Painting and decorating exterior woodwork
Woodwork
You can choose either a non-drip gloss or a runny gloss for the exterior woodwork. The non-drip jelly paints combine the properties Of undercoat and finishing coat so a separate undercoat is not required. But this single coat won’t be as long-lasting as the undercoatplus- runny-gloss system and you’ll have to apply two or three coats to build up a thick enough paint film to give adequate outside protection. Inside, however, one coat of nondrip paint would be quite sufficient.
The sequence of painting all jointed woodwork – windows, doors and frames – is determined by the method of construction. In nearly all cases the rails (horizontal bars) are tenoned into mortises cut into the stiles (uprights). Therefore, you should paint the rails and cross bars first, then deal with the stiles. By painting in this way, any overlaps of paint from the rails and bars are covered up and leave a neater finish. An even edge on the glass is best achieved freehand, but if you doubt the steadiness of your touch, use a paint guard or masking tape.
Bring the paint onto the glass for up to 3mm to protect the edge of the putty. If you are using masking tape, remove it shortly after painting round each pane; the paint may be peeled off if it is left to harden completely before the tape is removed. When a visitor calls at your house, he’ll stand face to face with your front door and have nothing to do but examine it while he awaits your answer.
So it’s here you should put in your best work. Remove all the door furniture such as knobs, knockers, locks, keyhole covers and letterbox. Prepare the woodwork carefully and wipe it down with a tackrag (a soft cloth impregnated with a sticky varnish) to collect any remaining dust. Tackrags are obtainable from any good paint shop. Use a perfectly clean brush, preferably one that has been used before so that no loose bristles will come adrift. Wedge the door ajar and cover the floor with a dust cloth or old newspapers. Use paint which doesn’t need straining, and pour about 50mm (2in) into a small container or pain] kettle.
All coats of paint should follow the grain of the wood. Don’t attempt to cross-hatch – that is, apply a primer in one direction, undercoat at right angles and finishing coat in the direction of the primer. If you do, you’ll get a crisscross effect when the paint dries which produces a poor finish.