Wooden furniture paint come in various colors, sizes and finishes. A coat of fresh paint is fast, economical way to insert new life to your old furniture. However, painting wood is not as simple as painting a wall. In this article, we’ll explain the steps necessary to paint wooden furniture as well as how to pick the best wooden furniture paint for your project. So let’s take a look at the initial steps in preparing your furniture piece for painting.
What Kind of Paint Do You Use on Wood Furniture?
Wood Primer
First, you’ll need to prime the entire surface to prevent any stains from bleeding through the paint. There are a variety of primers on the market so pick the one that fits your budget. However, keep in mind that it all depends on what type of wood you are painting. For example, is it a new wood, painted wood already or a drywall. The reason for a primer is to make sure that a uniform paint is achieved. As mentioned earlier, primer also blocks water or stains that can bleed through the topcoat of paint. Lastly, a primer helps with getting your first coat of paint on properly so your furniture will last longer.
Matching your wood primer to the paint colour
For furniture paining the best choice is to go with a semi-gloss or satin finish in a latex or oil-based paint. We suggest an oil-based paint also known as Alkyd paint. This is one of the most durable and paints on the market. However, this comes at a cost. If you’re willing to spend a bit more for quality, you can’t go wrong with an alkyd paint.
Also, consider that picking up the right paint for your furniture depends on what you are painting. Typically if your furniture paint is in OK condition, you don’t need a primer but we recommend going with a oil-based primer. For drywall always use a latex primer. For stains, water, smoke and grease use a oil-based primer as this works best.
Match your primer to your paint
If you’re choosing a latex primer, it makes sense to use a latex based paint. This combination is great as it does not smell and is applicable for most furniture painting projects. Same applies for the oil-based primer, this will be best used with an oil-based paint. This combination is great for covering stains but it does smell very strongly so be sure to have a room or an area where your furniture pieces can be vented properly.
Tools & Materials Needed
Typically you don’t need a lot of tools to paint your wood furniture. Also, if you don’t have these handy, look on your local classifieds to see if you can source some of these tools at a lower price. Why pay full retail prices? If you can’t find what you need, take a look online first as you should be able to get some great discounts on painting tools. Here are some of the things you’ll need before painting:Sandpaper (various grits)
- Tack cloth
- Scraper
- Painters tape
- Oil-based primer
- Oil-based paint
- Clear sealant
Some of the above you can also find at your Dollar Store, so check it out.
How Do You Paint Wood Furniture?
Here are the steps required to paint wood furniture accordingly:
- Remove Old and Loose Paint
Scrape off any loose paint. Be careful not to push too much into the wood as this will gauges into the wood.
2. Sand accordingly
Sand your furniture with a palm sander. You can select an 80 to 100 grit sandpaper. Once you’re done throughly, go for another sanding round, this time using 150 to 200 grit for a finer sanding. If you have crevices, just do it by hand. Once finish, wipe down your chair with a damp cloth or your tack cloth to remove any dust.
3. Applying Primer
Once your sanding is done and your happy with the results, it’s time to apply primer on your furniture. Ideally, you’ll want to use a spray primer as this applies even coats. Spray slowly and consistently for an even finish, avoiding drips and overspray. You can apply 2 to 3 primer coats if you wish, pending your initial results. Be sure that the primer is dry if applying a second or third coat.
4. Sand Again if Necessary
You may need to sand your primer. Check to see if the surface is coarse. If so, sand lightly. Use your tack cloth and wipe it clean.
5. Painting Your Furniture
Apply your paint evenly by using smooth strokes. It’s important to use a good brush to make your life easier. Usually a high-quality nylon brush gives best results. Brush along the natural lines of the wood. Brush back over the previous stroke for a even finish. You can apply 2 to 3 light coats, allowing time to dry in between. Check the dry time on the paint label as this may vary.
6. Applying a Clear Coat to Finish
A clear coast gives your furniture a great sheen and acts as protection. Chose a polyurethane clear coat. Hold the can about 10 inches from the furniture and spray back and forth. After the first coat drys, sand again with 200 grit sandpaper for a great finish before spraying the final coat.
To Recap How To Paint Wooden Furniture
Start at the top of your furniture piece and move down, slowly covering all areas properly. Oil paints can be used for both interior and exterior furniture and it’s very easy to maintain and clean. When looking at wooden furniture paint, pick a decent quality paint as this will last you longer versus going the cheaper way.
Also, make sure that you match your primer with the wooden furniture paint. This will ensure that you get the best possible results without having any issues. Ideally you want to go with an oil-based primer and paint if you have the capacity to let your furniture air out so that the strong smell can disappear.
How to Paint Wood Furniture Without Sanding
If no sanding is required, just follow the steps above. Before you start paining, get a damp cloth and clean your furniture well. Let it dry and start painting. Obviously if you have any loose paint, just use your scraper and remove all that before cleaning. Follow the steps above and you should be in good shape to paint your wood furniture without sanding.
If you’re constrained for space, use a latex based paint. Latex paint comes in various sheens such as flat, low sheen or satin for example. This gives you the freedom to pick what suits your home decor and make the best decision on what paint to use for your wooden furniture paint project.
Let us know how your project turned out and what worked well for you. We welcome any tips and suggestions you may have so please share with us below.
