Cabinets, walls, chests of drawers of the Soviet era, vintage sideboards, inherited, wear out over the years of service, but remain strong. After a small restoration, good-quality things turn into masterpieces that cannot be bought at the store or made to order. They impress with original decor, remind of childhood or youth. An unpresentable and shabby look can be fixed with your own hands.
Furniture painting is a simple procedure, you need to be patient, study the surface, purchase the necessary materials. Creative freedom is not limited, you can create patterns, radically change the shade. If you include imagination, wooden tables, chairs, headboards in beds will look no worse than designer ones.
Paint is selected depending on the desired effect and condition of the wood. Matte and semi-matt coatings well mask roughness and bumps, dry quickly, but fingerprints are visible on them. Glossy and semi-gloss paints do not hide the imperfections of the base, create a beautiful mirror effect. Satin coating flickers, is not afraid of mechanical damage, attracts less dust. Gloss degree, wear resistance, are indicated on the label. The natural structure of the tree is emphasized by transparent coatings (varnishes, azure, wax).
Colors vary by type of base
A type
The properties
Note
1
Acrylic
Easy to remove when mistakes are made, well overlap surface color, resistant to moisture, abrasive substances
Suitable for children's furniture
2
Water emulsion
Latex-based paint penetrates deeply into the base; no stains occur when staining.
Odorless, dry quickly
3
Silicone
Paint over scratches, cover cracks up to 2 mm, do not attract dust, are not afraid of moisture, steam
Suitable for painting furniture on the balcony, in the bathroom, kitchen
4
Alkyd
Creates a durable, wear-resistant film, moisture resistant
Contain chemical components that evaporate upon application and drying.
5
Oil
Form a waterproof layer that is scratch resistant. Quickly fade not even in the sun
Pungent odor, long drying time
6
Chalky
They fit well on the varnished surface without polishing and primer, cover irregularities. From the first layer they overlap the previous color, create a velvety surface
In order to maintain the brightness of the shade after drying, they need a finish coating
Necessary materials and tools
To remove the old layer, you need a spatula or a cycle, a medium-hard metal brush, an emery sponge or grinding equipment, a rag. Easy to remove paintwork with a construction hair dryer. To protect the surfaces, masking tape is required. Accessories, decorative elements are removed and screwed back with screwdrivers, a screwdriver.
For furniture painting it is necessary to prepare:
small trays;
brushes with natural bristles for oil and alkyd compounds, made of artificial fibers for acrylic or latex paint;
paint rollers for painting facades, countertops;
the spray gun will reduce the time of work, apply an even layer.
Acrylic paint is preferably applied with a brush for drawing. Elastic nylon pile leaves no residue, creates a uniform layer.
How to prepare furniture for staining
The adhesion of the paint, the quality and appearance of the furniture depends on the thorough removal of the old coating. There should be no grease stains, dust, moisture on the base. Before work, bedside tables, cabinets, chests of drawers are disassembled into separate elements, so that in hard-to-reach places there are no unpainted areas left. Stained-glass windows, accessories that cannot be removed, are protected with masking tape. The place where the paintwork will be carried out protects against pollution.
Removing the old paintwork
The most affordable treatment option is sanding. A sander speeds up the process, but without experience, you can touch a layer of veneer. The varnish is removed with a metal scraper, brush, coarse sandpaper. To make the surface smooth, movements are made along the fibers. For primary processing, paper with a grain size of P40, 60 is needed, the final grinding is carried out with grain P150, 180. Minor irregularities are removed with abrasive P120.To ensure uniform contact of the paper with the treated surface, use sanding pads with clamps. They can be replaced with a small polystyrene wood block on which the sandpaper is attached with studs. The surface is polished to perfect condition, cleaned of dust.
During heat treatment, varnish, paint is softened with a building hair dryer, removed with a spatula, and cleaned with abrasive material. Care must be taken not to blacken the wood. If the varnish is charred, but does not peel off, chemicals are needed.
For wood, special washes are sold in the form of powder, gel, liquid. Before buying, you need to study the labels. There are universal flushing agents and special washes for certain types of coatings. It is easier to work with jelly-like pastes that are quickly absorbed and do not spread on the base. If the furniture has a thin thread, a liquid wash is suitable. The tool is applied with a brush, cover the furniture details with plastic wrap for 3-4 hours. Layers of varnish are removed with a spatula along the fibers. Residues of the solvent are neutralized with water and vinegar in a ratio of 5 to 1 or with white spirit. The remaining areas of varnish can be processed again with a wash or removed with sandpaper.
