What kind of varnish is better to cover the tree. How to properly and efficiently varnish furniture and wood products. Varnishing techniques and rules for working with wood varnish. What varnish to use

Surface treatment with varnish is one of the most common types of wood finishing. Lacquering protects the product from moisture, ultraviolet radiation, mechanical damage, and also makes the texture more interesting. Varnish is used to treat the surface of wooden furniture, decorations, building structures, parts of musical instruments, as well as decorative elements of vehicles.

Material selection

Wood varnishing requires the use of quality materials and tools. Depending on the purpose of the wooden product and the conditions of its operation, it is necessary to use varnishes that are suitable in terms of characteristics.

There are several types of varnishing material:

oil varnishes are made on the basis of synthetic or natural oils, to which special components are added that increase the strength of the coating. Most often, oil varnishes are used indoors for the treatment of walls and floors. The finished coating is transparent, but has a yellowish tint;
alcohol formulations are made by dissolving natural or synthetic resins in alcohol. Alcohol varnishes create a thin coating that is unable to provide high-quality mechanical protection for wood, but at the same time make its top layer more moisture resistant. Very often, such products are used for priming wooden surfaces;
nitrocellulose products obtained by dissolving nitrocellulose in organic solvents. Special additives are introduced into the composition, which can increase the strength of the varnish coating. Nitrocellulose varnishes are applied, as a rule, in several layers;
acrylic varnishes are made on the basis of polymeric acrylic resins. They can be used to create not only transparent, but also colored surfaces. These materials are very durable, environmentally friendly, but their use is possible only indoors;
alkyd varnish materials are made from synthetic resins based on inorganic solvents. The surfaces obtained with these varnishes are highly durable and resistant to moisture. All this makes it possible to use such varnishes to cover the facades of buildings, wooden elements located on the street;
polyurethane compounds based on polymers make it possible to obtain a thin coating resistant to mechanical stress. Very often, such varnishes are used to process musical instruments.

It is possible to varnish the surfaces which are in the street or in rooms. Modern means allow you to protect even wood immersed in water. If there is no varnish, then it is replaced with drying oil or wax mastic, after which the wooden surface becomes slightly velvety to the touch.

Preparation of tools and workplace

For high-quality varnishing of wooden surfaces, you will need working tools.

If you use traditional varnish in jars, then you can not do without brushes. Their size and quantity are chosen depending on the scope of work and the types of varnish used. Preference should be given to natural bristle brushes.

For processing small wooden products, as well as various planks and rods, narrow brushes with a width of 15 to 20 mm can be used.

When processing surfaces of a large area, it is advisable to use flute brushes with a width of 100-150 mm.

Rollers are also used for processing large areas, but unlike flute brushes, it is inconvenient to varnish curved surfaces with them.

At home, you can varnish the surface with a spray can, but it is more expensive and is used only for small products.

Sandpaper is needed for mechanical cleaning of wooden surfaces and grinding them before varnishing. For processing, it is necessary to have several types of sandpaper of various grain sizes. You will need a brush with which you can sweep away dust from the prepared surface.

The grinder is used if very large surfaces need to be prepared for varnishing. The vacuum cleaner is used to remove dust during grinding, as well as to clean large items.

Having collected all the necessary tools, you need to prepare the room if the work will be carried out inside. It is necessary to take into account the possibility of ventilation, since many compositions of varnishes emit substances harmful to the human body and have a pungent odor.

The room should be bright enough so that you can visually control the result of the work. If necessary, provide the workplace with artificial lighting. If you plan to use power tools, such as grinders or vacuum cleaners, make sure that you have electrical outlets and suitable extension cords in your work area.

Surface preparation

To cover the wood with a layer of varnish, you must first carefully prepare the surface to be treated. The whole result of future work will depend on the quality of such preparation.

It is a mistake to think that under a thick layer of varnish it will be possible to hide small irregularities on the surface of the wood. All defects must be repaired prior to varnishing. An exception may be the case when you need to specifically highlight the texture of the tree and emphasize the relief.

Grinding

A clean planed surface must be sanded with a grit of 80-100.

If the surface was previously coated with paint or varnish, the old coating is removed. This can be done with sandpaper with a grain size of 40-60. It will be very difficult to remove old paint or varnish by hand, so it is better to use a belt sander for such work.

For further processing, you can use a vibrating grinder. The direction of sanding must match the direction of the wood fibers, otherwise the scratches will remain visible even after several layers of transparent colorless varnish.

