Varnish application – step by step

Wood, due to its unique appearance and style, is a very common material used both indoors and outdoors. If we want to preserve elevation boards or furniture in good condition for many years, it’s necessary to take care of them suitably. One of the ways is varnish application.

The painting process can be carried out by ourselves. Depending on our preferences and specificity of the painted object, we can select one of the three methods of application: by a paintbrush, a roller or a spraying gun.

While deciding which tool to choose, it’s worth bearing in mind that they should be specially designed to be used in contact with solvent-based products. If we only have a universal paintbrush, it’s recommended to sand the hair by using a fine sandpaper. This way we can soften the paintbrush’s end and remove loose hair which might stick to the painted surface. If we decide to use a roller, we need to select a model with short or mohair hair.

Suitable product

Varnish selection depends on the object destination which is to be painted. For objects used indoors, such as furniture, panelling or children’s toys, the best option is VIDARON Acrylic Varnish. It provides a solid coat which is resistant to washing, scratches and mechanical damages. It is resistant to influence of water, detergents and alcohols. The varnish is particularly friendly for sensitive persons, since it complies with requirements of European standard PN EN 71.3. – can be applied upon children’s toys.

While painting the wood used outdoors (e.g. elevation boards),it’s a good choice to take advantage of VIDARON Exterior Varnish. Among other things, it holds an enhanced mechanical resistance and excellent decorative effect. Moreover, the new formula UV NANO-BLOCKER based on dispersion of cerium oxide nanoparticles, protects the wooden fibre efficiently against UV radiation. The varnish is elastic, and as a result resistant to wood dimensions during different seasons of the year.

Surface preparation

The surface to be painted should be smooth, dry and free from any contaminations. If there is grease or resin on the surface, it’s necessary to get rid of them by using extraction naphtha and dry it out. The elements which are to be installed in one piece – e.g. elevation boards – must be painted separately. Wood should be sanded by using sandpaper. Its grit is adjusted depending on the surface roughness. However, it should not be less than 150 (in the event of furniture and toys – 120) and not exceeding 200. The dust after sanding must be removed by using a vacuum cleaner.

Objects used outdoors require additional protection by using colourless VIDARON Protective and Decorative Preservative. It provides an additional protection against biological hazards.Elements made of raw wood which are to be painted by Acrylic Varnish, might be very absorptive. Thus, it’s recommended to prime them by applying diluted varnish with water in 2:1 proportion. Particularly, it refers to wooden elements with poor grains.

First coat

After opening the container, we must stir its content carefully. Painting must begin with difficult-to-reach spots. The varnished is applied in large quantity and slightly distributed upon the wood surface, by taking advantage of its good-flow properties.

Connection of particular elements on larger surfaces should be conducted by wet-to-wet method, within the time limit not exceeding 5 minutes. The painted elements need to be left until they dry out. The drying period is: for Acrylic Varnish 4 hours and for Exterior Varnish 12 hours.

Second coat application

Another stage is sanding the wooden element by using sandpaper of 320 grit. Thanks to it the lifted wood fibres are eliminated and we obtain an ideally smooth surface. The collected dust needs to be removed by a vacuum cleaner or a cloth.

The two coats of varnish are sufficient in order to obtain a satisfactory decorative and protective effect. Another varnish coat can boost the visual colour depth of wood texture. Similarly to the first application, the drying period of each coat is 4 or 12 hours, depending on the used product.

Completion of painting works
Cleaning the tools is the final activity. If we used Exterior Varnish, we need to use a solvent-based products. In the event of Acrylic Varnish, water is sufficient. The paintbrush and roller must be cleaned and dried carefully.