It is convenient to remove varnish from carved parts with a wire washcloth. Oak surface is recommended to be treated with a nylon sponge.
Surface treatment
Cracks, pores, chips on furniture close up putty on wood. Defects are carefully processed, after drying they are cleaned. Putty places should be level with the rest of the surface. The leveling mixture can be prepared independently from PVA glue and waste remaining after grinding. The consistency of the putty is controlled by increasing or decreasing the amount of glue.
So that dust and dirt do not reduce adhesion, the surface is degreased. The napkin is impregnated with special means or acetone, white spirit, thoroughly wipe the base.
The primer promotes adhesion, strengthening of wood, uniform distribution of paint on the surface. The primer adheres to the fibers, reduces the absorbent properties of wood materials. Experts recommend choosing a primer and paint with one type of binder component, but there are universal compounds. The label indicates the properties and purpose of the coating. For example, an acrylic primer is not suitable for pine, it is not used for oil paint. Resinous substances are blocked by alcoholic shellac, which is compatible with oil and water coatings. Old loose wood, porous materials are covered with deep penetration soil. It will strengthen the surface, prevent the formation of bubbles and spots.
Staining methods
Toning is performed when they want to preserve the texture of the tree. The result depends on the paintwork used.
The stain gives the solid wood furniture an expressive shade, does not form a film on the surface. The product is applied in 2-3 layers with a soft brush or roller with a short pile, foam rubber. It is easier for beginners to work with the oil composition. It does not raise fibers, does not form spots after drying.
After etching, it reacts with tannins, emphasizes the pattern, and gives inexpensive species an interesting look. To protect against moisture, the array after etching is varnished.
Tinting dyes penetrate deep into the fibers, give a more saturated color than stain. Concentrates are sold in the form of liquid and powder, mixed with a solvent.
Solid staining is used for different materials, it allows you to get furniture facades in bright colors, create two-tone coatings. Thixotropic paint forms on a chipboard, MDF a surface similar to plastic. Furniture can be given an antique look, decorated with gold, painted.
Varnishing enhances radiance and contrast, protects against moisture. Transparent lacquer emphasizes the beauty of precious wood.Colored compounds give a rich shade, renew pine, birch, linden. Craquelure varnish creates an imitation of cracks.
Coloring furniture from different materials
Array, wood boards differ in structure, need an individual approach to painting. Old children's plywood furniture, kitchen stools are covered with acrylic paint, and after drying and decoration they are treated with acrylate varnish. After sanding, objects laminated and coated with paper-resin film are primed with a polyurethane-based compound or a car primer in a cylinder. Then they are stained with a velor roller with compositions on a polyurethane and alkyd base, epoxy enamels. The old Romanian wall can be renewed with chalk paint without removing the varnished layer. The surface must be degreased, primed, leveled with a sanding sponge. If the base is slightly different from the tone of the paint, just two layers. For a fundamental change in shade, you will have to paint the furniture 3-4 times. To maintain velvet and color, the coating is treated with wax.
Chipboard furniture painting
Chipboards are well stained with alkyd and acrylic enamels. After drying, a dense film is formed with water-repellent properties. The old layer with chipboard is difficult to remove, it is advisable to use a gel wash. After cleaning, you need to create a rough surface with P150, 180 paper. For reliability and economy of enamel, 2 layers of primer are applied.
Cabinet painting workshop
You will need:
set of screwdrivers;
3-4 sheets of fine sandpaper;
white spirit, rags;
brushes with artificial pile 2 pieces;
tray;
fur roller 3 pieces;
masking tape;
OTEX Akva Primer Can
2 cans of acrylic paint.
Doors should be removed from the hinges, laid on a table or bed closed with a film. The surface is sanded with light circular movements without removing the laminated layer, thoroughly degreased.The soil is applied with a roller, the ends are processed with a small brush. To obtain a uniform surface, paint the particleboard in 2 layers. To make them thin, the roller rolls back in the tray. It takes an hour to dry one layer.
The paint dries quickly, but it is better to wait 2 days before the final assembly of the cabinet.
Painting furniture from MDF
The choice of paint and surface treatment depends on the type of decorative coating of the wood board.
There are four types of panels.
Finish
What paint is suitable
How to handle
1
Laminated
Polyurethane and alkyd enamels
The melamine impregnation is removed with large, then fine sandpaper, without strong pressure, so as not to crush the plate
2
Veneered
Oil, alkyd paints, varnish, stain
Old varnish is removed with fine-grained P240 sandpaper very carefully so as not to damage the wood cut pattern.