After grinding, the surface must be thoroughly cleaned of dust. This can be done with a brush or, if the surface is very large, with a vacuum cleaner.

Primer

When using any type of varnish, it is necessary to follow the instructions for its use very precisely. Sometimes manufacturers require that the wooden surface be primed before varnishing. If such a requirement exists, it cannot be neglected, otherwise, when applying varnish, the degree of adhesion may be insufficient, and over time, the varnish surface will begin to peel off and fall off.

The type of primer composition is selected in accordance with the recommendations for the use of varnish.

As a rule, varnish manufacturers also produce related materials - primers, solvents, which are advised to use. Deviation from these recommendations and the use of materials of other brands is possible, but in this case it is necessary to understand the composition of varnishes and primers. It may happen that two compositions are completely incompatible in chemical properties. The results of their interaction can be completely unpredictable.

Varnishing

In order for the varnish coating to last for a long time, not to peel or swell, it is important to follow the application technology.

Varnishing wood is made in several layers. How many of them should be depends on the manufacturer's recommendation and the conditions for using wooden products, but usually at least three are applied - a primer + two undiluted.

Note! To avoid visible streaks, the brush is first moved along the wood fibers. Vertical surfaces are treated with light cross strokes, taking very little varnish.

You have to work quickly and accurately. Then drying is necessary for the time specified in the instructions.

After the first layer has dried, it is necessary to re-sand the surface with 120 grit sandpaper. This will help get rid of unwanted stains that could result from the fact that the tips of the outer wood fibers deformed when wet and then dried.

The polished surface must be cleaned of dust, wiped with a clean damp cloth. After the first layer dries, you can apply the next one.

After applying the second layer, if necessary, the surface is polished, then varnishing is started again. The penultimate layer is ground with a very fine sandpaper with a grain size of 200 to 400, after which the last, final one is applied. Excess varnish on the edges of the surface during its application can be removed with a swab dipped in solvent.

After applying the last layer, the surface is thoroughly dried. If necessary, the lacquer coating can be polished. Polishing is carried out with felt or felt, using grinders and special polishing pastes. A properly lacquered surface transforms a wooden object, whatever it may be.

The wood is often used to build houses and make furniture. It is lightweight, low cost, and easy to install. At the same time, the material is afraid of precipitation, ultraviolet radiation, fungus. You can protect structures with the help of a large number of means: varnishes, paints, antiseptics, etc. Let's try to figure out how to cover a tree and how to prepare it for finishing.

Surface preparation for opaque coating

Before covering wooden structures with a protective compound, it is necessary to prepare the surface. This will make it smooth and beautiful. When applying an opaque coating, the principle of leveling and smoothing the structure is not important. It will be painted, and no one will see the base.

So, to prepare the surface, do the following:

we clean it with a planer;
we cycle and grind with fine-grained emery cloth;
we prime the product (linseed oil, enamel, varnish). In order for the composition to penetrate deeper into the pores, it is necessary to add a solvent to it, for example, White Spirit;
we putty all chips, cracks and depressions;
sanding everything.

If desired, putty can be done independently. To do this, fill with a primer any fine-grained powder: flour, talc, starch, sawdust, etc. The resulting mass should have the consistency of a thick dough.

Surface preparation for clear coating

Before covering the tree with transparent compounds, it is also necessary to prepare it. You need to perform the above manipulations, but you will have to work more carefully. To begin with, we perform grinding in two steps: we wipe the surface, moisten it with a rag (to raise the villi), wait for it to dry and grind again.

If there are small defects, then we cover them with putty, which matches the color of the tree. We carry out the alignment of the composition while it is wet. To obtain a high-quality coating, it is necessary to use special grinding machines.

If there are pores, we rub the surface with a mixture that you can make yourself. We take grated pumice, fill it with varnish and apply it to the product. We clean the excess immediately, and after drying we grind it.

Antiseptics

To increase the service life of the product, it is necessary to use an antiseptic for wood. For outdoor work and interior decoration, you will need different compositions. The main requirement for them is safety for health (especially when temperature or humidity rises).

Depending on the composition, antiseptics for wood are divided into: water-soluble, organic-soluble and oily. Water-soluble products can be used if the surface will not come into contact with moisture. In their manufacture, the following components are used: sodium fluoride and silicofluoride, BBK-3 (a mixture of borax and boric acid). The finish should be varnish or other waterproof material.

