How to paint the lining yourself correctly?

Why paint?

A room finished with clapboard looks neat, is filled with a pleasant aroma and has a comfortable atmosphere supported by wood. Delighted with such an effect, the owner is in no hurry to take a brush or roller and apply any “chemical” substances to the natural luxury. But not all of them spoil the coating – most, on the contrary, improve it.

The following factors predispose to the finishing of the clapboard:

1. Fire hazard. In the event of a fire, fire-resistant impregnation can delay the development of a catastrophe and allow residents to safely evacuate. Unfortunately, no such composition is able to completely block the spread of flame.
2. Ultraviolet. The room is never evenly lit. In those places where sunlight falls from the windows, the wooden covering will noticeably darken in a couple of years. To prevent this from happening, you need to at least apply varnish.
3. Microclimate. Clapboard is often used to decorate utility rooms: kitchens, balconies, verandas, baths. There, the lamellas are constantly exposed to temperature and humidity changes. Dryness and cold make them shrink, and dampness and heat make them swell, turn blue, rot and mold. Antiseptics and moisture-protective agents help to neutralize the negative impact of the environment.
4. Pests. Insects like to feast on wood: bark beetles, termites, woodworms. Antiparasitic compounds, which must be applied repeatedly, help protect property from encroachment.
5. Wear. Over time, even walls and ceilings wear out, not to mention the risk of impacts, scratches and chips. To make the clapboard resistant to damage, it must be provided with an appropriate coating.
6. Design. No matter how beautiful the wooden paneling may seem to you at first, it will lose its original gloss or simply become boring. And then you will want to refresh it, ennoble it with a new texture or shade.

Protective compounds

The division of paneling coatings into protective and decorative is arbitrary, since substances from the first group often act as components of the second group, can themselves be supplemented with pigments and mixed with each other.

Fire retardants

Compositions based on sodium salts and phosphoric acids foam and emit gases under the influence of heating, preventing ignition and spread of fire. Euro lining made in accordance with international standards is already treated with a high-quality fire retardant. Low-price segment materials require the application of fire-retardant impregnation before installation so that the lamellas are protected from all sides.

Antiseptics

The products are made on the basis of water, solvent, organic and artificial oils. Water and nitro antiseptics protect the lining from rot, fungus and parasites, but they do not cope well with existing massive infestation. Oil compounds act longer and more effectively, and also impart water-repellent properties to wood.

Oil

Impregnating the lining with natural oils, such as linseed or teak, gives it a light noble shine, makes the color deeper, and the pattern more distinct. The wood does not lose its ability to breathe, but better resists the effects of high humidity. Drying oil is rarely used for such purposes now, as it needs to be renewed and makes the wood sticky.

Wax

Paraffin-based products protect the lining from getting wet more reliably than oils, but are usually combined with them. There are transparent and tinted oil-wax with a disinfectant and fireproof function. Such products are available in solid and liquid form, which determines the method of application: with a brush, rag, lint-free swabs. The effect also varies – from a light gloss to a pronounced shine.

Primer

Good primer mixtures are made on an alkyd, acrylic and shellac basis. You can make your own PVA adhesive solution, but its effectiveness will be lower. Preliminary priming of wood is necessary so that the final coating lays down more evenly and lasts longer. The primer is usually sprayed with a spray gun in 2-3 layers, each of which must dry.

Bleach

Bleached wood looks great in rustic interiors (country, Provence), but the use of bleaches and disinfectants is often prompted not by the style, but by fungal infection of the lining or unsightly traces of rust around metal fasteners. Chlorine-containing preparations can radically solve this problem, and gentle compositions based on peroxide, oxalic acid or ammonia can provide a slight lightening effect. Before applying, scrape off any dirty film from the surface, and wash and dry after application.

Decorative coatings

The compositions from this group are supplemented with antiseptics, antipyretics, water-repellent, sun-protective and shock-resistant components. Information about this is always indicated on the packaging.

Stain

Stains can be water-based, oil-based, wax-based, acrylic and alcohol-based. For treating clapboard inside the house, acrylic, wax or oil-based products are better suited, since the former take a long time to dry, and the latter have a strong smell. After staining, the lamellas must be provided with a finishing coat, such as varnish.

Azure

This substance, like a stain, softly tones the lining, preserving and emphasizing the natural pattern, gives budget wood such as pine a resemblance to noble varieties (beech, hornbeam, wenge). The differences between glaze and stain are in the composition (only water-, oil- or solvent-based), coating thickness (there are thin-, medium- and thick-layer coatings), glossy shine and independence.

Paint

If you need to radically change the color of the lining, and you can neglect the wood pattern, use oil, water-based or acrylic paint. The latter option is preferable for interior work, since it does not require the use of protective equipment, does not bother with a pungent odor and dries quickly. Apply paint with a wide brush or roller.

Varnish

Such compositions are divided into acrylic, alkyd and polyurethane. For processing the lining in a residential heated room with a comfortable environment, an affordable and safe acrylic varnish is suitable. If you need to protect the coating from photoaging, choose alkyds based on phthalic resins and solvent, and polyurethane will provide maximum strength.

How to paint correctly?

The highest quality result implies individual impregnation, priming and painting of the lining. That is, you need to select the required number of lamellas, trim them in accordance with the configuration of the sheathing, complete all processing stages, wait until the material is completely dry, and only then proceed with installation. This is difficult to do – you will need a spacious room with a suitable microclimate. On the other hand, it will be easier to sand the lining than, for example, when it is already on the ceiling.

This approach is due to the need to protect the lamellas from all sides and the mobility of the wood – it will shrink, gaps may form, and the brighter the shade, the more noticeable they will be.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Unload the lining where it will be used, remove the plastic packaging and leave for 72 hours for acclimatization.
2. Sort the lamellas – substandard ones are suitable for testing decorative compositions. Sand flawless specimens with a machine or by hand with 250-280 sandpaper in a circular motion on the front side and in the tongue-and-groove joints.
3. Prime the lining twice, each time waiting for the wood to dry, which takes up to three days, depending on the product and the atmosphere in the room. Before this, if necessary, use a protective impregnation.
4. Apply the selected decorative coating in the recommended way, and when it dries, sand again – the wood fibers will almost certainly rise and lead to roughness. High-quality priming allows you to avoid this situation.
5. Cover the lining with the second and subsequent layers of paint and varnish materials to achieve the desired result.

There is a general rule for highly pigmented compositions – they are collected on the tool little by little and applied with careful longitudinal strokes in one direction, and not back and forth.

You can give the lining an unusual look using artistic techniques:

• glazing – take paint of two or three harmonious shades of varying degrees of saturation, apply one on top of the other, starting with the darkest color and moving to the lightest, unevenly rub the dried surface with sandpaper to achieve the effect of multiple repainting;
• brushing – the lamellas are stripped with a coarse metal brush, and then covered with stain and wax or varnish to create the illusion of noble aging; wood.

Sometimes, for some unknown reason, the lining is painted unevenly, although the craftsman acts correctly and carefully. It is not his fault, it is just that wood, like any living material, has an uneven structure: the product penetrates better in some places, worse in others. Again, careful priming helps to avoid stains.

Video for beginners

Examples of painting inside the house