How to paint furniture tip: Take a thorough look at old painted furniture that need a new look. It’s very important that you just don’t paint over old paint without preparing the surface. First you need to clean the item down with sugar soap or similar. Let it dry then lightly sand the piece.
Remember to always sand in the direction of the grain wherever possible. The idea is to create ‘tooth’ on the surface. ‘Tooth’ is slightly lifting the surface so it will hold the primer paint. If you don’t create tooth, then the paint that goes on top of it won’t adhere properly. Make sure you use the right primer. Check with your local paint store for the correct primer.
Once the primer is completely dry, begin applying base color (for decorative techniques) or finished coat (for one color application). If the furniture you are refurbishing has been waxed then it is necessary that it be completely stripped first so that no wax or wax residue remains as wax will repel paint and the job will not look at all professional.
Then again, instead of paint you may want to stain and/or varnish the furniture for a completely different look. Next post will deal with that.
Painter Paul
How to Paint Just About Anything (Better Homes & Gardens)
