To the handy SDopers: When painting wood, is it best to go with the grain for the best finish? Or, does it even matter as long as all brush strokes go the same way?
Go with the grain. It will make your work look smoother. If you are worried about brush strokes then you should look into other methods of applying the paint. I don’t know what your project might be, but you can apply paint via Wagner for larger projects like a fence, side of a house, and so on. Also the quality of your paintbrush will effect the appearance of brush strokes.
Alkyd (oil) paints will flow out to a smoother finish than latex paints. With either type of paint, it’s better to use several lighter coats than to try to make a finish in one coat. Sand smooth after first coat. Done this way, brush marks should be limited.
Sand the wood smooth (or sand the finish) with a high number sand paper for a fine, smooth finish. Clean it. ** Use a tack cloth** to get all dust off. Make sure it’s really clean and smooth. Prime it. Paint it in direction of grain with high quality paint and brush.
Generally, nothing below satin finish looks good on wood, and semi-gloss is most popular with high-gloss paint getting more popular.
Flat and eggshell finish = no
Semigloss = yes
high-gloss = yes, if you like that
There is more info on the subject than one’s brain could possibly handle via google.
What are you painting and what kind of finish do you need? If you want a very smooth finish you could use grain filler and spray paint. Then you wouldn’t see any grain or brush strokes at all.