Organic compounds are used only as a wood preservative for outdoor use. They cannot be used indoors due to the highly toxic composition (they contain a solution of pentachlorophenol copper naphthenate). The product penetrates well into the wood and strengthens its fibers. After application, the product acquires a green tint, and its adhesion also deteriorates.

Oil antiseptics consist of: coal, anthracene or shale oil. After their use, the wood darkens, and a specific smell also remains. But the treated coating is not afraid of moisture. Means are suitable only for outdoor work: for the foundations of log cabins, sleepers.

The most popular antiseptics for wood:

"Nortex" (does well with the fungus, and protects against woodworms).
"Senezh" (provides maximum protection against mold, fungus and bugs).
"Aquatex" (resists mold, fungus and ultraviolet).
"Tikurilla" (contains acrylic with alkyd, and protects against fungus, mold).

Paints

After applying antiseptics, the surface is often painted. Paints are needed to protect against: moisture, insects and bacteria, sunlight, abrasion and mechanical damage. Also, thanks to them, the product looks more aesthetically pleasing. Let's try to figure out which paint is better for wood.

Depending on the composition, they are: acrylic, alkyd and oil. are used for finishing the facades of wooden buildings, and are in great demand. They are great for cold regions because they have very good protective properties. The compositions are practically odorless, increase the service life of products, allow structures to "breathe", do not let moisture through.

Alkyd paints are in demand for their low cost. They have a resin base that forms a crust on the surface and does not absorb into the wood. The composition protects against moisture and withstands temperatures from -30 to +90 degrees. The coating will last a maximum of 7 years. After application, thorough drying is required, otherwise bubbles will appear.

Oil paints are considered the worst because they have an unpleasant odor and a toxic composition (due to drying oil). They are expensive because they consist of expensive components. The painted coating does not look very aesthetically pleasing, and practically does not “breathe”. As a result, after a while, it begins to crack and peel off. To apply paint, you need a perfectly prepared surface. The coating will last a maximum of 5 years.

When choosing paint, consider:

penetrating ability and resistance to temperature changes;
vapor permeability (will help protect against decay);
service life (it depends on how often the coating will have to be updated);
environmental friendliness (especially when working inside the house);
elasticity (responsible for resistance to cracking);
drying time;
fire resistance.

Lucky

Instead of paint, you can cover the wood with varnish, which will save you from rotting and precipitation. With the help of the material, both external and internal work can be carried out (this is written on the label). They can cover individual elements or entire buildings, for example, change houses, verandas, arbors made of wood. What varnish to cover them? Let's try to figure it out below.

There are the following types of varnishes:

Alkyd. Consists of and solvent. The composition dries in 72 hours, but you can speed up drying if you purchase a product with a hardener (grabs in 24 hours). Dries in 12 hours
Oil. Consists of oils (in high concentration), resins and solvents. The tool changes the shade of the product from pale yellow to dark brown. The main disadvantage is the long drying time - in some cases it may take several days.
Nitrolac. Contains colloxylin, resins, plasticizers and solvents. The compositions are often used for finishing work inside the building. They also have good strength, moisture resistance, and dry quickly (only a few hours). It should be remembered that the product contains toxic solvents, so it is not suitable for children's rooms.
Acrylic. It does not contain organic solvents, so it practically does not smell. Such varnishes can be used indoors, as they are safe for humans. They are durable, do not change the color of the tree, but are afraid of temperature changes and moisture.
Epoxy. Dries quickly and is suitable for all surfaces. With it, you can perform both external and internal work.
Polyurethane. Resistant to wear, not afraid of moisture. It is often used as a finishing coating for wooden products (especially from valuable species);
Yacht. It combines very high strength, elasticity, hardness, resistance to temperature extremes, aggressive environments.

fire retardants

Before covering the wood with a finish, it is necessary to use them. They are necessary to reduce the release of combustible substances, and to prevent burning without a source. They can be used in heated rooms (not weather resistant) as well as outdoors (weather resistant).

Depending on the field of application, flame retardants are produced in the form of:

varnishes that form a thin film on the surface, it has no color, and retains the texture of wood;
paints and enamels - they leave a thin opaque film on the product, which can have different shades and protect not only from fire, but also from moisture;
pastes and coatings - they differ from paints in that they form a thicker coating and contain coarse fillers (it does not look very aesthetically pleasing);
impregnation, which can be applied to the surface of the structure or under pressure (using special tools).

