what type of black paint should I use to paint over varnished wood chairs?
Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010 at
4:48 pm
I would like to paint my varnished wood chairs black and also the legs of my table that are white washed. Any advise on what type of paints and any procedures I should follow?
Tagged with: legs • paints • varnished wood
Filed under: Your Community Center
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This willnot be a problem. First you need to sand, prime with an alkyd primer, and then topcoat with any kind of paint and sheen that you want. The "key" to this project in the prep and primer.
If it’s an oil based varnish then you will need an oil based paint. You can do a test patch to see if the paint bubbles.
Whatever paint you use you will have to ‘key’ the varnished surface prior to painting or the new paint will chip off very easily. Use a nylon oven scouring pad and sugar soap to dull the finish. Rinse it well and dry before painting. I would use a one coat silk finish enamel paint for durability. The table legs will need a good scrub too. If it is actually whitewash it will have to come off as nothing will adhere to it except more whitewash. If it is matt white emulsion (whitewash rubs off on a wet finger) it is a good base for any paint you choose.
It’s really poor painting practise to paint over varnish because it is likely to chip, even if you rub it down thoroughly. Even if you strip the varnish off if the varnish was properly applied in the first place it will have soaked into the wood, sealing it and stopping other primer taking a good grip.
If you don’t care however, then abrade (key) every square centimetre and use normal wood paints.
You are going to have to de- gloss the wood first.
There are 2 products that I have used.
Liquid sandpaper and Liquid de-glosser. Lowe’s, Home Depot, Ace Hardware all carry these.
Basically paint on the product. It will allow the paint to adhere to the wood.
I refinished my kitchen cabinets that were a honey oak and turned them a distressed black. After I de-glossed them , I drug a water based stain ( min wax Ebony) over the cabinets and allowed some of the original color to show through. When dry I sealed them with a poly-eurethane.
I f you want a solid look I would use a good semi-gloss or eggshell interior paint and seal with a poly eurathane as well