Removing WAX and preparing wood for Staining can be a nightmare and can put some of you off even starting a project. But it is not that bad when you know how.

This is an instructional step by step video tutorial on how to remove wax from furniture.  You MUST remove the wax to ensure your paint or stain fully adheres. Candle wax is used as a resist in paint layering and furniture wax will do the same and stop you getting a strong durable lasting finish.

You will be taken through the stages of how this old chest of drawers was transformed using both paint and stains and latex rubber mouldings.

And see how it turned into this

HERE IS THE VIDEO

www.nookhome.iehttp://www.generalfinishes.com

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by Aileen Hogan of shabby.ie

Why I Don’t Use Chalk Paint, at least not on EVERYDAY pieces. Only  vintage /antique pieces, that I want a more textured look to the paint…

People are always asking me, what is the best paint for refinishing furniture. What is the best paint for old furniture. What is the easiest paint to use, without sanding ? Here is all you need to know.

I started painting furniture as a hobby, about 10 years ago.  At that time chalk paint was the NEW big thing. It is marketed as being really easy to use, no sanding, no priming and dries really quick.

Ideal for us ‘quick results with little effort ‘right !

With such amazing claims, no wonder so many people took up painting furniture.

For years I refinished hundreds of pieces of furniture, both for my own home and clients homes. I moved onto teaching many others, the art of refinishing furniture. In this years, I have learned a LOT and have moved on from chalk paint ( as have a lot of furniture re-finishers) to a more professional paint,  and here’s why..

Chalk paint is what is says a ‘ DECORATIVE PAINT’

And decorative paints are not suitable for everyday furniture. It’s simply not durable enough and I have proof of that around my own home. No matter how long I gave it to cure, in some cases, the finish would scrape off very easily even months later.  But then, without a scuff sand to aid adhesion, why wouldn’t it ?

The wax finish attracts dust and dirt and is very hard to clean.

Also, most people don’t realise that the wax finish they use to seal the chalk paint, has to be reapplied every few years and much sooner in high wear areas like kitchens.

I moved away from the waxing initially and started using top coats instead and that certainly did increase the durability somewhat.  So if you are still a chalk paint fan, I recommend this top coat for over it.

Brush Marks vs Smooth Finish

But even with the varnish I still had the issue of brush marks. I hated this textured look on every day pieces. Nice, on an old vintage piece in the corner,but not in my living room or kitchen.

I personally wanted a smooth sprayed like finish. I simply could not get it with chalk paint. Even when I watered down and applied with a roller. It still looked too rough for me. And whats with the paint getting thicker and thicker as you trying to apply it ??? … aaggghh . Easy paint ? NOT !

Below is an example of the look I wanted to achieve and I wasn’t getting that with chalk paint.

False Claims when I have spent my money, drives me mad

The claims of never having to prime or sand when using chalk paint are simply not true. There are times when you will paint a piece of furniture and the paint will discolour. This is call BLEED THROUGH and no amount of paint, or coats of paint, will cover it.

If you haven’t experienced this yet…. Its only a matter of time.

Sometimes you simply have to use a primer to seal in all that nastiness. Otherwise the wonderful experience you should be having restyling your furniture, will actually turn into a frustrating nightmare. Here is the BEST PRIMER  for bleeders

Also priming gives a shiny surface a dulling down, that is an ideal start for under your good paint. Here is the water based primer I recommend.

So when it came to opening my own store and stocking a paint, I had to choose one I could stand by. A brand I could honestly and genuinely believe would give my customers the result they were looking for. Professional products that did not hide behind false claims.

And regardless of the brand my customers choose to use,  I was determined to teach them that the old tried and tested techniques, of cleaning sanding and sometimes priming, work !

I teach this in the Complete Guide to Restyling Furniture Course . This course is now fully ONLINE in the shabby school on this website and has over 43 videos and PDF’s for you to complete in your own time and at your own speed. No matter where you live in the world, you can access this course as often as you like from an device that you get internet on. 

In the Paint for Profit start your own business course, I tell you to choose a brand of paint that you can stand over. One you are happy using and one that gives you the finish your customers require. You need to have that trust in the products you are using, if you are selling furniture.

So back to the question.

Why I Don’t Use Chalk Paint and What is the best paint to use on furniture ?

Well if you are looking for a paint that is easy to use, durable and long lasting, gives a smooth perfect sprayed like finish, even by hand, and is self sealing , then I recommend using the SHABBY COLOUR COLLECTION, for Fleetwood Paints. It is simply the best and comes in three finishes. Flat ( Eggshell ) Satin ( advanced satinwood) Gloss ( advanced satinwood)

There is a range of 27 beautiful colour available and all come in 3 sizes. 90ml small project pots, 300ml medium project pots and 1L. We also offer GIFT PACKS and SAMPLE PACKS (90ml) so you can try out a variety of colours.

Hope you found this blog useful and HAPPY PAINTING >> Aileen

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