How to Paint Plywood

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

Whether you want to paint plywood to make an original piece of art or you need to paint a plywood floor, you can do it successfully with just a little know how. Painting plywood is actually similar to painting any kind of wood . It requires that you get the right tools, prepare the surface so the paint will bond, and apply the paint so that you get a durable and beautiful finish.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Gathering Your Materials

PDF download Download Article
  1. When buying paint and primer, you need to take the use of the finished surface into consideration. Will the plywood be used for art? Will the finished product be a painted plywood floor? Picking paint and primer that is created for the finished purpose of your project will add to the longevity of the product. [1]
    • If you are painting plywood to make art, consider purchasing acrylic primer and paints. These are water-based artists' paints that can be used to create beautiful and detailed images on wood. [2]
    • If you are painting plywood to use it as a surface in your home, such as a painted plywood floor, you will need a more heavy-duty paint. [3] Pick an acrylic latex paint or an oil-based paint that is made for the intended purpose.
    • If you have a small project that requires a very smooth finish, consider buying spray paint.
  2. To get a quality paint job on your plywood, you should buy quality brushes or rollers. These are available at hardware and home improvement stores. Pick a brush or roller that is made to paint a smooth surface and that is compatible with the type of paint and primer you purchased.
    • If you are using spray paint for your project, you won't need brushes or rollers.
    • Whether you get a brush or a roller depends on your preference. If you intend to paint a large surface, then a roller will work well because you can cover a larger surface quicker. If you need to do detailed painting, a brush will typically work better than a roller.
    • For some paint jobs you will want both a roller and a brush. The roller can paint the larger area and the brush can be used to fill in the edges. [4]
    Advertisement
  3. If you need to paint a large area, such as the walls of several rooms, you may want to opt for a paint sprayer. To use a sprayer you will need to rent or purchase the equipment from your local hardware or home improvement store. The sprayer should come with instructions for its proper use.
    • When using a sprayer, it is important to mask off all surfaces that you do not want painted.
  4. Purchase sandpaper . When painting plywood, it's important to prepare the surface by sanding it. [5] This removes many imperfections in the wood and helps to guarantee that you will have a smooth finished surface. Buy fine grit sandpaper, either 220 or 180. Also, get coarser sandpaper, 80 or 100 grit, if your plywood surface is rough and you want to sand it down smooth.
    • Sandpaper is available at all hardware stores and big box home improvement stores.
  5. You can either sand your plywood by hand with a sanding block or use an electric sanding tool, such as an orbital sander. If your plywood is small, hand sanding will usually work fine. If you have a large area to sand, you should use an electric sander.
    • If you are sanding a very large area, such as a room with plywood flooring, then you may need to use a commercial sander. Renting a floor sander, for example, may be the best solution. [6]
  6. If your plywood has imperfections on its surface that cannot be sanded out, you may need to fill them with hole filler. It is a malleable product that is smoothed into holes with a putty knife and then sanded smooth once it is dry. Make sure to get a product that says it can be used on surfaces that will be painted, although most hole fillers will be compatible with paint. [7]
    • Since you will be painting over the plywood, the discoloration caused by using hole filler will not affect your final product. However, hole filler should not be used on plywood projects that will have an unfinished or sealed surface, as the color of the filler tends to stand out.
    7. Advertisement
Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Preparing the Surface