The paper layer and glue are completely removed with sandpaper or an iron through a cloth
Painting of natural wood furniture
It is easier to work with natural wood; all types of cleaning, paint, furniture varnish are suitable. Cracks and chips often form on the tree, which must be carefully processed. Defects are sanded so that there are no burrs, primed, putty. After applying the soil, the pile rises on the tree, which is sanded with R-320 skin. The surface is cleaned with a cloth dampened with solvent, primed, painted or varnished. Well-preserved furniture can be painted with tint varnishes, stain. Antique cabinets and bedside tables are covered with opaque enamels. Small items are conveniently spray-painted with acrylic-based aerosols.Quick-drying nitro enamels give a beautiful gloss, but are toxic, they are not suitable for working in an apartment.
Features repainting furniture in white
Dark wood is difficult to repaint in white or lighter shades. But the tree is well bleached with bleach. In 5 liters of water you need to dilute 1 kg of lime and 125 g of soda. Surfaces are treated with a roller or spray, after 5 minutes they are neutralized with vinegar. Small items are conveniently treated with a 30% hydrogen peroxide solution, after bleaching, wipe with vinegar. A professional wood bleach with ethanol acid is sold, brightening red and yellow surfaces, pollution, blue. After bleaching, the tone is leveled and a uniform coating is obtained.
For painting furniture under bleached oak, a thin layer of enamel is applied with a roller or spray. On a dried base with a wide flat brush, parallel strokes are applied in only one direction. After drying, polish, varnish, water-based or wax.
Decorative staining of furniture
Traces of time give buffets, chests of drawers, countertops an antique look. Aged items complement the interiors in the style of Provence, fusion, shabby chic. To imitate shabby wood, the chipboard is coated with chalk or matte paint, then scuffs are made with fine sandpaper in the corners, near the pens.
To create a buffet or chest of drawers in the Provence style, individual places on the facade, corners, decor are painted with brown or blue enamel, after drying they are waxed. The entire surface is painted 2-3 times with white enamel. Waxed fragments are wiped with a knife or spatula.
To highlight the beautiful texture of the tree, the facades are covered with two shades of stain. A light background is created by a composition on water or alcohol, which deeply penetrates into the fibers. Then a dark oil-based stain is deposited settling in the recesses.
It is easy to achieve a patina effect on your own.The facade is painted with acrylic enamel, for aging in some places they are sanded with sandpaper and polished with rags. The second layer is painted with enamel of a different shade, and again treated with sandpaper. The furniture is covered with matt acrylic varnish.
Using stencils made of plastic, self-adhesive paper, lace napkins on the base color, they make drawings, ornaments. The stencil is fixed with tape so that the image is clear, the paint is sprayed with a spray gun.
Cabinet and children's furniture look modern, painted with bright thixotropic paints in different colors. Masking tape will help to create zigzags, geometric patterns.
Useful Tips
A few recommendations will help you achieve an even coat and quickly paint large surfaces.
Examine the furniture material, imagine what effect you want to achieve, calculate the area to be painted. On the packaging is an approximate calculation of the paintwork materials.
In order to better navigate in the store, you can look at paints on Internet sites, learn more about their properties, hiding power, and drying times.
After sanding, inspect the base well from a different angle, a missing scratch or dent will be very noticeable after painting.
Apply paint with long strokes with even pressure. To even out a freshly applied layer, easily go over it with the tip of a brush.
Start painting the flaps from the ends, then go to the base.
conclusions
If you want a good quality of painting, carefully carry out the preparatory work. If you leave a small scratch, poorly sand the base, the coating will crack or peel off. There are no difficulties in the work, no special skills are needed. The main thing is patience and accuracy. Choose varnish, paint from one manufacturer, it’s easier to achieve a combination of color and surface uniformity.
Cabinets, walls, chests of drawers of the Soviet era, vintage sideboards, inherited, wear out over the years of service, but remain strong. After a small restoration, good-quality things turn into masterpieces that cannot be bought at the store or made to order. They impress with original decor, remind of childhood or youth. An unpresentable and shabby look can be fixed with your own hands.
Furniture painting is a simple procedure, you need to be patient, study the surface, purchase the necessary materials. Creative freedom is not limited, you can create patterns, radically change the shade. If you include imagination, wooden tables, chairs, headboards in beds will look no worse than designer ones.
