Plywood is a universal material that can be used for laying floors, finishing walls, and mounting ceilings. Under the influence of sunlight, humidity, temperature, untreated plywood loses its original appearance over time, delaminates and collapses. To extend its service life, it is necessary to carry out painting work.
It should be remembered that painting a plywood ceiling will preserve the natural appearance of the wood structure.
How to paint plywood on the ceiling? Options may be different, both in terms of pricing policy and decorative ones.
First, let's dwell on the issue of choosing plywood for cladding the ceiling. GOST provides for the classification of five grades of produced plywood. However, some of them are better suited for finishing the ceiling.
Material characteristics
Based on the impregnation method, plywood may be marked:
- FKM - plywood with increased moisture resistance. In the manufacture of this type of plywood, melamine resins are used, which are harmless to health. This plywood is used for finishing and making furniture.
- FC is plywood that has moisture-resistant properties. Carbide resin is used to glue the layers. This type of plywood is perfect for interior finishing work.
- FOF - laminated plywood. Used for interior decoration. It has a wide choice of colors and does not require additional painting.
By processing:
- NSh - unsanded plywood;
- Ш1 - plywood, sanded on one side;
- Ш2 - plywood, sanded on both sides.
The cheapest plywood is unsanded. However, for finishing the ceiling it is better to choose plywood processed on one side. There is no point in overpaying for polishing on both sides, since one side of the plywood still faces the ceiling.
By type of wood:
- from coniferous species;
- from hardwood.
You may ask: why consider classifications if we are talking about how on the ceiling? The fact is that understanding can simplify the choice in favor of one or another paint coating.
For example, softwood plywood should not be stained. The resinous structure prevents liquid from penetrating into the wood. Even worse, stained plywood will look uneven: the resinous areas will stand out. Then you will have to repaint the plywood with other paints and varnishes.
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Features of substances
Plywood is a material that is very easy to paint. By performing these works, depending on your design decision, you will be able to:
- preserve the natural appearance of the wood structure;
- paint with opaque paints and varnishes that will completely hide the base.
Using various stains, you can emphasize the structure of wood and imitate the color of different types of wood.
There are stains:
- water based;
- alcohol based;
- nitromordants;
- dry mixes.
To make the color more saturated, plywood can be coated with several layers of stain. In order to achieve a more even color when staining, it is better to slightly wet the surface of the plywood, and for deeper penetration into the depths of the wood, the stain can be heated. The first layer should be applied along the fiber structure, the second - across.
You can apply the stain using a swab, a hard brush or a spray. Please note that a wet surface will look darker than a dried one.
After painting, the plywood must be dried. Water-based stain dries within 24 hours, while alcohol-based stain dries in 15-30 minutes.
Staining performs only a decorative function. To give plywood moisture-resistant properties, it is necessary to additionally coat its surface with varnish or drying oil.
When staining occurs, the wood fibers swell. After drying, you can feel that the surface has become rough. Therefore, before varnishing, plywood must be treated with fine-grained sandpaper, and then wipe the sheet with a dry cloth or vacuum to remove small particles.
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Application of paint
You can also paint the plywood on the ceiling. Their selection is very wide. Paints can be divided into different types.
According to invoice:
- Glossy. They look beautiful, but if the surface being coated is not so ideal, then defects will be visible;
- Matte. Perfectly hides minor defects.
By type of thinner:
- Alkyd. Paints based on this are quite durable and retain their appearance for a long time. Negative properties include the fact that white spirit, turpentine, and drying oil, which have a pungent odor, are used as solvents. Paints based on this material are not environmentally friendly and are best used for exterior painting.
- Water-dispersed. These paints are diluted with water. They are environmentally friendly, practically odorless and, after drying, form a fairly durable thin film.
Water-dispersion paints are divided into such groups as: water-based, latex, silicate, silicone, acrylic, polyvinyl acetate.
Water-dispersion paints, in turn, can be divided into groups:
- Water-based paints. Can be easily applied to almost any surface. Resistant to temperature changes. Any other types of paints can easily be applied to them. Non-toxic.
- Latex paints are the most expensive among water-based paints. They have high moisture-resistant properties and abrasion resistance. Surfaces painted with these paints remain “breathable”. Their high covering ability allows you to cover cracks up to 1 mm. It is this paint that creates a glossy finish. The disadvantage of latex paint is its “intolerance” to low temperatures: fungus and mold can form on the painted layer.
- Silicate paints. Their advantages include low cost and fairly durable coating. Negative aspects: the paint contains alkali, which requires compliance with safety measures when working with it; “intolerance” to high humidity; incompatibility with other types of paint.
