Features of painting a wooden house - which paints are best to use

Environmental friendliness in the construction of private cottages is gaining increasing popularity. For this reason, wooden facades are no longer uncommon. Everyone knows that wood has a beautiful texture and is at the same time a very difficult material to use. In this article we will tell you how to preserve the strength of natural wood and protect it from the harmful effects of the external environment. Let's figure out why impregnations are required and what paint is best to paint a wooden house. Let us describe the technology for carrying out measures for processing a wooden facade, taking into account previous operation.

What paint is best to paint a wooden house?

Reasons for aging wood in wooden houses

From time immemorial, wooden houses have served people, protecting them from cold, precipitation and wind. At the same time, the building is exposed to negative environmental influences, leading to the aging of wood and the deterioration of its properties as a building material. Centuries-old operating practice has determined the approximate wear period of wooden residential buildings, which does not exceed 80-85 years.

The main natural factors aging the natural wood of building facades are:

• direct sunlight, which mercilessly dries out wood fibers. Dried fibers lose their elasticity and strength, change their position, and become prickly. The surface becomes rough, begins to actively absorb sedimentary moisture, burns out and becomes covered with dark spots;
• sedimentary moisture, causing deformation and swelling of the material;

This is what will happen if you don’t take care of how to beautifully paint the outside of a wooden house in time; the photo below is not the worst option.

An unprotected wooden surface quickly begins to deteriorate Source lestorg32.ru

• temperature changes are the worst enemy of any building material. During sudden cooling, the moisture filling the pores of damp wood freezes, turning into a crystalline state. Ice crystals expand the fibrous structure of the tree until individual fibers break. When drying, the fibers narrow, which, when repeated cyclically, leads to the appearance of cracks;
• wood not protected from moist air is prone to rotting, mold and fungal deposits;
• wood-boring insects such as bark beetles, which wear away wood and destroy the integrity of the wood structure.

Additional protection for a wooden house when painting

There are plenty of factors that cause aging of wood and premature wear of a house. To preserve wood in its pristine natural state, it is necessary to comprehensively protect the surface of wooden walls with special chemical compounds:

• flame retardants - for protection against fire;
• moisture-repellent agents - to protect against moisture;
• antiseptics - to combat fungi, mold and other biological pests;
• insecticidal preparations - to combat the invasion of wood-boring insects.

Such compositions are usually sold in standard containers Source zelmasterplus.ru
A worthy and convenient alternative to the use of protective chemical compositions is painting for the facade of a wooden house, the application of which achieves the same effect, similar to the use of a whole complex of various preparations.
At the same time, painting the outside of a wooden house performs a wider range of tasks compared to the monofunctions of each protective solution separately, since, along with preserving the quality of the wooden facade, coating with paint and varnish pursues decorative purposes. Using a variety of house painting options, you can significantly transform the appearance of the old facade and the entire wooden structure.

Requirements for paints for wooden facades

There are paints for interior and exterior use. Paintwork materials for external use have a wider temperature range of use and are more moisture resistant. Compositions for painting interior spaces must be safe for people and pets, have no unpleasant odors, and be highly resistant to abrasion.

Initially, the facade of a wooden house was painted with paints for exterior use. When decorating facades by painting became popular, paint manufacturers often began to write “façade” on the packaging instead of “exterior.” Over time, the second name stuck and began to be used even more often than the original one.

Paint “Facade” and “For external use” are the same thing Source karaokerox.ru

The following requirements apply to facade paints for wooden houses:

• High adhesive properties to wooden surfaces.
• Increased impact resistance and resistance to scratching and chipping, ensuring mechanical strength of the coating. The presence of increased mechanical wear resistance and resistance to abrasive wear from exposure to wind and dust.
• Weather resistance, which consists in the ability of a paintwork coating to resist the destructive effects of bad weather and the environment. Here we can also add the requirement for the chemical inertness of paintwork materials in relation to alkalis and acids formed in areas with high concentrations of exhaust gases.
• Hydrophobicity, providing water-repellent properties to protect wood from rotting.
• Resistance to sudden temperature changes of a cyclic nature.
• Lightfastness (resistance to ultraviolet radiation).
• Good vapor permeability.
• Preservation of elasticity after drying, compensating for microdeformations of facade materials during temperature changes.
• Low dirt retention, resistance to repeated washing.
• The ability to maintain the brightness of the color for a long time.

How to paint the interior walls of a log house

The choice for the inside of logs is alkyd or acrylic compositions, which are intended for interior work. It's important to start at the top of the wall, working your way down, and paint each piece well to create an even distribution. You should not use products labeled for outdoor use for treatment in baths or at home; they can be harmful to your health.

It's important to start at the top of the wall, working your way down, and paint each piece well to create an even distribution.

Types of paints for painting wooden facades

When choosing what paint to paint the outside of a wooden house, the following types of paints and varnishes are worthy of attention:

Antiseptic compounds

Capable of impregnating the outer layer of wood to a depth of 4-7 mm for complete protection from the negative effects of the environment, rot, mold and mildew. The industry produces two types of antiseptics:

• coating antiseptics - opaque coatings that completely hide the wood texture, while maintaining the surface relief;
• glazing antiseptics are transparent coatings that preserve the natural texture pattern.