Content
The choice of paints for furniture
Paint is selected depending on the desired effect and condition of the wood. Matte and semi-matt coatings well mask roughness and bumps, dry quickly, but fingerprints are visible on them. Glossy and semi-gloss paints do not hide the imperfections of the base, create a beautiful mirror effect. Satin coating flickers, is not afraid of mechanical damage, attracts less dust. Gloss degree, wear resistance, are indicated on the label. The natural structure of the tree is emphasized by transparent coatings (varnishes, azure, wax).
Colors vary by type of base
Necessary materials and tools
To remove the old layer, you need a spatula or a cycle, a medium-hard metal brush, an emery sponge or grinding equipment, a rag. Easy to remove paintwork with a construction hair dryer. To protect the surfaces, masking tape is required. Accessories, decorative elements are removed and screwed back with screwdrivers, a screwdriver.
For furniture painting it is necessary to prepare:
How to prepare furniture for staining
The adhesion of the paint, the quality and appearance of the furniture depends on the thorough removal of the old coating. There should be no grease stains, dust, moisture on the base. Before work, bedside tables, cabinets, chests of drawers are disassembled into separate elements, so that in hard-to-reach places there are no unpainted areas left. Stained-glass windows, accessories that cannot be removed, are protected with masking tape. The place where the paintwork will be carried out protects against pollution.
Removing the old paintwork
The most affordable treatment option is sanding. A sander speeds up the process, but without experience, you can touch a layer of veneer. The varnish is removed with a metal scraper, brush, coarse sandpaper. To make the surface smooth, movements are made along the fibers. For primary processing, paper with a grain size of P40, 60 is needed, the final grinding is carried out with grain P150, 180. Minor irregularities are removed with abrasive P120.To ensure uniform contact of the paper with the treated surface, use sanding pads with clamps. They can be replaced with a small polystyrene wood block on which the sandpaper is attached with studs. The surface is polished to perfect condition, cleaned of dust.
During heat treatment, varnish, paint is softened with a building hair dryer, removed with a spatula, and cleaned with abrasive material. Care must be taken not to blacken the wood. If the varnish is charred, but does not peel off, chemicals are needed.
For wood, special washes are sold in the form of powder, gel, liquid. Before buying, you need to study the labels. There are universal flushing agents and special washes for certain types of coatings. It is easier to work with jelly-like pastes that are quickly absorbed and do not spread on the base. If the furniture has a thin thread, a liquid wash is suitable. The tool is applied with a brush, cover the furniture details with plastic wrap for 3-4 hours. Layers of varnish are removed with a spatula along the fibers. Residues of the solvent are neutralized with water and vinegar in a ratio of 5 to 1 or with white spirit. The remaining areas of varnish can be processed again with a wash or removed with sandpaper.
Surface treatment
Cracks, pores, chips on furniture close up putty on wood. Defects are carefully processed, after drying they are cleaned. Putty places should be level with the rest of the surface. The leveling mixture can be prepared independently from PVA glue and waste remaining after grinding. The consistency of the putty is controlled by increasing or decreasing the amount of glue.
So that dust and dirt do not reduce adhesion, the surface is degreased. The napkin is impregnated with special means or acetone, white spirit, thoroughly wipe the base.
The primer promotes adhesion, strengthening of wood, uniform distribution of paint on the surface. The primer adheres to the fibers, reduces the absorbent properties of wood materials. Experts recommend choosing a primer and paint with one type of binder component, but there are universal compounds. The label indicates the properties and purpose of the coating. For example, an acrylic primer is not suitable for pine, it is not used for oil paint. Resinous substances are blocked by alcoholic shellac, which is compatible with oil and water coatings. Old loose wood, porous materials are covered with deep penetration soil. It will strengthen the surface, prevent the formation of bubbles and spots.
Staining methods
Toning is performed when they want to preserve the texture of the tree. The result depends on the paintwork used.
Solid staining is used for different materials, it allows you to get furniture facades in bright colors, create two-tone coatings. Thixotropic paint forms on a chipboard, MDF a surface similar to plastic. Furniture can be given an antique look, decorated with gold, painted.
Varnishing enhances radiance and contrast, protects against moisture. Transparent lacquer emphasizes the beauty of precious wood.Colored compounds give a rich shade, renew pine, birch, linden. Craquelure varnish creates an imitation of cracks.
