Repair in practice: how to repaint furniture yourself

Tired of faded tones, or do you want something new? Old furniture is made of natural wood, but has long lost its attractive appearance? In all these cases, the brush and paint will help out. Do-it-yourself furniture painting is not a very complicated process if technology is followed.

Process

• Surface cleaning

First you need to wash away dirt and grease from all surfaces. For this purpose, detergents and a sponge are used. After the furniture is washed, it must be thoroughly dried with the help of napkins.

• Furniture disassembly

Before you repaint the furniture, you need to disassemble it, but this is not always advisable. Complex design cabinets and racks with drawers, panel facades must be disassembled in order to perform quality work. Also, do not forget to free furniture from handles and all unnecessary equipment.

Furniture of simple shapes can be painted without disassembling. You do not need to disassemble the cabinets even if you are going to limit yourself to painting facades.

Tip: Before starting work, accessories that you do not plan to remove, as well as those parts of the furniture that will not be painted but adhere to the painted surfaces, can be sealed with masking tape.

• Surface sanding

Sanding before repainting furniture is a necessary process, especially if its surface is laminated. Modern coatings are made of polymer films, and the paint does not stick to them.

In order for the laminate to be painted evenly and the paint to hold well, it is necessary to strengthen the work of adhesion, that is, the adhesion force of the paint coating to the base, for which it should be roughened as much as possible. To this end, all surfaces are carefully treated with a “null” sandpaper.

Remember to wear a respirator: the work is very dusty and the resulting dust is unhealthy.

• Primer surface

Before painting the furniture with your own hands, it is necessary to prime the surface. This is necessary so that the paint lays evenly, and does not begin to peel off over time.

You will need a primer suitable for all surfaces, including glass and tile. Such primers based on polyurethane are quite expensive, but this waste is justified: how well the primer lays down depends on how well the paint will hold.

After application, the primer must dry for at least 12 hours.

• Defects and cracks

Before repainting the furniture, it is necessary to repair the defects and cracks, even if they seem insignificant. This is done using putty, for example, based on latex or epoxy.

It is best to putty after the surface is primed - the soil will remove some of the minor defects, and it will be clearly visible in which places you still need to work. After the dents and cracks are puttied, let the product dry, if necessary, go “null” and prime the surface again. After the second primer, the furniture needs to be dried for at least 12 hours.

• Paint selection

So that the result of repainting furniture does not disappoint, you need to choose the “right” materials, including the most suitable paint.

If the surface is laminated with a film, then you can choose from alkyd enamels and paints based on polyurethane. Look for a note on the bank: “for furniture”, it meets all the requirements for paint and varnish products used indoors.

Epoxy paint will dry for a long time, and smell for a long time.Using special primers, you can use acrylic latex paints, but the result may not please.

• The choice of tools for painting

Do-it-yourself tools are necessary for painting furniture: spatulas (preferably rubber) for putty, brushes for applying a primer, whether the brushes are rollers for the actual painting, or spray guns. In some cases, the effect of “uneven” application of paint, with visible stains of the brush, for example, for Provence style furniture, is required.

If you want to get a flat surface - use a roller made of velor. Foam rubber as a “coat” for the roller when working with furniture is not suitable. To work in corners and other places where the roller does not turn around, you need a small brush with a beveled cut of the bristles.

How to repaint furniture professionally? Use a spray gun, its consumption should be from 20 to 200 g of paint per square meter. The calculation of the nozzle diameter and the necessary pressure can be done according to special tables, taking into account the viscosity of the paint used.

• Finish finish

Finishing repainted furniture is to cover it with varnish. It is better if it is a water-based varnish, it does not emit odorous and harmful substances into the air. Such a coating is especially important for furniture that is often touched with hands and touched during passage.

So, the doors of the storage system in the entrance area or kitchen furniture can quickly lose their attractive appearance if they are not protected with a lacquer layer, or better yet, with two. Between the application of the first and second protective layers of varnish should pass at least 24 hours.