Can You Seal a Painted Desk?

Sanding Sealer

• The best way to seal the wood from moisture and rot is to apply sanding sealer to the wood. Sanding sealer, however, is only effective if it's applied to raw and sanded wood. If you are refinishing the desk, strip the paint and old finish using a paint stripper. Sand the desk down to its natural wood qualities. Sand the wood in increments by moving up in sand paper grits to achieve a smooth surface. Brush on the sanding sealer prior to the actual paint.

Paint

• An oil based paint will be more difficult to strip in the future if you decide to refinish the desk again. Latex water-based paints are cleaner to work with and have less of an odor. In the end, it doesn't matter what paint you use as long as you match it with the right sealant.

Sealant

• A water-based polyurethane sealant goes over latex paints and an oil-based polyurethane must seal any oil-based paint finishes. Mismatching will cause binding issues and peel on the surface of the desk. The polyurethane needs three coats to ensure a thick and strong finish. Apply the polyurethane with a spray paint can or with a paint brush. Lightly sand between coats to eliminate drip marks that may occur.

Shine

• Once the polyurethane has dried you can apply wax to the surface of the desk in order to shine the finish. Standard car liquid car wax sold in most auto supply stores will work for the job along with a standard buffer wheel. Apply the wax to the buffer pad and use the buffer to rub the wax into the finish. This will create a high gloss shine to the desk and give it a finished look.