It’s a familiar situation when you want to update the boring furnishings in your home, but you don’t have the money to buy new furniture. And the old Soviet cabinets look strong and solid. The only “but” is the shabby appearance. However, everything can be changed - for example, you can take and repaint furniture with your own hands (On this site you can select and purchase paint and varnish products), restore and decorate it to your own taste. And classic vintage pieces are back in fashion.
What does it take to repaint furniture?
To repaint old furniture made of chipboard, laminated chipboard, MDF or wood, you should take care of the necessary tools and material in advance.
To update your furniture you need to acquire:
- spatula, sandpaper - soft and coarse-grained, sander;
- a piece of wood, masking tape or tape and a container;
- primer, putty, paint and varnish;
- brushes and roller.
Rules for choosing brushes and rollers
When choosing a brush, it is important that the bristles are held firmly, otherwise hairs falling out during painting will spoil the appearance of the surface. Use brushes to paint small and medium-sized details, protrusions and bas-reliefs.
It is worth purchasing two brushes:
- narrow and flat
- wider, with a beveled cut.
During breaks, it is recommended to keep your brushes in a jar of water.
Smooth, even surfaces are painted with a roller, which can easily cope with smudges. A suitable roller is covered with velor; there is no need to purchase a foam “coat”.
Using aerosols, surfaces can be easily made perfectly smooth.
Stages of preparing furniture for repainting
It is recommended to prepare a separate room for working with furniture, because dust and odors cannot be avoided during restoration. And no one will touch the object. It is also worth taking care of safety glasses, gloves and a gown.
Inspection
A thorough inspection of furniture items will help identify and eliminate malfunctions, breakdowns and defects.
Dismantling is not necessary, but individual parts are easier to paint. Fixed fittings and difficult to attach elements are not removed. To protect them, use masking tape or tape.
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Small objects or simple designs can be painted without disassembling. They also do not disassemble it in cases where only the façade of the furniture is painted.
Removing old coating
Soviet wooden furniture is covered with varnish, which can be cleaned off, but first of all the product is washed with a sponge and detergent and dried with napkins.
To repaint furniture, you first need to remove the varnish, which is quite difficult. To do this, use one of three methods:
Mechanical . Removal with a spatula; a flat screwdriver will help in hard-to-reach places. It's easier to do this if you take a sander or coarse sandpaper.
Chemical . Use special washes. They are applied and left for 2-3 hours - a more precise exposure period can be specified in the instructions.
The blistered surface is cleaned using a spatula or sandpaper. The remaining wash is removed using a weakly concentrated vinegar solution.
Thermal method . It is safe and effective to use a hair dryer, the hot air of which softens old paint. All that remains is to take a spatula and remove the layers of coating.
In rare cases, the varnish coating is removed with a grinder to which a metal brush is attached. Care is required here so as not to damage the wood.
Sanding
A necessary procedure to improve the adhesion of a smooth surface to paint. Sandpaper makes wood or laminate rough. First, sand with fine-grained sandpaper, then with zero-grade soft paper.
Movements are performed along the wood pattern, and not across. After this, degrease using white spirit (acetone). Apply with a brush and let dry.
Putty and priming
Old furniture often has scratches, cracks, and chips, which are repaired with latex or epoxy putty before painting. It is worth priming the surfaces before puttying, this will cover small defects, leaving severe damage visible.
After drying, the putty areas are treated with zero-grade sandpaper and primed in 2 layers. Dry for 12 hours.
Prime with a special solution with an acrylic base so that the paint is distributed evenly and adheres firmly. The polyurethane composition is more expensive, but is suitable for wood, glass, tiles, and other surfaces. The quality of the primer affects the strength of the paint layer.
Important! Before priming, do not use a damp cloth or sponge to remove debris.
Sequence of work
It is important to remember that to paint lacquered furniture you will need sandpaper, especially when processing corners, decorative elements, and small parts. If you do not follow the sequence of work, you can damage small parts in the process. Before you start painting furniture at home, the surface is prepared in several stages:
- remove fittings and decorative elements;
- disassemble furniture;
- clean off old paint;
- prime;
- painted.
Tips for repairing furniture depending on the type of damage
The steps must be carried out in this order. The removed fittings can be replaced with a more suitable color to match the new color or coated with a colorless metal varnish.
If you plan to paint leather furniture with soft filling, you need to remove the old padding.
Furniture disassembly
It is better to disassemble the products into individual elements and remove the fittings. In this form, carrying out all subsequent stages is much simpler and easier; no special equipment is required for painting furniture. The paint will penetrate into all areas, even the most inaccessible and invisible at first glance. It is also necessary to remove internal partitions, shelves and other structural elements.
All parts of the furniture must be painted, and damaged fittings must be replaced with new ones. Fixed parts that must remain intact (glass inserts, stained glass windows, handles) must be protected by covering with masking tape. Once the paint has dried, it will be easy to remove.
Removing old coating
Before applying new paint, you must remove the old layer. This can be done in various ways. The most affordable option is mechanical. Using sandpaper, preferably fine-grit, sand down all the old paint down to the wood base. Sandpaper will not damage the structure of the material itself. Painting MDF and laminated chipboard with your own hands requires first removing the protective film covering the furniture.
