How to Prepare Interior Woodwork for Painting with Wickes

Achieving a flawless, professional paint finish on your skirting boards, doors, or window frames starts with the prep work. In this tutorial, our Wickes experts show you exactly how to get your surfaces ready for a fresh coat of paint.

By following these steps, you’ll ensure your paint adheres perfectly and stays looking great for years to come.

- Protect the room: Clear furniture and cover floors with protective sheets to achieve a workspace free from dust and paint splashes.
- Fill holes and cracks: Work wood filler into imperfections and scrape off the excess to achieve a smooth, even surface.
- Sand for a "key": Sand the wood with the grain using a sanding block to achieve a surface that the paint can easily bind to.
- Remove dust: Brush down the timber and vacuum the surrounding area to achieve a clean environment free from stray particles.
- Deep clean the wood: Apply sugar soap with a sponge and rinse with warm water to achieve a surface free from grease and dirt.
- Treat wood knots: Apply two coats of knotting solution to new timber to achieve a finish free from resin leakage and discolouration.
- Prime the surface: Paint the wood with primer to achieve better paint adhesion and a longer-lasting, durable result.

Hints & Tips:
- Use a Sanding Block: Always wrap your sandpaper around a block; this helps you achieve a perfectly level surface rather than following the dips of your fingers.
- Vacuum Thoroughly: After brushing down sanded wood, vacuum the entire area to ensure no stray dust ruins your wet paintwork.
- Save Time: If you're in a hurry, consider using a combined primer-undercoat to achieve a ready-to-paint surface in fewer steps.

Safety First:
- Ventilation: Always ensure the room is well-ventilated when sanding or using knotting solutions.
- Dust Protection: Wear a dust mask while sanding to protect your lungs from fine wood and paint particles.

Shop wood filler here: spklr.io/6000BxpMA
Shop undercoats and primers here: spklr.io/6000Bxpuo
Shop knotting solution here: spklr.io/6007Bxpr9
Shop sandpaper here: spklr.io/6008BxPsg
Shop sugar soap here: spklr.io/6005BxpiJ

Find all the information and advice you need for your painting project by visiting our Ideas & Advice section: spklr.io/6003BcjjW

For more painting tips and techniques, head over to our painting and decorating how-to guides:spklr.io/6001BcjeD

Watch more videos from our Painting, Decorating & Finishing playlist and learn how to wallpaper a room, fit coving, or paint interior woodwork!

youtu.be/wiMthgaFBoA
youtu.be/WrIk-fWCbwM
youtu.be/QYx5J2TaFh0
youtu.be/2q4GmPzQUK8

Subscribe to the Wickes YouTube channel here: youtube.com/user/wickesvideo

For more tips and general advice on how to do it yourself from Wickes, you can visit:

Wickes Website: wickes.co.uk/
Wickes Instagram: instagram.com/wickes/
Wickes Facebook: facebook.com/Wickes.co.uk
Wickes Twitter: twitter.com/Wickes
Wickes Pinterest channel: uk.pinterest.com/wickes/