5 Mistakes you could make when painting furniture

By: Ken Rader the Furniture Rescuer There's no shortage of tutorials about painting furniture online. And I've used a lot of them to paint dressers, console tables, chairs, mirrors, and more. But I have found problems/issues with a lot of the tutorials—paint chips, finishes aren't smooth, and paint peels. I have had to redo several furnishings, so I decided to compile all the mistakes I've made to help you give your furnishings a makeover that will last. Here's how to paint a piece of furniture—without making a major mistake: 1. Sand it. There are lots of tutorials out there that claim you don't need to sand. There are also lots of primers and paints promising no sanding necessary. From what I have learned, sanding is a must. Sand all surfaces with 150-grit sandpaper. (I use this orbital sander with variable speeds.) Be careful not to gouge the surface. You're just looking to rough it up a little so the primer has something to adhere to; you're not trying to strip the surface. Use 80-grit if you are sanding a furnishing with an existing varnish. 2. Remove residue. Wipe down the surface with a tack cloth to remove any residue. Do not use a paper towel. Don't speculate on whether something is a lint-free cloth. Just use the tack cloth. We prefer to use TSP to clean all residue off. It works great and is a product made to make your surface paint ready.. 3. Prime it. If you're priming laminate furniture, use Zinsser B-I-N Shellac-based primer. Otherwise, use Zinsser Bulls-Eye 1-2-3 primer. Prime using a mini foam roller. We use products from General Finishes. Their Milk Paint, and Gel Stain can be applied on any surface WITHOUT PRIMING! Use a good quality brush. 4. Paint it. Use a good quality brush. Chalk Paint Supply companies offer some of the best brushes for painting furniture. General Finishes Milk Paint usually requires 2 coats. DO NOT SAND BETWEEN COATS ! Use a NEW tack cloth. The new tack cloth is very important here. You need to remove every speck of lint and dust before applying the Polycrylic in the next step. It's clear so everything shows. I've blamed everything from the dog to the paint for the tiny pieces of fuzz I've found when applying the Polycrylic, but it's because I didn't remove everything with the tack cloth.

Patena Green with Black on the top. 5. Protect it. Finally, apply a thin coat of Polycrylic water-based protectant in your choice of sheen. General Finishes makes Polycrylic topcoat in Gloss, Semi-gloss and Flat. You want to make sure you apply thin coats. 3 coats are recommended. General Finishes also makes a wonderful wipe on polyurethane gel. It is fantastic and so easy to use. No brush marks and produces a glass like finish. Once you use it you won't use any other product. We will be posting many more blogs about furniture refinishing. Don't be afraid. As Always "Happy Painting" Ken Rader Ken Rader Interiors- The Furniture Rescuers