Acrylate coatings

They have excellent weather resistance and allow the wood to “breathe”. Acrylate coatings do not interfere with natural air exchange through wooden walls. Acrylate paints have high elasticity, which allows the painted layer not to crack when the facade is deformed. In European countries, more than 80% of residential buildings are painted with acrylate paints and varnishes. Acrylate paints of different colors are mixed into homogeneous compositions, which makes it possible to obtain any desired color.

Oil paints

Excellent proven performance over half a century of use. They have excellent weather resistance, they are perfectly absorbed into wood, but reviews note two drawbacks:

• prolonged drying of oil coatings, exceeding 24 hours;
• After coating with oil paint, the wooden surface becomes matte.

Oil paints are offered by domestic and foreign manufacturers Source berserkheroes.ru

Alkyd coatings

Endowed with water-repellent properties. However, due to rapid drying (20-30 minutes), the coating penetrates the wood layers to a shallow depth, so alkyd coatings are short-lived. A distinctive feature of alkyd coatings is their ability to withstand low temperatures below 30 degrees below zero.

It is important! Any paintwork needs to be updated periodically. Having decided how to paint the outside of a wooden house, you should know the maximum period during which the applied coating can lose its original appearance and quality:

• for antiseptics, the service life ranges from 5 years for glazing compounds and up to 7 years for coating antiseptics;
• for acrylate materials – no more than 8-10 years;
• for oil paints – up to 6 years;
• for alkyd coatings – up to 7 years.

How to choose a material for painting exterior walls

The paint for the outside of the log house should protect it from atmospheric influences. For this purpose, several types of compositions can be distinguished that can give high-quality results:

• Acrylate, give a glossy effect;
• Oily oils penetrate well into the structure of wood and protect against natural influences;
• Antiseptic compounds can not only protect, but also create a decorative appearance for wood that has been rounded.

The paint for the outside of the log house should protect it from atmospheric influences.

Optimal selection of paint composition for the facade

Purchasing façade paint from leading manufacturers does not guarantee high-quality painting of a wooden house. Exterior paint for a wooden house must correspond to the operating conditions of the building and the condition of the surface being painted. For example, paints produced in Spain or Italy are more adapted to the mild climate typical of these countries, while paints from Finnish or Swedish brands are designed for harsh winters.

“Southern” colors even look more “summery” Source lestorg32.ru

Painting the outside of a log house: factors affecting quality

The quality of painting a wooden country house depends mainly on two factors:

• Weather . Ideal weather is dry and windless. Do not paint in the sun (the paint will dry too quickly and unevenly), during or after rain. The permissible temperature is determined by the type of paint (indicated on the label).
• Wood moisture content . It should not exceed 20% during painting, so façade walls made of wood with natural humidity are painted after the frame has shrunk.

A necessary condition for a quality result is ease of use Source projecty-domov.ru

Manufacturers of facade paints for wooden houses

The leading brands among manufacturers of facade paints on the Russian coatings market include:

• Tikkurila (Finland) is a name that has become a kind of synonym for quality for any paint. The main consumer characteristic of coatings produced by Tikkurila is considered to be excellent hiding power. Tikkurila feels great on wooden surfaces of any configuration.
• Alpina (Germany) is one of the leaders in the production of paints and varnishes, successfully competing with other “promoted” brands. The compositions have increased resistance to abrasion and temperature changes. Clients are offered individual computer tinting to create an exclusive façade.

Video description

The video shows a comparison of popular brands of paints and varnishes:

• Dufa (Germany) specializes in the production of paints and varnishes that are optimally suited for harsh climatic conditions with cold winters.
• Beckers (Sweden) has established itself on the Russian market as a manufacturer of high-quality paints for painting the surfaces of concrete products, wooden facades and terraces, and metal structures.
• Dulux (Netherlands) produces paint in accordance with strict European standards for quality and safety of use. It is a more advantageous option in terms of price/quality compared to other coatings.
• Marshall (Turkey) is a very popular paint in private housing construction, capable of covering a dark-colored base coat. The paint dries quickly and does not drip from brushes or rollers when painting.

Many Russian enterprises produce high-quality paint for exterior painting of wooden surfaces, among which the following stand out:

• "Optimist".
• "Svyatozar".
• "Tex."
• "Yaroslavl colors".

Russian-made coatings successfully compete with European brands when developers choose reliable facade coatings for budget country buildings and middle-class quality houses.

Domestic manufacturers of facade paints Source berserkheroes.ru

General tips and tricks

When painting the exterior wooden surfaces of a residential building, it is recommended to “listen” to some advice from experienced craftsmen.

1. The paint is applied only to a dry surface. When painting in several layers, the interlayer exposure is observed, which for alkyd compositions is 24 hours, and for water-based ones - from 2 to 12 hours.
2. Paintwork materials are applied in the longitudinal direction relative to the fibers.
3. The consumption of façade paint will be noticeably reduced if the surface is primed.

Color Basics

When choosing a color for a country house, follow the following recommendations.

1. The colors of the external and internal cladding must be in harmony with each other.
2. Be sure to take into account the style of the exterior. Each decor is characterized by certain color combinations.
3. Each shade has certain visual properties. Light colors visually increase the size of the room, so they are best chosen for painting small garden houses. Dark and rich colors can be chosen when cladding large residential buildings.
4. The colors for the house are chosen taking into account the personal preferences of the residents. Residents should feel comfortable and pleasant. Also, the choice of color depends not only on the character of the client. Women choose pastel and delicate colors (pink, purple and other similar options). Men prefer dark and classic options (brown, gray). For families, universal tones (green, white, beige) are better suited.