- Silicone paints. They have many advantages compared to other types of water-dispersion paints. The highly elastic coating can hide cracks up to 2mm. Durable. They have high water-repellent properties. Resistant to large temperature changes. The disadvantage is the high cost.
- Acrylic paints. After drying, they form a durable layer that is resistant to moisture.
- Polyvinyl acetate paints are a cheap option for rooms with low humidity. Over time, this paint acquires a yellowish tint.
Plywood is an environmentally friendly, durable and inexpensive material that is now very common. It is used for the manufacture of partitions, furniture and flooring. Plywood sheets consist of sheets of wood veneer that are held together with a special mixture. When processing this building material does not require much effort. Moreover, products made from plywood have a very attractive appearance, especially after painting. Painting sheets of plywood does not require skills and is not difficult. How to paint plywood and how to do it correctly is what we will discuss in this article.
What to paint with?
The main purpose of painting plywood is to protect it from cracking. How to paint plywood? The choice of dye depends on the purpose of the sheets and the place of their use.
Paints
Based on the type of thinner, paints are divided into the following types:
- Water-dispersed. Diluted with water. It is odorless, environmentally friendly, and forms a durable thin film after drying.
- Alkyd. It is characterized by high strength and preservation of appearance for a long time. The disadvantages are that they are dissolved with turpentine, white spirit, and drying oil, which have strong odors. This type is best used for outdoor use.
Important! This type is suitable for protecting plywood sheets from moisture.
Water-dispersion paints are further divided into the following types:
- Water-based. They are resistant to temperature changes, non-toxic, can be applied to almost any surface, and can easily be applied to other types of paints.
- Latex. They are resistant to abrasion, cover cracks up to 1 mm, are moisture resistant and create a glossy finish. The disadvantage of this type is the possibility of mold and mildew formation, as well as intolerance to low temperatures.
- Silicate. They have a high level of quality and a relatively low price. Disadvantages are incompatibility with other types of paints and the presence of alkali, which requires compliance with safety measures when working with this type of paint.
- Silicone. They hide cracks up to 2 mm, provide a high level of elastic coating, are durable, have a water-repellent effect, and are also resistant to temperature changes. The disadvantage is the considerable price.
- Acrylic. They are resistant to moisture and create a high-quality layer when drying.
- Polyvinyl acetate. Suitable for rooms with low humidity. May acquire a yellow tint over time.
Plywood in residential areas is painted using water-based paints. This category includes acrylic paints that have the following properties:
- Dries quickly.
- They have no odors.
- Convenient to apply.
How to paint plywood for outdoor use? Regular enamel for wood products, which is easy to apply, is perfect. This type of coating is sold both in a ready-made color solution, and tinting is also possible.
Important! The plywood boards must be dry before painting.
Lucky
There are also varnishes on the building materials market that can be used to paint plywood. There are two groups of varnishes, which differ in the way the layers are developed:
- Layers are formed during the process of polycondensation and polymerization. The varnish layer hardens. They are made on polyester, oil, urea-formaldehyde and polyurethane bases.
- Layers are formed due to the weathering of the solvent. Such varnishes are made based on nitrocellulose or alcohol.
Important! How to paint plywood correctly to emphasize and refresh the natural texture of the plywood sheet? To do this, it is necessary to paint the surface completely, without deliberately highlighting the unique texture of the veneer.
The most popular manufacturers of varnishes and paints:
- Galamix.
- Alpina.
- Dufa.
- Ceresit.
- Caparol.
- Bayris AQUALAK.
- TIKKURILA.
Preparatory work
Painting plywood is necessary to extend its service life. Before painting this building material, it must be properly processed.
Important! After purchasing plywood, leave it to dry for a while. To do this, place the sheets in a warm room with dry air.
Preparation of the plywood base ensures:
- Moisture resistance.
- Strength.
- Smooth, beautiful surface.
- Longer service life.
The processing process consists of the following stages:
- Grinding.
- Padding.
- Drying.
- Puttying and drying.
- Grinding.
- Padding.
- Coloring.
Before answering the question of how to paint plywood, let's consider all the stages in more detail.
Grinding process
After drying, you can proceed to sanding. For this:
- Sand the top of the material perpendicular to its grain using coarse sandpaper (#80-100).
- Then use fine-grit sandpaper to make the surface perfectly smooth.
- The edges of the plywood need to be planed from the edge to the center, and then the ends should be covered with acrylic paint.
- Repeat the painting process 2-3 times.
Primer and putty
The priming and putty process is necessary for:
- Leveling a wooden surface.
- Closing cracks on the inside of the surface.
