Painting Furniture

Painting furniture is a great way to reuse and invigorate older or unattractive pieces in your home. All painting projects require preparation and cleaning, but you should expect preparation for furniture to be the hardest step.

1) Rough Sanding – Use a medium-grit sandpaper to roughly polish the surface as furniture may have residue polish or wax and other production-related chemicals as well as grime from regular use.

2) Repairing – Any existing damage to the furniture, such as cracks, joints that have expanded, or nail holes should be filled in with a wood-patching compound.

3) Fine Sanding – Using a light-grit sandpaper, smooth the surface around bare wood you intend to paint, and areas still bearing furniture finishes used.

4) Priming – Prime all areas you intend to paint. If you are painting over already existing paint, you may not need to prime, but, bare wood should always be primed. This will prevent the wood from soaking moisture from the paint and causing an uneven or damaged coat.

5) Painting – Choosing the right paint for the surface is important, and, recognizing if you are painting something that will be decorative or functional. If your looking to make extensive use, a protective-gloss or semi-gloss finish will ensure your furniture lasts through wear and tear. Painting furniture is straight forward – paint large areas first, and, start with a corner working your way across. Paint the edges separately and with care to avoid accidents.