The 3 P’s of Painting a Piece of Furniture
- Prep it
Check the surface for traces of lead. You do not want to breathe in any dangerous particles while sanding a piece of furniture. Once you are sure that it is safe to paint, remove the drawers and hardware, if any. Clean the surface thoroughly because paint will not stick to a dirty surface. After, sand the surface with sandpaper or a liquid sander. If you find any scratches, dents or holes in the surface, repair them before moving onto the primer.
- Prime it
DIYers will tell you to skip the primer part, especially if you are looking for a distressed look. But, a good-quality primer can work wonders for furniture. If the furniture has lot of stains on its surface, you can opt for oil-based primers because they block stains easily.
- Paint it
Painting a piece of furniture is a job of patience. It is time-consuming and it often results in thickening of paint and visible brush strokes. You can get rid of the problem by using a paint additive to thin the paint. Just as with the primer, the paint also requires 2-3 coats of paint instead of one thick coat. Remember that a thick paint coat will peel off easily so it is best to build up layers of thinner coats. You can use sealer but remember to dry the paint completely before starting with it.