Interior decoration and exterior decoration

The main materials for processing wooden products have been described above. Let's try to figure out how and with what to cover the tree inside the house. For interior decoration, it is better to choose products that are water-based, odorless and do not emit toxins. They also need to resist moisture well.

Wood processing is carried out as follows:

apply antiseptic and wait for it to dry;
we use fire-resistant impregnation;
cover with varnish or paint of any shade you like.
When applying an antiseptic, you must follow some rules:
treat first the places affected by fungus, rot or insects;
pre-clean and degrease the product;
work at air humidity no more than 80%;
cover with fire protection only after antiseptic.
Exterior decoration is also carried out in several stages:
surface preparation;
applying an antiseptic penetrating deep into the tree;
use of fire protection;
finish coating.

Any wooden building or product needs to be coated with an antiseptic (for example, wood stain). How to cover a tree with this composition? We take a brush, and gently move it along the wood fibers. Vertical surfaces are best processed from the bottom up. This will keep the streaks from soaking in and provide an even finish. So that there are no spots on it, you should not touch the already painted areas. We apply the first layer of antiseptic, dry it, smooth it with sandpaper and cover it with the second layer.

Furniture processing

It often happens that old furniture needs restoration. As for new products, when making them yourself, you will have to think about their protection from moisture, rot, and insects. All this can be done with the help of special formulations. For example, let's try to figure out how to cover a wooden table. For work you will need: a brush or roller, protective equipment (respirator, gloves, glasses), sandpaper and a rubber spatula.

We perform the following actions:

Preparing the surface. We clean from the old coating using chemical or thermal cleaning;
We apply primer. It improves the adhesion of the paint and varnish composition to the product;
We putty all cracks and defects;
We cover with paint or varnish. The choice of material depends on the operating conditions of the product.

Fence processing

Outdoor wood structures take on a dull gray tint over time. Therefore, it is necessary to cover them with protective compounds that will extend the service life. How to cover a wooden fence? Impregnation will protect the structure from microorganisms, paint - from sunlight and moisture.

We carry out the work in the following order:

we clear the area near the fence, cut the interfering plants;
remove the old coating (if any), grind with sandpaper,
we process with a primer and overwrite all cracks with putty;
we cover the fence with an antiseptic that is not afraid of temperature changes, moisture, etc .;
dry and apply paint or varnish.

Oil compounds adhere well to the surface, acrylic ones are inexpensive and dry quickly, alkyd ones will have to be updated frequently. If the choice fell on varnish, then it is better to choose alkyd (safe) or polyurethane (very durable).

Not a single household plot can do without wooden structures. To understand how to paint a tree, you need to familiarize yourself with the availability in the store and read the instructions for different materials. This will help you make a choice, because now there are many paint and varnish compositions for interior and exterior use.

Lacquering is one of the best ways to treat wood products to maintain their quality and visual characteristics. Wooden walls, stairs, furniture are varnished, and special training is not required to perform these works, which means that each person can cope with them without professional help. We will talk about the rules and features of varnishing wooden surfaces in this article.

Advantages of varnishing and types of existing varnishes

Wood varnishing is very popular, as this type of treatment is suitable for any type of painted and unpainted wood. Such finishing is actively performed in the production of wooden furniture, in the manufacture of decorative products, as well as in wall and floor cladding in the house.

There is a wide range of varnishes for woodworking on the market, each of which has its own unique features and characteristics. Among the most popular compositions are:

1. Oil varnishes. They contain solutions of synthetic or natural resins, due to which they create a durable yellow film on the treated surface. Most often they are used in the processing of walls and floors in private homes.
2. Alcoholic. Solutions of vegetable resins or polymers in alcohol, used for priming wooden surfaces after sanding. They are not able to provide high-quality protection of wood from moisture, but they add shine to products and make them more durable.
3. Alkyd. They are made from synthetic resins with special solvents. They are versatile, that is, they can be used to perform facing work in different conditions. They are used to repair facades, walls and floors in houses. They are resistant to moisture and increase the strength of processed products.
4. Nitrocellulose. They are made from nitrocellulose, which is diluted in special solvents using plasticizers. Multi-layered, transparent coating of wood with nitrocellulose lacquer provides furniture with increased durability.
5. Acrylic. Eco-friendly, safe varnishes based on acrylic resins. They are durable and resistant to light, but are used exclusively for interior repairs.
6. Polyurethane. They allow to create a resistant protective layer for wooden products, are used in the manufacture of musical instruments and floor varnishing.

