Wooden furniture can be the highlight of a house if given proper attention and care over time.
There is a natural and premium aesthetic quality about wooden furniture, and it is upsetting to see them bear the test of time. We somehow want them to look new and fresh for years.
However, worry not. Wood primer and wood coating are two such refurbishments available in the market that can help your wooden furniture look new at all times.
Why Does Wooden Furniture Deteriorate?
Moisture is one of the core reasons for the deterioration of wooden furniture.
Wood tends to hold moisture, and the moisture levels in wood depend on the immediate surroundings. The concept of relative humidity plays an integral role here.
Moisture is the amount of water vapour present in the air, which can be stable. However, the moisture levels fluctuate depending on the heating and cooling of air and the weather.
The relative humidity of a warm room is comparatively lower than a cooler room because warm rooms can hold water vapour more than cooler rooms. Relative humidity is the reason why a basement tends to be more humid than the rooms above it.
When it comes to wood, it absorbs moisture to a great extent in warm conditions. At the same time, moisture is released when conditions are cool. High humidity results in swelling of wood while low humidity shrinks the wood.
Consequences such as swelling of wood, breakage, and glue failure tend to occur in warm conditions. However, splitting in wood is the cause of low-temperature conditions.
In addition, sunrays, dust, household chemicals, and water are the causes that deteriorate wooden furniture’s surface. However, the good news is that wooden primers and coatings tend to protect the wood over time and give it a fresh look.
Differences Between Wood Coating And Wood Primer
The use of a wooden coating or a wooden primer comes in the following situations.
- Your existing wooden furniture requires a fresh look.
- Refurbishing your old furniture with the help of a carpenter.
- You’re constructing do-it-yourself furniture like a cupboard or a wooden chair.
Wooden Primer
Just like you apply wall putty on the walls before painting on them, you use wooden primer as an undercoat on wood before applying the overcoat of paint.
A wooden primer imparts the following qualities to wood:
- Enhances the longevity of the wood.
- Augments the paint’s durability on the wood.
- If there are any unwanted stains on the wood, it removes and blocks the stains.
- Wood primers ensure that when the paint is applied, there is better absorption to the surface of the wood.
- The coat of paint also sticks strongly to the surface of wood due to increased adhesion provided by the wood primer.
If your wood is new, it is recommended to use a high-quality oil-based or latex primer. Even old wooden furniture uses a high-quality latex or oil-based primer.
Ensure you scrub the surface of the wood with sandpaper to make it even, and then apply wood primer. For better reliability, apply double coats of wood primer and give it sufficient time to dry.
Wood Coating
The wood coating aims to prevent the accumulation of chemicals, moisture, dust, dirt, grease, and more. The wood coating is transparent in colour and polyurethane-based, making your wooden furniture look glossy.
Compared to the wood primer, the wood coating is applied on top of the paint. Ensure you apply two to three layers of the coat and give sufficient drying time.
To Wrap It Up
The difference between a wood coating and wood primer is its purpose. However, they have one similarity: increasing the durability, adhesion, and overall look of the paint on your wooden furniture.
Both wood coating and primer are good to enhance the overall aesthetics of your wooden furniture and, as a result, of your house.