- Protection against mechanical damage and extension of service life.
- Better adhesion of paint to the surface.
After priming, let the surface dry. To prevent the appearance of a blue tint and mold, treat the sheets with antiseptics and fire retardants.
Important! These products will protect the plywood from fire.
If there are large dents or cracks on the surface of the plywood, they must be smoothed out using wood putty. Also, for additional strength, you can cover the entire base with putty. Afterwards, you need to thoroughly dry the sheet.
Re-alignment
After the putty has dried, in order to remove small irregularities, you need to sand with fine-grained sandpaper until the surface is as smooth as possible.
Important! Remove dust after completing this step.
Re-priming
Apply primer in 2-3 layers to increase adhesion with the dye. Dry the plywood sheets thoroughly.
Painting
How to paint plywood white is of interest to many people. The method of applying paint does not depend on the color, it depends on the composition of the base that is being painted.
Tools needed for painting
To properly paint plywood, you need to prepare the tools that will be needed in the process:
- Spray.
- Roller.
- Paint brush.
The area and type of surface to be painted will determine which tool to use:
- To save time when painting large, flat areas, use a sprayer. With its help you can achieve a high level of painting quality.
- The roller is suitable for painting medium-sized flat surfaces.
Important! It is best to use foam rubber.
- It is most convenient to paint corners, ends and various shaped elements with a paint brush.
Important! Cover furniture and floors with film to avoid contamination during painting.
The question of how and with what to paint plywood is relevant today. Plywood is a commonly used material made from thin sheets of veneer that are glued together with adhesives of different compositions. The moisture resistance of plywood and, in fact, its brand depend on the type of glue used. There are ordinary plywood, moisture-resistant and laminated.
How to prepare the surface
In order for plywood to serve for a long time, it needs to be painted. Before starting painting, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work to make the surface smooth and even.
Here approximate stages of painting work with plywood:
- Sanding (No. 80)
- Acrylic primer
- Drying
- Treatment with acrylic putty for wood
- Drying
- Sanding (No. 80-120)
- Primer
- Drying
- Coloring
There is no “mandatory” program. It all depends on the desired result, but priming with an alkyd material is necessary to protect the plywood from water and fungus, and then be guided by the situation. The alkyd primer is applied with a roller, then painted with acrylic paint, alkyd can be used, but it takes longer to dry. If the appearance of the structural relief on the painted surface does not bother you, the number of steps can be reduced. Sometimes you can just get away with priming and painting.
Grinding
After grinding, uneven surfaces are removed, resulting in a surface ready for further processing. It is performed with coarse sandpaper No. 80 - 100 perpendicular to the direction of the material texture. To obtain a perfectly smooth surface for further varnishing, you will need to sand along the structure of the material with fine-grained paper.
Preparing the edges
The plywood edges can be planed a little in the direction from the edges to the center, sanded and the ends of the edges coated with acrylic paint with additives 2-3 times.
Primer and putty
An acrylic primer is applied to the polished surface. Primer and full putty are needed:
- for leveling the absorbent surface of wood
- in order to close all cracks on the inner surface of the veneer
- to extend the life of plywood
- to protect against damage
How to paint plywood
How and with what to paint plywood depends on how it will be used. Painting protects the plywood from cracking due to moisture. For use in places of high humidity and outdoors, the plywood sheet is painted on both sides, paying special attention to the edges. They are coated with paint several times.
Paint for plywood
For painting plywood in a residential area, water-based paints, such as acrylic, are recommended. They dry quickly, have virtually no odor and apply perfectly.
prepared surface.
For using plywood outdoors, regular enamel paint for wood, the so-called pentaphthalic paint, is suitable, which is easy to apply and dries quickly enough at room temperature.
Paints are sold both in ready-made colors and in basic versions - for self-tinting.
If plywood boards were stored in a damp room, they must be dried to normal moisture content before painting.
Varnish coating
Before applying varnish to an unpainted surface, it must be sanded with fine-grained abrasive paper. After sanding, carefully remove dust and cover the surface with diluted varnish.
After painting, you can apply varnish to the plywood to add shine. Make sure the painted surface is completely dry and coat it with varnish. Using glossy paint you can do without varnishing.
Plywood is a universal material widely used in furniture production, repair and construction work. Its popularity is due to its good practical properties along with its low cost.
In this regard, the question arises whether it is necessary to paint plywood. There is only one answer - you need it! After all, paint and varnish materials will not only give the board a finished and neat look, but will also extend its service life, protecting it from moisture and other environmental influences.
It is important to note that plywood can be used both for rough work, as an auxiliary material, and as an interior decoration if used as a floor covering. The main thing is to properly prepare the material and decide how to paint the plywood on the floor.