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you are painting plywood indoors, you should mask off areas that could get paint or dust on them accidentally. Use a combination of painter's tape, plastic sheeting, and drop cloths to protect the area around your project.
    • For instance, cover areas with plastic sheeting that could get sprayed if you are using a paint sprayer.
    • If there are small areas that could be accidentally painted, use painter's tape to protect them.
  2. Before sanding the plywood, fill any holes that will cause the finished surface to be imperfect. Look for obvious holes to fill, but also feel the surface of the wood for small holes that can be filled. These may not show up very clearly on the unpainted surface of the plywood, but will likely be noticeable once the wood is painted. [8]
    • Follow the directions on the wood filler packaging. Typically wood filler requires that you apply it with a putty knife and then allow it to dry before sanding it smooth.
    • There are some situations when you won't need to fill the holes and imperfections in your plywood. If you are not interested in having a really smooth surface, feel free to skip the filler. The paint will still stick to an imperfect piece of plywood, the finished product just won't be as smooth.
  3. If you want a smooth surface after you paint, sand the plywood thoroughly before you start painting. Start with a rougher sandpaper , such as 100 grit, if the surface you are starting with is rough. This will break down the large imperfections. Then change out your sand paper to a fine grit of 180 or 220 to give the overall surface the smoothest finish possible. If the plywood is already relatively smooth, you can simply use the fine grit sandpaper.
    • Because plywood is made of many thin layers of wood, it's possible to sand too long or hard and break through to a lower layer of wood. Use caution when sanding and err on the side of caution when taking off a lot of the surface.
    • If you are not interested in having a smooth finished product, you do not need to sand the plywood until it is completely smooth.
  4. Once you've finished sanding there will be a coat of wood dust all over your plywood. You need to remove it to avoid negatively impacting your paint job. If you have created a lot of dust, use a vacuum to clean it up. Then use a dry cloth, such as a microfiber cloth, to remove any dust that remains.
    • There are also tacky cloths sold at most paint and home improvement stores that are made to remove this dust.
    5. Advertisement
Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Priming and Painting with a Brush, Roller, or Sprayer

