil or waterborne paint. Apply an even coat of paint overtops of the primer coat. Keep your brush or roller evenly coated in paint to make this easier and to eliminate visible brush strokes.

After your first coat of paint, it will often look as though you need to add another. We suggest you wait a day or two to allow the paint to completely dry. Then you can assess if another coat is needed. If applying a second coat of paint, gently and lightly sand the painted surface. Wipe it down then apply the second coat of paint.