The quality of painting, as well as the durability of the coating, depends on how carefully the board is processed before applying paints and varnishes.
Therefore, preparation consists of the following stages:
- Drying. Once saturated with moisture, plywood can change in volume and shape. Therefore, first of all, it must be thoroughly dried. To do this, it is not necessary to use special equipment - just lay the sheets out in a warm place for up to 7 days.
- Grinding. This process allows you to achieve the most even surface of the slab. After all, plywood itself has a heterogeneous structure with a large number of protrusions and irregularities. An electric grinder will help you achieve better results and make your work much easier. The movements should be directed first perpendicular to the textured pattern, and then along.
Sanding plywood
- Primer. Using an alkyd primer to treat plywood helps prevent the appearance of fungus and mold. It is especially important to take care of a high-quality primer if the plywood will be used in conditions of high humidity or for exterior decoration. Before applying the primer, the surface must be cleaned of any remaining dust using a soft brush, a rag, or even better, a vacuum cleaner.
- Putty. After the primer has dried, it is necessary to cover the plywood sheet with a layer of putty. It will allow you to hide irregularities or cracks that are invariably present on the surface of the plywood. At this stage, we must not forget about processing the joining seams.
- Sanding. After the putty has dried, take coarse sandpaper No. 80-120 and smooth the surface.
- Application of acrylic primer. This is an important stage in the preliminary preparation of the slab. The special composition reduces the porosity of plywood, increases adhesive properties and serves as additional protection against moisture and mechanical damage.
This is all that is needed at the preparatory stage. When the top layer of primer has completely hardened, you can begin painting.
Of course, you can skip some steps, using only a primer and then paint right away. But this can only be done by assessing the quality of the slab itself, as well as determining the purpose of its use.
Important! If plywood sheets are painted before installation, they must be treated on all sides, including the ends. These places are the most vulnerable to moisture.
Watch the video on how to paint plywood:
Which paint to choose
The paints used to coat plywood vary depending on the substance on which they are made:
- Alkyd paints. A strong and durable coating reliably protects wood material from moisture or mechanical damage. The disadvantage of alkyd paints is their composition, which cannot be called environmentally friendly. The presence of turpentine or drying oil gives paintwork a pungent odor. Therefore, they are best used for external use.
- Water-dispersed. Eco-friendly material that is diluted with water. After drying, they form a thin but durable film on the surface. This type includes water-based, silicate, and acrylic paints. This coating is more suitable for indoor use.
The most popular material for painting plywood is acrylic paint. This is due to ease of application and quick drying. In addition, it has virtually no odor, so it can easily be used indoors.
Many manufacturers offer plywood that is ready for installation - sanded, primed and even painted. In this case, you won’t even have to think about how to paint the plywood. But such material costs much more than unprocessed material.
Colored plywood sheets
Advice! You can purchase a white base and give it the desired color yourself using dye, or choose ready-made colored paint.
Tools for painting plywood
To paint plywood you will need a sprayer, roller or brush. The choice of tool depends on the area of the surface being processed and the presence of small elements.
The sprayer gives the fastest and highest quality results. Thanks to a special application technique, plywood paint spreads evenly onto the surface to be painted. But such equipment has one big drawback - high cost. Therefore, it may be more advisable to use a lint-free foam roller. Some hard-to-reach areas can be painted with a brush.
Painting plywood with a roller
If painting in several different colors is intended, then masking tape is used for an aesthetic and neat design.
Features of paint application
Before painting plywood indoors, all furniture or floor coverings should be covered with film so as not to be damaged by the paint.
Using the selected tool, the coloring matter is applied in an even layer to the surface to be treated. The direction of movement must coincide with the direction of the wood fibers.
Painting with a wide brush
Do not apply too thick a layer of paint, otherwise drips and sagging will appear on the surface. Therefore, if there is a need for a thicker coating, then it is better to apply several thin layers of paint, waiting for each of them to dry completely.
Advice! If the plywood will be used in a damp room or outdoors, it is advisable to cover it with several layers of paint on all sides.
Varnishing plywood
You can choose another method of decorative finishing of slabs, using varnish instead of paint. In this case, you also cannot do without preliminary preparation of the surface, because all imperfections will be visible under the transparent varnish.
First, the sheet of plywood needs to be cleaned using fine-grained sandpaper. After this, clean the surface from dust and dirt and degrease.
Now you can apply the varnish. It is applied in several layers:
- after the first layer has dried, it is necessary to remove small fibers by sanding;
- the second layer will make the surface matte;
- the third layer will give the slab a noble shine.
