Basics of Painting Furniture

Stripping

• First purchase paint stripper at your local home improvement or hardware store. Apply the paint stripper to the wood, and scrape off as many coats of lacquer, paint or any other covering that the wood was sealed in. Do this so that you have a natural finish and surface to work with when painting. Use a wire brush to get into hard-to-reach places. You may have to reapply the stripper several times to achieve the desired result.

Sanding, Sanding, Sanding

• Most of your preparation work is in sanding the furniture down to a smooth surface that will be ready to adsorb the paint. Allow the paint stripper enough time to dry out of the wood, then begin sanding. Start with a coarse grade of 80-grit sandpaper to remove any elements of the previous finish and to get into the wood to prepare it for the finishing sanding. Continue to move up in grits of sandpaper. Each time you sand, the smoother it will become. Sand with a finishing grit of 220 or 240 grit paper before getting ready for the next step.

Sanding Sealer, Priming and Coloring

• Apply two coats of sanding sealer to the wood, and sand in between coats to remove drip markings. Next apply a wood primer to the entire surface. Spray-can primers are good for an evenly distributed coat of primer. Again sand with a fine-grit sand paper in between coats to ensure a smooth finish. Apply two coats of latex color paint to the wood. In between the first and second coat, sand out any drip marks.

Final Touches

• A few coats of spray lacquer or polyurethane should be applied as a final coat to give the furniture a glossy and protected finished. The lacquer will create a hard bond that protects the wood against moisture, mold or mildew. If you are applying latex, water-based paint, follow through by applying a water-based lacquer or polyurethane. You can complete the job by waxing and buffing your new piece of furniture. This will give it a polished look.