If you have a piece of furniture that you just can't bear the thought of parting with, giving it a new coat of paint may just be the perfect solution. Over time furniture can either fall into disrepair or out of fashion and a new coat of paint can give it a new lease on life, either matching the new colors of your room or covering up mars and scratches from getting a little too much love over the years.
It's not that hard to repaint a piece of furniture either. Thanks to a host of new products and the convenience of home improvement stores, you can convert any piece of furniture from one that's on its last legs hulk to a beloved part of your new décor.
One of the keys to a successful repainting project is to prepare your furniture correctly. You just can't paint over the old surface. You'll be disappointed and spend a lot of time and effort on lackluster results.
The first thing to do is decide whether the old finish should be removed. Chances are good that it will. Cracks, peeling paint and scratches can't be camouflaged by another coat of paint. It's best to take the furniture down to the bare wood and start from scratch.
You can purchase paint or varnish remover at any home improvement store along with a cheap brush. Apply liberally, let it sit 20 minutes and you should be able to remove the paint or varnish easily. It is messy, however, so you probably want some rubber gloves and keep plenty of rags or paper towels handy to wipe the scraper off. Be careful to scrape only the paint. Too much pressure can gouge the wood and you'll end up having to do a patch job with wood putty.
Once the surface is clean, use a sponge to apply denatured alcohol or some benzine to the furniture in Ulhasnagar furniture market. Let it dry. Finally, sand any rough spots with '0' or '00' sandpaper. Go across the grain first, then with the grain, with the paper folded over a block of wood so it's easy to grasp and control. When all the rough spots are gone, wipe the entire piece off with a clean rag or towel.
Now you're ready to paint. Spread out newspapers if you're painting by hand. If you're using a spray application, it's best to go outside with it to minimize the fumes.
Start with a coat of primer. Try to apply it as smoothly and evenly as possible. Go with the grain of the wood and don't apply too much primer at once. Far better to have to do a second light coat than try to do it all at once. This is particularly important with furniture that has lots of detail. You don't want a coat of thick paint to cover up the delicate carvings or turnings.
Allow the primer coat to dry thoroughly. If there were any drips, sand them off. Now you're finally ready to add the final coats of paint. Just how many depends on the piece of furniture, the kind of paint you're using and the final look you're after.
Make sure your paint is stirred well. Apply it evenly, going with the grain. Using a quality brush will minimize brush strokes if you're doing the painting by hand. If you're using spray paint or a sprayer, be sure that you watch for drips. If your piece of furniture has lots of detail, such as a colonial chair, it's a good idea to spray all the detailed areas first so that you can come back again and do a second light coat and catch any spots you may have missed.
If the finish isn't to your liking, give it another coat or two. Be sure you let at least 24 hours pass between coats, 48 is even better.
If your furniture gets lots of wear and tear, a good idea is to use a flat paint on the first coat and then use a gloss coat for the top coats. That way, if the piece gets scratched, it may only go down to the flat surface, which is a bit more resilient than gloss.
If your furniture is wicker, the process is virtually the same. Remove as much paint as you can, then use a small scrub bush that has been dipped into a quart of warm water and a generous tablespoon of washing soda. That should remove any dirt that has collected in the nooks and crannies.
To keep your furniture in top form, go easy on wax. A think coat will do just fine. Otherwise, just dust the piece off when you clean the rest of the house and your freshly painted furniture will continue to serve you well for many years to come. Along with saving some money comes the pride of knowing that you did it yourself.
