Top 10 Furniture Painting Mistakes according to KACHA'
This post is written on tips from Kacha of Kacha Furniture. She started painted furniture in 2016 in Colorado after the passing of her mother to get over this tragic time in her life. She has many furniture tutorials and Podcasts for you to check out. Please be sure to visit her new Website to view her amazing work here: Kacha Furniture
No. 10: Avoid painted furniture. The worse thing you can do is to buy a piece or take a piece of furniture with paint on it unless you want to strip it. You have no idea what paint was used, which topcoat was applied and how the previous painter prepped that piece of furniture. AVOID AVOID AVOID
No. 9: Avoid furniture pieces that smell including those that have a smoke smell. These smells are very difficult to get out of a piece. Mild cases of smelly furniture you can use B.O.S.S., this product Blocks Odors, Stains and stops bleed through. Then you will have to use Big Mamma's Butta on all of the inside drawers and inside of the furniture to eliminate further odors from inside the furniture. Best practice avoid smelly pieces.
No. 8. Painting over wax. You cannot paint over wax. If you do, the paint will chip and crack. The paint will not adhere to the piece. You must remove the wax with Mineral Spirts and clean with White Lightening Cleaner and wash down with water on a cloth.
No. 7. Not letting your piece dry sufficiently after cleaning with your White Lightening Cleaner or any cleaning process. Allow your piece to dry at least 24 hours in my opinion.
No. 6. Not letting your paint dry before applying additional coats. Your paint may feel or look dry, but most of the time it is not dry until you have let it dry at least 2 hours. Read the package directions before applying a second coat. In the case of Humid weather, you must wait even longer. As much as overnight or a couple of days. I would avoid painting at high humanity times.
No. 5. Not prepping your furniture. All furniture must be inspected, damaged areas fixed, cleaned with White Lightening Cleaner and the cleaner rinsed off with a wet cloth. Don't skip this step. Paint will not adhere to a dirty piece of furniture.
No. 4. Not using separate brushes for paint, wax and topcoats. Wax brushes cannot be mixed with paint. Best Natural Brushes for waxing are LaPetite Brush and Best Dang Brush. Keep your wax brushes for wax only. Have separate brushes for each application. Synthetic brushes work great with chalk paint. One of the best tools for applying a topcoat to your finished piece is the Blue Sponge Applicator. This works wonders with a topcoat application including Gatorhide and your Clear Coats.
No. 3. Not priming dark wood. That means not using either Slick Stick or B.O.S.S. on a dark piece of furniture including Mahogany and Cherry Wood. Slick Stick is used on metal, glass and/or shiny surfaces. B.O.S.S. Blocks Odors, Stains and Stops Bleed through.
No. 2. Not using enough water. Chalk paint dries quickly. Especially in dry climates. A Continuous Fine Mist Spray Bottle is a must. Mist your brush and/or furniture piece. Never add water to the Silk All-in-One Mineral Paint however. ONLY CHALK PAINT.
No. 1. Putting too much paint on your brush. Start off with a small amount on the tip of your brush. Don't dip the entire bristle in the paint. Start with 1/2 inch dip. You can always add more if it is not enough.