Regardless of the compositions used, wood must be varnished according to the manufacturer's instructions. This is the only way to ensure the treated surface durability, strength and protection from various external influences.

Preparing the room and surface for varnishing

Varnishing wood is a simple job, but it must be done correctly. Varnishing is carried out in three stages and begins with the preparation of the workpieces. So that at home, you must first prepare the room in which the work will be carried out, and then the surface to be treated itself.

Varnishes are characterized by a long drying time, and therefore, before repair, a thorough cleaning of the house should be carried out and an influx of clean air into the rooms should be ensured. It is strongly not recommended to varnish wood in dusty rooms, as dust can get on the treated product and adversely affect its attractiveness.

It is recommended to thoroughly wash the floor in the room before starting varnishing and protect it with a film (newspapers) from possible contamination. It is best to carry out varnishing work indoors at an air temperature not exceeding 20 degrees Celsius and with good ventilation. It is very important to prepare and high-quality lighting of the workplace, so as not to strain your eyes too much.

After preparing the work site, you need to clean the surface of the varnished wood from dirt and dust, and then sand it with fine-grained sandpaper along the wood fibers. Next, you need to clean the products from dust, for small things you can use a rag, and for large things - a vacuum cleaner.

If the surface of the product has previously been varnished or painted, the old coating will need to be completely removed with coarse sandpaper.

Sometimes it makes sense to varnish the product after priming the wooden surface. The primer provides not only better adhesion of the varnish, but also its lower consumption. After applying the primer, be sure to wait until it dries completely, no matter how long it takes.

Now it remains only to prepare the necessary consumables and tools for varnishing surfaces and you can start repair work. For work, you will need personal protective equipment:

gloves;
respirator;
clothes made of coarse fabric;
glasses.

For applying paints and varnishes, you can use different tools: swab, brush or spray gun. The swab is suitable for treating wood with alcohol-containing varnishes, the brush is suitable for oil formulations. The sprayer can be used to work with any varnishes.

Coating the surface of the product with varnish

To properly cover wood with oil or any other varnish, you need to know how to use various tools. If it is decided to use a tampon for applying the composition, it should not be dipped into the applied composition, but completely immersed for high-quality impregnation. After that, you should try the soaked swab on an unnecessary piece of wood. This check allows you to determine the optimal force of pressing the swab during varnishing. As soon as it is possible to achieve an acceptable quality of the coating without smudges, you can begin to process the main wooden product.

Plugging allows you to create very attractive varnished surfaces, for this you need to apply the varnish with quick movements along the grain of the wood. Be sure to ensure that the edges of the applied strokes do not overlap each other, otherwise the color of the product after applying paints and varnishes will not be uniform. If, as the composition on the tampon is used up, the varnish layer becomes thinner and thinner, it will be necessary to increase the pressure on the tampon. To create a well-protected surface, 2 or 3 coats of varnish should be applied to it, with each coat being completely dry before applying the next.

The second method of varnishing involves working with a brush. The layer of varnish mixture applied with a brush should be as thin as possible, so the brush should be wrung out periodically during operation. Brush movements when applying the composition must be smooth, otherwise air bubbles may appear on the surface. As in the case of a swab, brush the wood 2 or 3 times, waiting for the layers to dry completely.

Applying a varnish mixture with a sprayer allows you to evenly, efficiently and accurately process almost any surface with minimal time. It is possible to work with an airbrush only using personal protective equipment and in well-ventilated areas, since the smallest particles of varnish can accumulate in the air. When applying varnish, you must constantly keep the sprayer at the same distance from the workpiece and drive it at the same speed.

The last stage of varnishing is surface polishing. Polishing should be done after the last layer of the applied composition has completely dried. For polishing, you need to use a special paste, polish, as well as special swabs. First you need to lightly sand the surface with a fine-grained sandpaper to remove minor irregularities, then the product is wiped with a soft cloth and only then polishing begins.

Coat the wood with a thin layer of the paste in quick, zigzag motions with the swab. When the product becomes smooth enough, the paste or polish must be dried. Apply the next layer of paste to the surface 12 hours after the first. To provide the product with a mirror shine, you will have to apply at least 3 layers of paste.

If you have a piece of wood and you want to varnish it, but don't know how to do it, read this article to the end and find the answers to all your questions.