PDF download Download Article
  1. If you are painting a floor or another surface that needs detailed work on the edges, use a brush for those areas. A paint brush will give you more control and detail than a roller or a sprayer.
    • Painting detailed edges can be done with a steady paintbrush, but you may also want to tape off the edges to make sure your work is tidy. Leave the tape in place once you have primed so that it can be used for your finish coats as well.
    • Paint a 3–4 inches (7.6–10.2 cm) border along the edges of the plywood. This will give you plenty of clearance from the edges when you come in with your roller or sprayer. [9]
  2. Priming plywood helps to seal the surface and ensures that the paint adheres to the plywood well. Paint the entire surface with the primer, making sure that all areas are evenly covered. [10]
    • The best way to ensure complete coverage no matter what tool you are using is to do long, even movements that overlap each other. Basically, repeatedly make a "w" with the brush, sprayer, or roller, so that the strokes overlap each other. This will even out the edges of each stroke, which tend to collect more paint.
    • Be sure to follow the directions for the primer that you are using. The directions typically include the temperature that the paint should be applied at and how long you should allow it to dry before adding coats of paint on top of it.
  3. As you did before with the primer, you should paint the edges of the surface with a brush before doing your general coat of paint. Take your time and get the detail you want before using your brush, roller, or sprayer on the rest of the surface.
  4. Once the primer is completely dry, you can apply your first coat of paint. Like with the primer, be sure to cover the entire surface with a consistent, thin coat of paint. [11]
    • When applying the first coat, you don't have to worry about making sure that the primer isn't visible underneath. This is just the first coat and it's better to have thin coats than thick coats, even if you can see the primer at first.
  5. Giving the painted surface a very light sanding between coats will make your final product more smooth. Use a new piece of 180 or 220 fine grit sand paper and lightly rub it over the surface once the paint is totally dry. This will remove any imperfections that have occurred as you painted.
    • After sanding between coats, remove any dust created. Use a dry cloth or your vacuum to get rid of it.
  6. In order to get a smooth and strong final surface, it's best to apply several thin coats of paint. This is especially true if your final surface will get a lot of wear, such as if you will be walking on it. [12]
    • Be sure to let the paint dry thoroughly between coats of paint. Consult the container for usual drying times and test an inconspicuous edge for dryness after that amount of time has elapsed. This will give you a harder and smoother final surface.
    • Applying multiple thin coats allows each coat to become hard and dry, as opposed to thick coats that tend to remain slightly pliable.
    7. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    What kind of paint do you use on wood furniture?
    Mitchell Newman
    Construction Professional
    Mitchell Newman is a Construction Professional based in Chicago, Illinois. He is the Principal at Habitar Design, an interior design firm that specializes in floor plans, kitchen and bath design, furniture layout, custom built-ins, custom and semi-custom cabinetry, staging, models, and facades. Habitar features a strong design-build capability, utilizing Mitchell’s sister company, Stratagem Construction. Mitchell is the General Contractor at Strategem, and has 20 years of experience in construction, interior design and real estate development. Mitchell’s two companies seamlessly combine interior design with construction, allowing him to design with synchony for the client. He received an M.D. from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
    Mitchell Newman
    Construction Professional
    Expert Answer
    There are specific paints for cabinetry nowadays. The slightly glossier ones are always better for spaces with high traffic, like the kitchen, as they are more durable.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 0 Helpful 2
  • Question
    Do I need to prime plywood before painting?
    Katherine Tlapa
    Interior Designer
    Katherine Tlapa is an interior designer, currently working as a Design Specialist for Modsy, a design service based in San Francisco. She also runs her own DIY Home Design blog, My Eclectic Grace. She received her BFA in Interior Architecture from Ohio University in 2016.
    Katherine Tlapa
    Interior Designer
    Expert Answer
    Plywood is very porous, which means that you'll have to use a plywood-specific primer. It will seal the wood pores and blocks stains from coming through. and prevents water from building up inside of the wood and causing damage.want to get a primer that seals would pores and will block any stains from coming through. Once the primer is dry, you can paint over it.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 7
  • Question
    Can you spray paint plywood?
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.
    wikiHow Staff Editor
    Staff Answer
    You can use spray paint on small plywood objects, but you’ll need to apply a spray primer first. Once the wood is primed, apply several coats of spray paint until you get the desired finish. To prevent paint from pooling at the edges of the wood surface, paint a little bit past the edge with each pass.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 2
See more answers
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Cover a Ball with Fabric for Craft Projects
      How to
      Make a Yarn Pompom
      How to
      Paint Mugs
      How to
      Hang Up Artwork Using Picture Frame Wire
      How to
      Make a Button Pin
      How to
      Make Photo Mugs
      How to
      Make Lampshades
      How to
      Make a Pom Pom
      How to
      Recover Lampshades
      How to
      Make a Trophy
      How to
      Make a Mobile
      How to
      Fit a Lampshade
      How to
      Decorate a Flower Vase with a Ribbon
      How to
      Paint Glass Lamp Shades
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ Mitchell Newman. Construction & Interior Design Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 June 2019.
      2. ↑ http://www.justpaint.org/plywood-as-a-substrate-for-painting/
      3. ↑ Mitchell Newman. Construction & Interior Design Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 June 2019.
      4. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/painted-plywood-floors/
      5. ↑ Mitchell Newman. Construction & Interior Design Specialist. Expert Interview. 7 June 2019.
      6. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/painted-plywood-floors/
      7. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/painted-plywood-floors/#.WmP_YEtryRs
      8. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/painted-plywood-floors/#.WmP_YEtryRs
      9. ↑ http://www.behr.com/consumer/how-to/interior/how-to-paint-a-ceiling
      1. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/painted-plywood-floors/#.WmP_YEtryRs
      2. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/painted-plywood-floors/#.WmP_YEtryRs
      3. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/painted-plywood-floors/#.WmP_YEtryRs

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To paint plywood, start by buying paint and primer meant for the finished purpose of your project. For example, if your plywood is for an art project, use acrylic primer and paint. If you are painting a plywood surface in your home, go with an acrylic latex paint or an oil-based paint and primer. Next, fill any holes or imperfections in the surface with wood filler and let the filler dry completely. Once the filler is dry, sand the plywood thoroughly to create a smooth surface for the paint. Finally, use a microfiber cloth to wipe the surface and remove sanding dusting before you start priming and painting the wood. For more information from our Interior Decorator co-author, like choosing the best application tools for your project, read on!

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 194,121 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Mark Souza

        Nov 28, 2020

        "I made a phonograph table with a drawer underneath for my albums. Never did something this intricate. It came out ..." more
      Share your story

      Did this article help you?

      Advertisement