How to Refinish Furniture: The basics.
First things first—How do you refinish furniture? There are so many different scenarios of how-to depending on your specific project, but let’s start with the most common. You have a piece of furniture in your house or found for free on the curbside and it has an old, outdated stain and topcoat that could definitely use a facelift. And perhaps some Botox, aka, wood filler. Let’s start with a list of supplies that will help make this update easy and successful.
Supplies:
- PurePower Cleaner
- Wood Pate
- 2” THE GRIP Paint Brush
- or 1″ Round Paint Brush
- Sanding Block and Finishing Pad
- Evolution Paint or Farmhouse Paint
- Primer
- Top coat
That’s it. And best of all, once you have these items on hand, you’ll likely have leftovers to tackle future projects. Maybe another piece that has been sitting in your basement. Maybe you want to try your first flip and make a little cash.
Quick steps:
- Clean
- Fill gouges and dings with wood pate.
- Scuff Sand
- Apply 2 coats of stain-blocking primer, if needed. (see below)
- Apply 1-2 coats of paint.
- Apply top coat (optional, see below).
Let’s start.
CLEANING:
First, you’re going to want to give the piece a good cleaning. Keep in mind, this piece has likely been sitting around for years, maybe decades. Besides collecting dust, the surface will have finger grease everywhere that gets touched, maybe hairspray and perfume, maybe even kitchen grease. You will be surprised at how far cooking grease will travel when cooking. I know this because our return vent that is about 20 feet away from the oven collects grease, which in turn, collects cat hair to the grease. Gross. Just clean your piece well. For this step, my favorite cleaner is PurePower Cleaner—and it comes with a scrub pad! It does an amazing job at removing grime and also helps to dull the previous finish. Just get a bucket of water with scrub pad and cleaning cloth, spray PurePower Cleaner on your piece, wring out the scrub pad and scrub the piece. Wipe away cleaner and grime with a damp cloth.
Wood Pate:
If you would like your piece to have a clean, modern look, fill any imperfections with Wood Pate. Allow to dry then sand smooth with a sanding block. If you’re going for vintage or character, feel free to leave the imperfections!
Scuff Sand:
Next, this step is said to not be necessary by the manufacturer of the paint we’ll be using, but I always do it to ensure the most durable and successful finish and that is—sanding. I’m not talking sanding down to the raw wood, what I’m talking about is “scuff” sanding. Take a 150-180 grit sanding block and just take 10 minutes and rub it across all the surfaces you’ll be painting–similar to the way you were scrubbing off grime. This roughs up and dulls the surface and gives the surface “tooth”—meaning it gives paint or primer something to grab on to. Paint has a hard time grabbing on to slick, shiny surfaces. Vacuum up the dust left behind and then wipe it down with a dry microfiber cloth.
STAIN BLOCKING PRIMER (if needed):
Instances you will need to use a stain blocking primer:
-Block wood tannins
-Block previous stain
If your surface is susceptible to bleed through, you will want to first apply a stain-blocking primer, especially if painting with a light color. Wood contains “tannins”, some more than others, and certain woods are more likely to bleed, such as mahogany. Bleed through appears as red, pink, orange, yellow or brown blotches that seep through the paint and ruin your beautiful paint color. The knots found in pine will also bleed through your paint. The old, previous stain can also bleed through your paint if the previous topcoat is compromised.
A good stain-blocking primer will lock in these tannins. Apply one thin coat and allow at least 2 hours to dry—if you can let the first coat dry overnight, that’s even better for really stubborn bleed through. Apply a second coat, if needed. You can tell if it’s needed if your first coat of primer is showing the tannins or stain bleed through. Allow the second coat to dry at least 2 hours before painting.
PAINT:
Now we get to paint! The fun part! But how do we choose which paint? Evolution Paint requires no primer (unless you’re blocking bleed through) and requires no topcoat. It’s also the most adhesive paint I’ve ever worked with (great for slicker surfaces). It’s also an industrial strength formula that works for both interior AND exterior projects. And it completely cures in just 24 hours for fast return to service. This paint will give you a satin finish and is perfect for modern or clean looks, kitchen cabinets, and front doors. If you find a color you like in Evolution, I highly recommend this paint.
Another option is Farmhouse Paint (Original). This is an all-in-one acrylic paint that also requires no primer (unless you need to block bleed through) and no topcoat. It is available in over 50 colors, so you’re sure to find one you love! It gives a smooth, matte-eggshell finish that I’m slightly obsessed with. I like to use this paint if there’s a specific color I like or if I’m going to be applying an artistic finish like glazing gel, Crackleize, Crusting Mix, Mood Metallix, or distressing the paint for a more vintage look. If this piece will be heavily used and abused, I recommend adding a topcoat.
When you’ve decided which route to go (you cannot go wrong with either paint, they’re seriously both AMAZING), stir your paint well, then pour into a separate dish. Never dip your wet paint brush directly into your paint can because the bacteria in water can transfer to the can and eventually grow mold if it sits long enough. Have I dipped my brush directly into my paint can before? Well, of course I have. Did it grow mold? Not typically, but it HAS happened before. So just be safe if you want to keep your paint in good condition for future use.
USING BRUSH: Apply with good even strokes, keeping enough paint on brush to adequately apply paint with good flowing coverage. Do not overload brush, or allow brush to get too dry. The better the brush, the better the finish. We suggest using THE GRIP 2″ Brush or the 1″ ROUND Brush for best results.
USING SPRAYER: For best results, spray evenly with thin coats. Depending on type of sprayer, you may dilute paint with up to 15% water if needed.
USING ROLLER: We suggest using the Farmhouse Paint® Nano Fiber Roller with paint tray on flat areas, for best results. Roll paint on evenly and consistently for the smoothest finish.
Evolution Paint: Allow 1 hour to dry before applying a second coat, if needed. For smoothest results, lightly sand between coats with a fine sanding sponge. Wipe off dust with a microfiber cloth. Apply second coat. Once you’re done, you’re done. Evolution Paint cures to its hardest finish in just ONE DAY. Evolution is extremely durable and a clear coat is not recommended.
Farmhouse Paint (Original): Wait 2-4 hours for paint to completely dry, then apply second coat if needed. Lightly sand with a fine sanding pad between coats for the smoothest finish. Wipe off dust with a microfiber cloth. Allow paint to dry overnight and apply at least 1 coat of polyurethane on base for heavy traffic areas. Apply 3 coats of polyurethane on the top of the piece, if that was painted as well.
