A wooden house’s interior can be painted to add coziness and charm to your living area. It serves to preserve the wood from deterioration while enhancing its inherent beauty.
A long-lasting and appealing finish are largely dependent on the paint and application methods used. Every step counts towards attaining a fantastic outcome, from choosing colors that go well with the wood to properly prepping the surfaces.
Whether you’re redesigning a single room or your entire house, this guide will take you step-by-step through the process, making it simple to comprehend and implement.
In order to guarantee that the wood is adequately protected and the finish endures, painting the interior of a wooden house requires meticulous preparation. To bring out the natural beauty of the wood while protecting it from wear and moisture, the process entails selecting the appropriate paint type, priming the wood, and applying the paint in even coats.
- Choosing paints and varnishes for wooden walls
- Protective and repair compounds
- Varnishes and paints
- Oils and waxes
- Technology for finishing wooden walls
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Choosing paints and varnishes for wooden walls
A person wants to live in an environmentally friendly home if they have chosen to build with wood. As a result, you must carefully consider the paint you use when painting a wooden house inside to avoid sealing its pores and inhaling dangerous vapors later.
Generally speaking, the walls require treatment with multiple compounds, each of which has a specific purpose, before they can be painted. While some are purely decorative, others are necessary to prevent the wood from rotting or catching fire.
Kindly take note! Paint should only be applied to a log house after it has dried, as naturally humid wood does not absorb paint well. Additionally, to stop mold from growing, it needs to be treated with an antiseptic mixture while it dries.
Protective and repair compounds
These consist of bleaches, fire retardants, and antiseptics:
- Since wood is a natural material, it is susceptible to the harmful effects of moisture, ultraviolet rays and insects. Inside the house, this influence is less than outside, but still takes place, so the instructions require mandatory antiseptic treatment. When choosing an antiseptic impregnation for internal treatment, you should opt for compositions on a natural organic basis. They do not provide such powerful protection as chemicals, but they are sufficient for interior walls.
Kindly take note. These impregnations can have a tint or be colorless. When the walls need to be painted decoratively later on, the first ones are used because the second ones can instantly give them the desired shade.
- Fire retardant compounds protect wood from fire. Their use is mandatory if the interior painting of a wooden house is supposed to be done with flammable paints. For example, with acrylic paints.
- If the timber or log is not painted immediately after sanding, they begin to darken. In this case, bleaches will help to return the material to its original appearance.
Varnishes and paints
For decorative finishing, a wide variety of paints and varnishes can be used; most of them work well on wood.
Are they all able to maintain its original qualities, though?
- Oil paints penetrate deep into the wood, protecting it from moisture and fungus. But they are toxic, have a pungent odor, and can also leave streaks on the surface.
- Alkyd enamels create a thin waterproof film on the surface, protecting the wood from moisture, but also destroying its ability to breathe. This paint for interior decoration of a wooden house is an excellent option for painting doors, window frames, floors and surfaces that may come into contact with water. But not for walls and ceilings in living rooms.
- Non-toxic and odorless acrylic paints are very popular based on acrylate resins and water as a solvent. Their advantages: they dry quickly, last a long time, have a wide range of colors. But synthetic resins still partially clog the pores of the wood. Finishing with acrylic varnishes and paints cannot be called harmful, but it is not an ideal option either.
- The best solution when you want to hide the texture of the wood and give the surface a different color is water-based paint for the interior of a wooden house. It is environmentally friendly and vapor-permeable, it can be given any shade from a huge palette with the help of tinting. You can choose a matte or glossy finish, as well as paint resistant to wet cleaning.
Suggestions. Select light paint colors if the room gets little natural light. Glossy textures work well in formal spaces like dining rooms and living rooms, while matte textures work well in bedrooms.
Oils and waxes
The most natural finishing material group is thought to be the greatest choice for both decorative and protective wood treatment. Natural oil and/or wax-based compositions are glazing; that is, they highlight the wood’s inherent structure rather than hiding it and imparting a distinct hue to the surface.
After applying such a coating, the walls seem alive and velvety, and they won’t need to be impregnated for 20 to 25 years. Of course, this period is shortened to 5-8 years if we are discussing interior spaces.
The primary drawback of compositions containing oil and wax is their high cost. They are less common than less expensive impregnations based on chemical solvents because of this. However, since the former require much less, the total finishing cost will be comparable if you compare the consumption of both products per square meter.
Furthermore, the benefit will be evident if you consider the longevity of these coatings, their safety for human health, and the retention of wood’s inherent qualities.
When determining the cost of painting a wooden house inside with a particular composition, start with the average consumption listed on the packaging and take the following factors into account:
- Wax and oil impregnations have a large dry residue, while "chemical" compositions based on solvents are absorbed into the wood like a sponge, requiring the application of not one or two, but several layers. They will be required in much greater volume, so the cost will ultimately differ slightly.
Suggestions. If you apply it to a well-sanded surface, finishing will require a lot less oil and wax.
- The molecules of natural oils are several dozen times smaller than the molecules of synthetic resins, so they easily penetrate the smallest pores of wood, but do not clog them. While synthetics remain on the surface and begin to peel over time.
- As already mentioned, the next treatment when using oil will be required only after many years, and it will be enough to apply just one thin layer.
Consequently, we discover that the priciest compositions are the most ecologically friendly as well as the most financially advantageous over the long run.
Technology for finishing wooden walls
Painting an interior wooden house by hand needs to be done in a specific order that complies with technology. The best tools for applying oil are brushes and narrow rollers because it should be applied in a thin layer; spray guns can be used for paints and antiseptics.
- First, the surface is sanded to remove any remaining bark, dirt and mold from the wood and make it smooth;
- Then the treatment with antiseptics and fire retardants is carried out, especially thorough at the joints and in the corners;
- If the wood is damp, at this stage a break is taken until its humidity reaches at least 20%;
- Before decorative treatment, the walls need to be slightly moistened, and after they dry, go over them with thin sandpaper to remove the raised fibers;
- Paint or varnish is applied along the grain, in a horizontal direction, starting from the upper crown and gradually moving down;
- You can paint with a second layer only after the previous one has completely dried.
Only at a minimum temperature of +5 degrees and an air humidity of no more than 80% is this work performed.
Step | Description |
1. Prepare the Surface | Clean the walls and sand them to remove rough spots. |
2. Apply Primer | Use a wood primer to ensure even paint coverage. |
3. Choose the Right Paint | Select paint suitable for wood and the room’s moisture level. |
4. Start Painting | Use a brush for corners and a roller for larger areas. |
5. Apply Multiple Coats | Apply 2-3 coats for a durable finish, allowing drying time between coats. |
Painting a wooden house’s interior not only adds color but also preserves the wood’s beauty for many years to come. Selecting the appropriate paint and using it properly guarantees that the wood’s inherent beauty is preserved while offering long-lasting protection.
You can get a finish that strengthens the warmth and character of your house by taking the right procedures, which include priming the surface, choosing the right paint, and carefully applying it. The process is satisfying and has a big impact on how your living area looks and feels overall.
The task will be simpler and more pleasurable if you take your time and pay attention to detail. You’ll end up with a stunning, long-lasting product that you can be proud of.