To speed up the process, it is better to use a grinding machine and a special attachment. If you don’t have such equipment, you can cover a wooden block with sandpaper and remove the old paint with sweeping movements. The oil coating is removed with a hair dryer. Under the influence of high temperature, the layer will heat up and can be easily removed with a regular spatula.
Another way to get rid of old paint is with a special chemical remover. It is applied to the coating, left for a certain time, and then easily removed again with a regular spatula.
The technology for painting furniture involves the use of protective equipment - glasses, a respirator, gloves.
After getting rid of the old coating, you must carefully remove all dust and small debris (you can vacuum the cleaned surface). Next we start priming.
Clean off the old coating with a sander
Remove old paint with sandpaper
The oil coating is removed with a hair dryer
Use a chemical remover
Remove all dust and small debris
Primer
This stage is necessary for reliable adhesion of the paint to the surface of the wood. The procedure is easier to perform with a wide brush or a large lint roller. The entire surface must be treated. For wood, it is preferable to choose a latex-based primer. It is suitable for further processing with acrylic paint, oil and silicone compounds.
What and how to paint furniture, stages of work and useful recommendations
Primers dry within a few hours and do not form a greasy film on the surface of the wood. They perfectly penetrate into the structure of other composite materials. After complete drying, the entire surface is degreased with gasoline or solvent, and the remaining irregularities are treated with a special wood putty, which is applied in a thin layer, pressed tightly with a metal spatula. After drying, small roughnesses are smoothed out with sandpaper.
Treat furniture with primer
Degrease surfaces
Cover the unevenness with putty, smooth out the roughness with sandpaper
Coloring
Furniture tinting is done with acrylic dye, stain or aerosol (compositions that are absorbed into the wood fibers). Before you start painting old furniture, protect the floor and surrounding objects with film. It is also recommended to open the windows and provide fresh air into the room. The paint is sprayed from a distance of 30 cm using smooth movements. This will prevent streaks and unpainted areas from appearing on the wood. It is best to use a spray gun to paint furniture.
Continuous painting is done with oil, water-based and silicone compounds. If the liquid is in cans, you should use a tray and apply the paint with a roller; for small parts and elements, use a small brush. After complete drying, a second layer is applied. It is needed to obtain rich color.
Furniture varnishing is carried out in a similar way. You can choose a colorless varnish; it preserves the texture of the wood and creates a protective layer on its surface. You can also use tint compositions. Painting furniture with acrylic paints looks good.
Aerosols are sprayed from a distance of 30 cm in smooth movements
Apply liquid paint with a roller
For small details use a small brush
Apply a second coat of paint
Varnish surfaces
Choosing paint for repainting furniture
The material of the furniture affects the choice of paint.
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Acrylic paint is popular for painting wooden furniture. Among its advantages:
- increased stability due to good absorption;
- quick-drying;
- economical, as it is diluted with water;
- the smell is not aggressive;
- can be used without priming;
- antiseptic properties,
- non-flammability.
Minus: only white color, which can be tinted with color.
The spray in a can speeds up the painting process, applies evenly, and dries quickly.
For a glossy surface on wood, choose enamel varnish paint.
To prevent the surface from shining, use an oil matte finish.
To preserve the natural structure of the wood, a colorless product is purchased, which is available in shades.
Water-based paint is used more often in the bedroom and children's room. It does not smell, dries in a matter of time, and is affordable. The downside is that it does not tolerate moisture.
The surface painted with latex composition can be washed. The paint is not afraid of water and sunlight, but is expensive.
Expensive paints also include silicone paints with the addition of acrylic. The paint penetrates the wooden surface and is not afraid of moisture.
Which paint to choose?
If you need to paint wooden furniture, then choosing a paint will not be difficult. Any composition is suitable for painting work. When choosing, you should take into account only one nuance - it is better to buy paint, depending on the type of wood. Below we will consider the most popular types of paints and varnishes.
Water-dispersed
The material is intended for painting wooden surfaces located in heated rooms. If in the future you plan to place a table on a terrace or veranda, the paint will begin to swell and peel, as it will not withstand climate changes. The composition is non-toxic; during operation, no harmful substances will be released that contribute to the development of allergic diseases. The material lays evenly on the prepared wooden surface, dries quickly, and has water-repellent properties.
This paint allows you to treat any surfaces made of wood, but it is not recommended to clean them with aggressive chemical compounds. During operation, the coating may wear off due to mechanical damage.
Oily
How to paint the table to give it brightness and shine? Oil paint can achieve this effect. Previously, in order for the coloring to be uniform, it was necessary to apply several layers of material. Today, modern dyes have been produced that allow you to achieve the desired result while requiring less consumption.
The only drawback is that oil paints have a sharp, pungent odor that can persist even after the coating has completely dried.
Acrylic
The most practical and universal is considered to be paint with an acrylic composition. Painting the tabletop can be done either with a brush or with an aerosol can. Compared to other compositions, acrylic paint is resistant to changing weather conditions, odorless, easy to apply, dries quickly, affordable, and has various color shades.