So, before varnishing, any wooden surface must be well treated with sandpaper. This is done to eliminate the shortcomings of processing a wooden surface on a planer or thicknesser machine. First, medium grit sandpaper is used, approximately 80-100 units. After that, they proceed to work with sandpaper 150-180 and complete the processing with sandpaper 240-320 units. It is not recommended to use fine sandpaper right away, it will take much more time to achieve the desired result. Sanding different types of wood has its own characteristics. Thus, sanding hard wood lasts longer, and sanding softwood is associated with certain difficulties in removing resin. The thing is that coniferous wood, especially pine, has a lot of resin. When sanding, sandpaper with this resin clogs very quickly and becomes unusable. Still not worn out paper clogged with resin becomes practically unsuitable for further use. Such paper can be restored by removing the resin layer. You can do this with a regular rubber band. By rubbing a rubber band on sandpaper, you can remove some of the resin. Cleaned paper can be used further. Sanding wood with sandpaper can be done manually, or you can use special machines. The most common are surface grinders. A sheet of sandpaper in such a tool is attached to the sole, which performs grinding with an oscillatory movement. For rougher processing, a belt sander is suitable. Her sanding belt is made in the form of a belt, which, rotating at a certain speed, grinds wood. There are also eccentric sanders. The principle of operation of such machines is somewhat different from the work of the previous ones. Sandpaper in the form of a circle is attached to a movable sole. This sole performs not only rotation, but also translational movements. Thanks to this, sandpaper never goes through the same place twice. Among the disadvantages of such machines - higher cost and low speed. They are more suitable for finishing work. So the sanding is done. Do not immediately apply varnish. It is necessary to lightly moisten the sanded surface with water and allow it to dry. This will raise the sanded pile on the surface of the wood. After the surface has dried, the pile is removed with fine sandpaper. The operation is performed twice. This is the only way to be sure that the pile will not rise again on the prepared surface. After grinding, the surface is cleaned of dust. This is best done with compressed air using a compressor. You can just wipe everything with a clean cloth.

Applying varnish. Before applying the varnish, the contents of the varnish jar must be well mixed. The varnish can be applied both with a brush and with a sprayer. When varnish is applied with a brush, the surface quality is somewhat worse, but a special room is needed for the sprayer to work, and the varnish consumption is greater. Apply varnish to start from the top and gradually paint the lower areas. This will avoid streaks of varnish, which spoil the appearance of the product with their appearance. After the first layer is applied, the varnish is allowed to dry. Then the so-called interlayer grinding is carried out - with fine sandpaper, the already applied varnish is lightly sanded by hand. This is done to eliminate defects on the finished surface and prepare for applying the next layer of varnish. The number of layers of varnish may vary, but usually three layers. Sanding is carried out between each layer. The application of varnish is completed with a final polishing. When the varnish is already dry and has acquired the desired strength, you can proceed to polishing. Polishing is carried out using special polishing pastes. The task of polishing is to achieve a perfectly smooth surface, to eliminate the smallest irregularities, elevations and defects. After polishing correctly, glossy surfaces begin to reflect light like a mirror. Polishing is usually carried out using special polishing machines. You can do it manually, but this is a rather laborious task, it requires a lot of time and effort. Using a special machine allows polishing quickly and easily.

The use of all these tips, following the recommendations of varnish manufacturers, will allow you to achieve a very high-quality surface of a wooden product, which will practically not differ from that manufactured in an industrial way.

In their beauty and originality, wooden products are not inferior to other materials. But in an unprotected form, they can lose their qualities and deteriorate very quickly. You can protect the tree with paint, but if the goal is to emphasize the structure of the material, then varnishing the wooden products can solve this issue. It seems that this process is quite simple: I took a brush, applied varnish and that's it, it's done. But not exactly. To obtain a high-quality protected part, it is necessary to perform a number of measures to varnish the wood.

Varnishing a tree with varnish is a time-consuming and responsible process. It consists of several stages, which should not be ignored. Only after going through all the stages, it can be said with responsibility that the products will have good protection.

Wood preparation

The first step in the process of varnishing wooden products is the preparation of the wood itself. You can perform it in several ways, depending on the product itself and the tool with which you plan to work:

1. Small objects can be sanded with coarse grit sandpaper. For larger items, such as wooden doors or floors, you can use a grinder or grinder with a special nozzle. All of the listed devices perform initial processing.

