Painting furniture is a cheap and effective way to renew and change an interior. However, furniture renovation is not an everyday occurrence, so it is worth reading useful tips. How to paint furniture and what is the right paint for furniture? Answers in the article!
Furniture restoration – is painting furniture a good idea?
Painting furniture is an excellent idea for at least several reasons.With paint, you can create unique, personalized furniture that no one else has. It’s also cheaper than replacing all the furnishings renovate the interior. Painting furniture comes off positively in an ecological context because instead of producing waste and acquiring new equipment, all you have to do is buy paint. By using the right preparations, you can also increase the functionality of specific items, for example, furniture can become more resistant to water or washing after painting. Besides, the renovation of these furnishings can be extremely enjoyable and can really give lots of satisfaction. About how to repaint furniture and give it a second life, you will read later in the article.
How to paint furniture – step by step
Painting furniture can vary slightly depending on what material it is made of. It should be handled differently for wooden furniture and differently for those made of veneer. However, there are some rules to follow regardless of the type of furniture. First, before painting, it is best to disassemble the furniture into the smallest possible parts. It is a good idea to unscrew all the legs, doors or handles. This will help in precise paint coverage of each element – when the work is completed at the joints or corners of the furniture, the old color will not show through.
After dismantling, you should first thoroughly wash each piece. However, this must be done gently, as the material must not be soaked too much. Next, it is necessary to assess the condition of the furniture. If there are protuberances, bumps or scratches, it is worth leveling them (unless you want an aged, damaged effect). All this to make the effect look as good as possible. For this you can use sanding paper, with thick and solid furniture, a sander. The defects, however, can be filled. The next stage of preparation is removal of dust and dust found on the surface of the various elements. After that, all you need to do is wipe the furniture with a damp cloth with painter’s soap or dishwashing liquid. This will degrease the surface, increasing its adhesion. You can also use solvent to degrease. If the surface of the furniture is not properly prepared, the paint will most likely come off after time.
In case your furniture contains glazing or other elements that cannot be detached or you do not want to paint them – protect them from paint. The most convenient way to do this is to use paper painter’s tape. It is delicate and comes off easily without leaving a residue. However, because of the material it is made of, be careful that it does not soak with paint while painting.
Painting wooden furniture
Wood furniture is characterized by durability that makes them serve for many years. Sometimes, after time, their appearance may become boring to us, so then instead of replacing them with new ones, it is worth thinking about renovation. Once you’ve completed all the steps described above, move on to painting. Use these brushes that do not leave behind hair. It is best if you have them in different sizes. A shaft is also useful (just the same – it’s convenient to have it in several sizes). It can be spongy or with short bristles. Start by applying paint with a brush into nooks, corners and recesses.
Apply the product in small amounts so that no streaks form on the wood. Paint larger areas, such as cabinet sides or countertops, using long long roller strokes. Furniture paints are good to apply in layers, so don’t worry if after the first one the old color of the wooden cabinet still shows through. It is important to apply evenly. After the time specified in the instructions has elapsed, you will be able to add another, more opaque layer of color. When all the elements have dried thoroughly, put your furniture back together.It’s a good idea not to close the furniture doors fully for a few days, as they may stick to the walls. In turn, this will result in the detachment of fragments of paint.
Related: Painting wood – how to do it?
How to paint wooden furniture without sanding?
Although sanding greatly affects paint adhesion, it is also possible to refinish wooden furniture without using a sander or sandpaper. This is all thanks to chalk paints. To coat furniture with them, all you need to do is clean and degrease the surface. Gentle sanding can be done only between successive layers of paint, although it is not necessary.
Painting veneer furniture
Not only wooden furniture is suitable for painting. You can also renovate veneer furniture and the process is not difficult at all. To begin with, take everything apart as small as possible and thoroughly clean each piece. Remember to not use too much water and after washing the furniture to dry it. The next step issanding. To increase the adhesion of the paint, it is a good idea to use fine-grained sandpaper and carefully smooth all surfaces. Then you just need to degrease the matted veneer furniture with solvent and you’re done. Dry parts can already be painted, and if you want, you can still use primer before the paint. This will further enhance the longevity of the effect.
It is important not to apply too much paint on veneer furniture, as this may result in streaks. Painting them is time-consuming, as you need to create thin and even layers, and repeat the whole process up to 5-6 times. After each layer, it is necessary to wait until it is completely dry. This, depending on the type of paint, can take up to a dozen hours. Once satisfactory coverage is achieved, the furniture can be covered with varnish.
It is also becoming popular to paint veneer kitchen furniture with spray paint. It’s a good idea to cover painting film everything around it, and put a mask on your face. For any type of painting, gloves are also necessary. Paint should be sprayed at the distance specified on the package, usually about 30 cm from the object to be painted.
Painting MDF furniture
The once popular MDF furniture can also be stylishly redone. They should be handled in the same way as those described above, but much more attention should be paid to matting the surface. To do this, the MDF board can be treated with a sander or sandpaper – depending on whether there are any bumps to be removed.
Furniture paint – how to choose it properly?
What kind of furniture paint will be suitable? You can find various types in stores. It is worth familiarizing yourself with a few of them and know for which surfaces they will work best.
Acrylic paint for furniture
It is by far the most popular of all paints. It is usually water-based and fast-drying. Despite its high durability, however, when using it for old, damaged furniture, it is worth applying a primer that will further strengthen its adhesion. It is ideal as a paint for painting living room or kitchen furniture. The most popular is to paint furniture white, but acrylic paints come in many colors.
Chalk paint
Renovating old furniture with chalk paint is very easy. It is a fast-drying substance made of natural ingredients that can produce various effects. It is matte and can be used to achieve full coverage or give it a fashionable “aged” look. However, it is not as readily available as, for example, acrylic paint, which can be purchased at any home improvement store. It is also not very resistant to mechanical damage. The more chalk it has in its composition, the better its durability.
Casein paint
Casein paint belongs to the group of chalk paints and is of them the most durable. This is due to the presence in its composition of casein, which is a milk protein. If you are wondering what to paint your furniture with to give it a permanent aged effect – casein paint will be a good choice.
Phthalic paint
Phthalic paint is otherwise alkyd paint. It is created on a base of oil with alkyd resin and very good to spread. Because of its long durability, it is recommended to paint garden furniture with it. However, it is characterized by an intense smell.
Furniture spray paint
Spray paints are increasingly being used to paint furniture. They are easy to use and the painting process is very fast. Paints enclosed in a spray can come in many colors and types, so they can be used for a variety of surfaces.
Related: Is painting veneer furniture a hassle?
How long does paint last on furniture?
All stages of preparing furniture for painting are important, for the reason that they affect the adhesion of the paint and therefore its durability. Precisely applied paint on a well-prepared substrate should serve for many years. To increase durability, primers and varnishes are used. It is very important to choose the right paint for the conditions in which the furniture will be used and for its application. Not every paint that works in the kitchen will be suitable for use on a balcony, for example.
Won’t furniture paint come off after washing the surface?
Furniture is an extremely functional object that accompanies us every day, and washing it is a very important issue. A properly painted piece of furniture can be cleaned, and the paint should not come off. If it happens otherwise, we probably made some mistake during painting.
With paint you can create adapted to your liking, original furniture. No need to spend money on new cabinets or shelves. All it takes is a little will and creativity to create something truly extraordinary!
