Paints are opaque (pigmented) coatings which conceal the grains and color of the substrate and substitute in their place a surface of an entirely different color and texture. If you put paint on wood then the grains of the wood will be concealed completely and replaced by finishing provided by Paint

To perform polish on wood you will require wood filler/ filling materials, staining, sealing material and top coat as per finish required such as Varnish, Spirit or French polish, Melamine based finish; Polyurethane based finish and tools for polishing.

To perform paint on wood you will need Pink primer, filler/ filling materials, synthetic enamel paint and tools for painting.

• All dust and dirt should be removed from the surface.      
• The cracks and holes should be cleaned of dust and be filled with wood putty. 
• The surfaces should be finished smooth with the help of carpenter’s plane. 
• Previous coats of polish, if any, should be allowed to dry and be rubbed down lightly and cleaned.    
• For exterior work, a normal dry day should be chosen because exposure to extreme heat, cold or damp atmosphere will spoil the work.  
• While applying varnish, care should be taken to avoid forming fume or air bubbles. 
• Brushes and containers should be kept clean.    

• The surface should be cleaned of dust, mortar droppings and splashes of cement slurry etc. 
• The wood work to be painted should be dry and free from moisture. 
• All unevenness should be rubbed down smooth with sand paper.
• Knots if any should be covered with putty of same color. 
• Priming coat should be applied before painting wood work.

Paint completely overtakes the finishing of the wooden and the grains of the wood are lost. However this is not a bad thing. A lot of times, you want to do paint on the wood as the paint can handle rough exterior weather where as polish gets damaged quickly. Paint can also provide glossy or matt finishes and paint has many options in colors, shades and styles which are not available in polish.  Paint can be done to finish less expensive wood too as the paint would hide the grains of the wood anyway. 

The surface of polish finish is ease to clean. More care required for surfaces that are exposed to sun. Such surfaces would require re-polishing after a couple of years. If the surface could be exposed to water then you may want to try paint on wood as the finishing option 

Painted surfaces are easier to clean and have more life than polish finish. All you need to do is wipe off the dust with dry cloth or occasionally use moist cloth to clean  

• Provides radiant beauty to the wood. 
• Helps in protecting the wood by binding the surface. 
• Helps to prevent hairline cracks and absorb the effects of scratching and external damage. 
• Helps in reducing the transfer of moisture between the wood and the surrounding weather.   
• Provides softness and lasting flexibility.    

• Available in container, ready to use. 
• Tough durable and stain resistant and can withstand frequent cleaning without losing brightness. 
• Washable and washing capability is more than that of polished surface. 
• Flows well and provides a durable finish that lasts for years. 
• Used for both interior and exterior applications. 
• Provides smoothness and brightness to the surface. 
• Glossy finishes are generally used in bathroom, kitchens and for painting dado in hospitals, schools, stairs hall in public buildings etc.

• Become yellowish with age. 
• Requires expensive wood or wood vineer as polish would just enhance the beauty of the wood. 

• Paints face the problems like peeling, cracking and flaking. 
• It takes much time to dry.

Polish finish requires skilled polishing experts as the job requires more skills than painting and also the resultant output is highly dependent on the skills of the polish person along with the polish material.

Polish finish is weak against moisture. Wet weather reduces the life of polish finish.

Painting on wood protects the wood from all weather.

Polish work require less time as it dries quickly.

Paint require more time between two coats as it dries slowly.

• Polish finish is generally done on interior surface as there durability on the exterior surface is less in comparison of paint. 
• This mainly due to destructive action on the clear finishes by ultraviolet rays present in the sun light. 
• Exposure to extreme heat, cold or damp atmosphere will reduce the life of polish finish.

• The paint surface is more durable against ultraviolet rays which present in the sun light.  
• The ultraviolet radiation is to a great extent absorbed by the pigments present in the paint coatings which protect the surface from damage.

The minor defects like pores in the wood etc are covered in polish finish but the other defects like crack in wood and knotting etc are not hiding in polish finish.

The defects like knotting, pores, any sawing defect and cracks etc are very well covered during the painting.