3. The final step is the final polishing. Perform it with sandpaper abrasiveness 160-320. The smoother the surface, the easier and better the varnish will go on the wooden surface. In this case, there will be no drips, drops and other shortcomings. It should be processed carefully, not skipping the ends and hard-to-reach places.

Priming process

Before varnishing a tree, a priming process should be carried out. The product treated with a primer receives a number of additional advantages that will significantly affect the quality of the work:

perfect surface leveling, which cannot be achieved even with the most careful grinding;
priming increases the degree of adhesion of varnish to wood;
a significant reduction in the consumption of paintwork, as the varnish can be applied on a perfectly flat surface with the thinnest layer.

The process of priming wood can be performed with various compositions:

With the help of liquid wax, which is best purchased in aerosol cans. Although, a similar composition can be performed at home on your own, gradually dissolving the wax in turpentine.

Using wood glue, which is diluted with water in the ratio: 1 part wood glue to 5 parts water.

The use of wood powder, which is mixed with PVA glue.

With the help of talc diluted in water. If it is necessary to give a shade close to the color of the varnish used, then pigment powder is added.

The use of industrial primers type KF.

The question arises, how to properly apply a primer on a tree. This should be assessed by the condition of the wood. You can get by with one layer if the surface is perfectly flat. Otherwise, the composition is applied in several layers. When applying the primer composition, we follow the basic rule: each subsequent layer is applied only after the previous one has completely dried.

On the video: priming defects.

What varnish to use?

There are several types of solutions that are safely used for varnishing wood:

Lacquer, which has an oil base;

Alcohol varnishes;

The oil-based composition forms a very strong film that can reliably protect wood products. A minor drawback of this type of product is the fact that after it is applied to the surface, the varnish becomes a little darker, the natural shade of the wood.

The composition of alcohol products consists of several types of resins and ethyl alcohols. If the goal is to preserve the naturalness of wood in its original form, then it is necessary to varnish the tree with a composition of this type.

Nitro-varnishes are made from the following components: alkyd resins, solvents, nitrocellulose. It differs from previous substances by a quick drying process. It is thanks to this quality that experts use them to varnish furniture.

Lacquering of wood products

Varnishing wood with varnish has its own nuances, ranging from the choice of paint and ending with the application technique. Let's talk in more detail about how to properly coat wood with protective agents.

How to apply varnish?

Varnishing can be done in several ways:

Standard application of varnish on wood is carried out using a conventional paint brush. This is a fairly handy tool with which you can apply high-quality varnish on wood, processing the most inaccessible places. Brushes can be used with artificial or natural bristles. Also, the lacquer brush is selected in shape, depending on the state of the lacquer surface. For example, for a product with many carved elements, it is better to take a small rounded brush. And for a flat surface - flat tools of various sizes.

Important! The smaller the product, the smaller the brush should be. Very small items can generally be simply dipped in paints.

Recently, the leading position in the brush is taken by rollers for applying paint. This is an indispensable tool for finishing large surfaces. Varnishing the floor, countertop, wall, bench is much more convenient with a roller. In this case, we obtain a surface without streaks with a uniformly applied layer of substance.

Important! It is more convenient to apply varnish with a roller if its base is foam rubber.

Masters who have a well-filled hand varnish the wooden surface with a spray gun. Again, it is practical to use it when processing large areas.
It is more convenient to treat wood with varnish of small objects using swabs that are dipped in liquid. Tampons are made from cloth. But not all fabrics will work.

It is necessary to varnish the wood with a material made of a smooth, lint-free fabric that will not shed when in contact with paints.

Lacquering technology

Coating technology depends on the choice of substance. Therefore, the main guide is the manufacturer's instructions. But, let's pay attention to the main general tips on how to cover a tree with a varnish without negative consequences:

Cover the tree in several steps. The thickness of the first applied layer should be less than the subsequent one.
The composition for the initial application is prepared a little less often than for subsequent layers. Its consistency is 50 to 50. This will increase the degree of permeability of the substance. So the varnish can get into any hard-to-reach places.
Coating the wood with varnish with the second and subsequent layers is carried out with a slightly thicker composition. It is diluted in a ratio of 75 to 25.
The number of layers depends on the condition of the surface and on the desired result.

Important! Each layer after complete drying is subjected to grinding. The surface treated in this way will not have waves and irregularities. The last layer is not processed.

All the above tips explain in an accessible way how to varnish a wooden surface with your own hands. Subject to all recommendations and diligence, a product will appear in the house that will delight the owners for many years.