The final coat of varnish is best applied using a sprayer to ensure even coverage. If such equipment is not available, you can use a foam roller or a wide brush.
Applying varnish
Varnish can be used not only as an independent coating, but also as a finishing touch after applying paint. This will make the colored surface bright and shiny. For the same purposes, you can use glossy enamel.
Decorative coating will allow you to achieve an aesthetic appearance of such a simple material as plywood. At the same time, treatment with special means gives the slabs increased resistance to environmental influences.
Today, plywood is used both in the production of furniture and in the renovation and decoration of premises. The material is so popular due to the fact that it is not expensive, is considered environmentally friendly and does not cause difficulties in work.
Due to the fact that plywood is used in various fields, in the end it must have an aesthetic appearance. The only exception may be when working with plywood during rough finishing, because in such a situation the plywood can “hide” under the finishing coating.
The easiest solution when decorating plywood is plywood paint. This finish will not only help protect the sheet, but will also emphasize the natural texture of the finishing material.
We can say right away that painting plywood and painting wood do not have any distinctive features. The only catch is how to paint the plywood, because it would be quite stupid to paint both floors and furniture with the same product.
How to prepare a surface for painting?
It will never be possible to paint a product to a high standard without prior preparation. First of all, the material must have time to dry, especially if you brought the sheets from a warehouse in which the moisture level was not controlled or the material was stored in the open air.
To ensure that the moisture level is acceptable for the work, it will be enough to keep the sheets in a warm room for a couple of days. After the material has dried well, it will need to be sanded and then thoroughly cleaned of dust and small debris.
In order for sheet sanding to be done correctly and efficiently, it must be done twice. For initial sanding, you need to use coarse, highly abrasive sandpaper, and then bring the sheet to the required smoothness using fine or medium-grain sandpaper.
After sanding is completed, the sheets must be coated with a primer solution. Such actions are necessary to ensure that wooden veneers do not expand or contract when temperature and humidity levels fluctuate. It is the primer that will prevent the plywood sheets from becoming cracked, and will also increase the level of adhesion of the plywood with subsequent finishing materials.
Today, the construction market has reached the point where a type of material has appeared that does not require sanding or priming. This material is sold already with a protective coating applied, but it costs an order of magnitude more than the familiar regular plywood.
The most common types of plywood sheets are shown in the table below.
After the primer has dried, the plywood must also be treated with antiseptic compounds, as well as fire retardants. This treatment will be a kind of protection from high temperatures and fire, and will also prevent the development of fungus on the surface of the material.
Rules for choosing paint and tools
If you are deciding what to paint plywood with, it is initially important to consider what type of finish you plan to use it for:
- for interior decoration;
- or for outdoor work.
Also, the choice of paint and varnish materials depends on whether it is necessary to enhance the natural beauty of the wooden texture of the material.
For painting sheets, it is better to use elastic coloring compounds.
If you plan to place the sheets outside or want to decorate a room with a high level of moisture with them, then it is better to choose acrylic-based paint for finishing. It is better to apply the acrylic-based product in 2-3 tiers on both sides of the sheet, trying to paint the ends very carefully.
As a rule, water-based compositions are used to paint plywood sheets that are planned to be used in the manufacture of furniture or for decorating a room. Such paints are easy to apply to sheets, they dry quickly and do not have a strong unpleasant odor.
There are not so many tools that may be useful to you when painting plywood:
- paint brush;
- rollers;
- spray.
All of the above devices are interchangeable, so their choice depends only on the specific case.
Secrets worth knowing
Painting plywood yourself
To solve the puzzle of how to paint plywood, it is worth taking into account some nuances.
If you are going to have to do extensive painting of a large floor area, it is better to choose a spray bottle for this. If after painting there are small unpainted areas left at the ends or in the corners of the sheets, this can be corrected with brushes of different sizes. Also, you only need a brush for the job if you plan to paint shaped parts. It is better to use a roller only for painting a medium-sized flat surface. When choosing a roller, it is better to opt for a product with a foam base, because fur can leave lint on the area being painted.
When painting, it is important to ensure that the mixture is applied evenly.
To achieve the most saturated shade, do not apply the paint too thickly, because such actions will only lead to the formation of smudges, which in the future will only spoil the entire finish. If you still need a thicker coating, apply paint in 2 layers, but only after the base has completely dried.
If painting the material is carried out in an apartment, try to carefully hide the floor and all the furniture under polyethylene, because if you are lazy, then you will have to wash everything off the paint.
Of course, painting plywood sheets cannot be classified as either a high or a low level of complexity. But, your actions require attentiveness and patience in any case.
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