How to Apply Oil-Based Paint
- 1). Prepare your surface. This means really scraping it down to remove loose paint or debris, sanding and filling cracks, holes or gaps. Anything that's loose already will probably just fall off pretty soon, taking a chunk of your new paint with it.
- 2). Stir up the oil-based paint. This is very important, as oil-based paints tend to separate more than latex paints. Mix the paint until it's uniform.
- 3). Start brushing the paint onto the surface. Dip the brush lightly in the paint. Overloading will lead to drips. Use the brush to get tight areas. Finish strokes in downward fashion. This movement will smooth drips. Oil paint is heavier- bodied than latex, and can accumulate into drips more easily, so keep an eye out. Take a quick look at what you just painted a couple of minutes ago and see if there are drips. If so, use a quick, light sweep to blend the paint in.
- 4). Pour paint into the tray. Don't overfill it; you need room to load the roller. Again, as oil-based paint is heavier, don't overload it. Start rolling in a slow, smooth manner. Take a square at a time, then reload. If you see drips, you are overloading the roller, so take more time to roll it off in the tray.
- 5). Thin the paint with mineral spirits if you need to. If the paint is old, or if it is open for a long period of time, you may find it gets rather tacky, and is hard to apply. Pour a little mineral spirits in, start with about an ounce, and mix it well. Add more if you need to, but go light. If you over-thin the paint, it won't cover.
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