Painting Outdoor Woodwork
Painting your outdoor woodwork is a fabulous, practical way of weatherproofing your home. From garden chairs to larger projects, exterior paint offers the perfect opportunity to add personality to your outdoor space. Our durable exterior paints are available in all Little Greene Colours. This variety allows you to combine the highest technical performance with beautiful colour choices.
Discover the perfect finish for your upcoming project below. And gain design inspiration for refreshing your outdoor woodwork.
Choosing your exterior paint finish
Finding the right exterior paint that remains true to colour and stands the test of time can be tricky. Luckily, our outdoor wood paints are easy to apply, hardwearing and available in all our colours. We also offer a choice of sheen levels and formulations, depending on the look you want to achieve.
With its opaque finish and speedy drying time, Intelligent Exterior Eggshell is a favourite for exterior joinery. This paint has a low sheen of just 15%, creating a subtle and elegant finish that complements natural greenery and blooms. The water-based finish is self-priming on new and bare wood, allowing you to complete weekend projects quickly and easily.
For more impact, consider a sophisticated, gloss finish for your exterior woodwork. Intelligent Gloss is a water-based alternative to oil gloss and will add a real wow factor to your garden space. The finish is quick-drying, tough and fully washable, making it a practical paint for outdoor wood furniture. Intelligent Gloss is also great for fencing, sheds, exterior doors and window shutters.
If you prefer the classic appearance of oil-based paint, choose Traditional Oil Gloss or Tom’s Oil Eggshell. These traditional paint finishes demand slightly more time and care during application. These finishes will be surface dry in four hours. But their excellent flow and superior penetration make them unparalleled in their protective capabilities.
Traditional Oil Gloss is a timeless choice for front doors. Or give your exterior joinery a beautiful soft sheen with Tom’s Oil Eggshell: the chosen finish of professional decorators. At Little Greene, all of our eco-friendly oil-based paints are made using sustainable vegetable oils.
How to paint exterior woodwork
Painting your woodwork can quickly and easily add vibrancy to your exteriors and create a cheerful, functional outdoor living space. One of the most important things to remember is that you should never paint damp wood! Ensure your woodwork is dry for several days before starting your refresh. And factor in surface preparation and paint drying times too.
Follow our step-by-step guide to learn how to prepare and paint your exterior woodwork. For specific technical advice depending on the substrate, explore our technical data sheets for each finish.
Preparing bare wood:
- Ensure the surface is dry and free of any contamination, by cleaning and removing any residue dust. Lightly sand the wood surface to provide a key for painting.
- For softwood with resinous knots or hardwood, apply two coats of Aluminium Wood Primer. This underlayer will seal the surface before painting.
- We recommend priming bare wood with our Intelligent All Surface Primer (ASP), tinted to the shade of your topcoat. Robust and quick drying, this primer is suitable for interior and exterior use. ASP also pairs beautifully with all our paint finishes. Apply one coat to the clean, sanded surface to prepare the wood for painting.
Preparing painted wood:
- If the wood has been painted previously, clean and degrease the surface with sugar soap, before rinsing with water. Ensure the wood is fully dry before continuing.
- Thoroughly sand the surface to create a key, and remove any loose or flaking paint.
- For dramatic colour changes, we suggest priming with one coat of Intelligent All Surface Primer. This primer is tinted to the shade of your chosen topcoat, making it easy to achieve full colour depth with fewer coats of paint.
Painting your prepared surface:
- Once the surface is fully dry, apply one coat of your chosen paint finish. Follow the drying times to find out when you can paint another coat. Although our water-based paints dry in 2 hours, you should wait 16 hours before recoating any of our exterior wood paints.
- After 16 hours, apply a second coat of paint to attain beautiful depth of colour.
Ideas for painting outdoor woodwork
From garden fences to deck chairs, wooden benches to garage doors, the possibilities for painting outdoor woodwork are endless. You might choose to transform your outdoor space with an array of painted elements to create a cohesive colour scheme. Or you could make a simple update by painting a pair of garden chairs in a bright, striking colour.
Whatever you choose, explore our gallery to find ideas for your upcoming project. Or read our guides to painting wooden fences and garden sheds for more inspiration.
Create a colour highlight on your window shutters
A charming feature on many home exteriors, wooden window shutters are a fantastic tool for enhancing your outdoor scheme. Choose a colour that complements your external walls to add instant curb appeal.
Depending on your style, you could make a statement with a contrasting pairing or create a softer colour highlight. Hicks’ Blue pairs well with Loft White for a coastal feel. Or if you prefer a more elegant, natural scheme, Lead Colour accompanies Wood Ash perfectly.
Green is a classic choice for outdoor schemes. The timeless, muted green, Windmill Lane, pairs beautifully with Clay on masonry for a natural feel. Complete the look with Garden on chairs and plenteous verdant greenery.
To continue your scheme indoors, read our guide to painting wood window frames.
Paint wooden chairs in bright colours for a surprising accent
While often left unpainted or painted white, wooden garden chairs offer a myriad of design opportunities to enliven your outdoor space. Select bright, bold colours that stand out amongst the greenery and bring joy to your scheme.
Giallo is a warm yellow that will add a burst of golden sunshine to your garden on even the dullest days. Or consider a vibrant pink like Carmine, which works well with green foliage for a natural colour pairing.
Read our detailed guide to painting wooden furniture. Or, read our comprehensive steps for painting outdoor furniture of any material.
Make an impact by painting large external doors
Whether it’s conservatory doors that lead out onto a lush garden space, or garage doors in a paved area, paint your outside doors in strong colours to create instant impact.
For a contemporary look, go bold with Jack Black garage doors that contrast with neutral render in Portland Stone. Add an element of interest by painting the trim in a burnt orange accent shade like Heat.
Blue and green are a beautiful combination in the garden, offering a touch of contrast that still feels classic and stylish. Select a deep, rich blue like Air Force Blue to create a sense of flow between the inside and out.
Discover our full range of Exterior Paint Finishes. Or explore our gallery of exterior inspiration.