Alkyd
If you paint the countertop with alkyd paint, you can say with confidence that the product is one hundred percent protected from moisture. When the composition is applied to the surface, a thin film is formed, which helps protect the surface from various types of damage. It would seem that a stronger material cannot be found; a painted object will serve for many years. But, as practice has shown, such paint wears out quickly, so the coating will have to be renewed periodically.
Alkyd paint must be applied to dried wood; if the surface is wet, bubbles may form on the coating.
Enamels for wooden surfaces
Using enamel, you can repaint an old table beyond recognition. The paint will give the surface a glossy or matte effect. At the same time, the tabletop will be protected from mechanical damage, corrosion and thermal influences. Very often, kitchen tables or wooden objects that will be located outdoors are painted with this paint. In order for the restored item to last as long as possible, it is recommended to cover the surface with waterproof varnish in 2 layers.
The table can also be painted with nitro enamel; it dries quickly (within 15 minutes) and gives the furniture greater strength.
Instructions on how to repaint furniture
Rules for achieving a positive result:
1). The paint is applied to the surface in an even layer. First of all, use a brush to paint the protruding parts, then take a roller. It is important to apply the composition without changing direction.
2). More often they make a two-layer coating. The second layer is applied after the first has dried. It is allowed to be applied across the first, but if this is the last coating, the paint is applied along the wood fiber.
3). To speed up the work, use a spray gun or aerosol cans.
4). For the Provence style, original irregularities and stains are created.
5). To achieve an interesting result, it is worth experimenting with the choice of color.
6). Before purchasing paint, read the instructions and use the product correctly.
Dyeing technology
Before you paint a wooden table, you need to arm yourself with:
- with a brush, roller and container (if paint is used) or spray (aerosol);
- goggles, mask, gloves, respirator (to avoid toxic substances getting into and on the body);
- antiseptic (necessary for protection against insects) and wood primer (reduces paint consumption).
If you choose the color yourself, apply the mixed paint to the surface and let it dry to understand what the final color will be.
Painting the table is done on a hard surface, previously covered with newspapers or plastic wrap to avoid paint getting on the floor. For those who decide to cover the table with varnish or non-water-based paint, it is better to carry out the restoration outdoors due to the strong toxic odor. If the piece of furniture is large enough, it is better to disassemble it into its component parts using a screwdriver, hammer drill, etc. Many experts argue that it is not worth violating the integrity of a wooden object, since in the future it may lose its shape. However, this statement is controversial. If you assemble all the parts together correctly and efficiently, this will not affect the life of the product, and it will be easier to paint.
Before repainting a varnished table, you must remove the old coating. To do this, you can use a chemical solvent, a spatula, or a metal sponge. At the initial stage, sandpaper should be selected coarse-grained, which does not abrade the surface so much. Next, you should sand the surface with fine-grained sandpaper, cover it with an antiseptic and primer and leave to dry. An antiseptic is needed so that pests cannot subsequently reach the wood. After the primer has dried, the surface must be sanded again and wiped with a dry cloth or vacuum cleaner.
Sanding the table surface
The paint is applied in at least two layers
Masking tape is useful if the wooden product has glass or plastic inserts that do not need updating. It is enough to seal unnecessary places and you can proceed directly to painting. If you use aerosol paint, be sure to wear a respirator, goggles and gloves. These methods of protection allow you to paint a wooden tabletop without harm. The substance should be sprayed at a distance of 30 cm from the wooden table. Next, you need to leave the product to dry, and then cover the wooden table with another 2-3 layers of paint. The same sequence is maintained when using conventional liquid paint, which should be applied with a roller or brush with soft bristles. To make sure that the furniture is ready for the next treatment, it is recommended to lightly touch the edge of the surface with your finger. If the paint does not stick, then you can proceed to the next step.
How to paint a tabletop, how to choose a varnish for a table? What varnish to cover the table with depends on the further purpose of the product, but the most universal coating option is acrylic varnish, which will protect the wooden surface from mechanical damage. After painting, you need to remove the masking tape and leave the product to dry for 8 hours (or better yet, a day). Only after this is it ready for use.
Before applying the varnish layer, the table can be decorated with decorative fragments
To varnish or not
The varnish coating fixes the color, protects the surface of the furniture, and the product looks antique and well-groomed. Be sure to protect with varnish the furniture that is often opened and closed.
For varnishing, use specialized furniture (not parquet) matte or transparent varnishes. The second layer is applied 24 hours after the first coating.
Varnish choice:
Alcohol varnish is used when restoring antique objects.
New, popular acrylic varnish, odorless, suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Economical product - water is used for dilution.
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Durable alkyd varnish film withstands abrasion. A solvent is used for dilution.
Little oil varnish is used; it is often used to cover the floor. For dilution you need drying oil that dries for at least a day.
Polyurethane (ship) varnish has increased wear resistance due to the appearance of a protective, quick-drying film.
Nitrovarnishes are inexpensive and form a durable protective film. No special primer is required before coating. When applied, it is diluted with a solvent.