Coloring furniture from different materials
Array, wood boards differ in structure, need an individual approach to painting. Old children's plywood furniture, kitchen stools are covered with acrylic paint, and after drying and decoration they are treated with acrylate varnish. After sanding, objects laminated and coated with paper-resin film are primed with a polyurethane-based compound or a car primer in a cylinder. Then they are stained with a velor roller with compositions on a polyurethane and alkyd base, epoxy enamels. The old Romanian wall can be renewed with chalk paint without removing the varnished layer. The surface must be degreased, primed, leveled with a sanding sponge. If the base is slightly different from the tone of the paint, just two layers. For a fundamental change in shade, you will have to paint the furniture 3-4 times. To maintain velvet and color, the coating is treated with wax.
Chipboard furniture painting
Chipboards are well stained with alkyd and acrylic enamels. After drying, a dense film is formed with water-repellent properties. The old layer with chipboard is difficult to remove, it is advisable to use a gel wash. After cleaning, you need to create a rough surface with P150, 180 paper. For reliability and economy of enamel, 2 layers of primer are applied.
Cabinet painting workshop
You will need:
Doors should be removed from the hinges, laid on a table or bed closed with a film. The surface is sanded with light circular movements without removing the laminated layer, thoroughly degreased.The soil is applied with a roller, the ends are processed with a small brush. To obtain a uniform surface, paint the particleboard in 2 layers. To make them thin, the roller rolls back in the tray. It takes an hour to dry one layer.
Painting furniture from MDF
The choice of paint and surface treatment depends on the type of decorative coating of the wood board.
There are four types of panels.
Painting of natural wood furniture
It is easier to work with natural wood; all types of cleaning, paint, furniture varnish are suitable. Cracks and chips often form on the tree, which must be carefully processed. Defects are sanded so that there are no burrs, primed, putty. After applying the soil, the pile rises on the tree, which is sanded with R-320 skin. The surface is cleaned with a cloth dampened with solvent, primed, painted or varnished. Well-preserved furniture can be painted with tint varnishes, stain. Antique cabinets and bedside tables are covered with opaque enamels. Small items are conveniently spray-painted with acrylic-based aerosols.Quick-drying nitro enamels give a beautiful gloss, but are toxic, they are not suitable for working in an apartment.
Features repainting furniture in white
Dark wood is difficult to repaint in white or lighter shades. But the tree is well bleached with bleach. In 5 liters of water you need to dilute 1 kg of lime and 125 g of soda. Surfaces are treated with a roller or spray, after 5 minutes they are neutralized with vinegar. Small items are conveniently treated with a 30% hydrogen peroxide solution, after bleaching, wipe with vinegar. A professional wood bleach with ethanol acid is sold, brightening red and yellow surfaces, pollution, blue. After bleaching, the tone is leveled and a uniform coating is obtained.
For painting furniture under bleached oak, a thin layer of enamel is applied with a roller or spray. On a dried base with a wide flat brush, parallel strokes are applied in only one direction. After drying, polish, varnish, water-based or wax.
Decorative staining of furniture
Traces of time give buffets, chests of drawers, countertops an antique look. Aged items complement the interiors in the style of Provence, fusion, shabby chic. To imitate shabby wood, the chipboard is coated with chalk or matte paint, then scuffs are made with fine sandpaper in the corners, near the pens.
To create a buffet or chest of drawers in the Provence style, individual places on the facade, corners, decor are painted with brown or blue enamel, after drying they are waxed. The entire surface is painted 2-3 times with white enamel. Waxed fragments are wiped with a knife or spatula.
To highlight the beautiful texture of the tree, the facades are covered with two shades of stain. A light background is created by a composition on water or alcohol, which deeply penetrates into the fibers. Then a dark oil-based stain is deposited settling in the recesses.
It is easy to achieve a patina effect on your own.The facade is painted with acrylic enamel, for aging in some places they are sanded with sandpaper and polished with rags. The second layer is painted with enamel of a different shade, and again treated with sandpaper. The furniture is covered with matt acrylic varnish.
Using stencils made of plastic, self-adhesive paper, lace napkins on the base color, they make drawings, ornaments. The stencil is fixed with tape so that the image is clear, the paint is sprayed with a spray gun.
Cabinet and children's furniture look modern, painted with bright thixotropic paints in different colors. Masking tape will help to create zigzags, geometric patterns.
Useful Tips
A few recommendations will help you achieve an even coat and quickly paint large surfaces.
conclusions
If you want a good quality of painting, carefully carry out the preparatory work. If you leave a small scratch, poorly sand the base, the coating will crack or peel off. There are no difficulties in the work, no special skills are needed. The main thing is patience and accuracy. Choose varnish, paint from one manufacturer, it’s easier to achieve a combination of color and surface uniformity.