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How to paint old furniture so that the finish lasts

Thin coats, full drying, and the right topcoat. Most finishing problems come from thick coats, impatience, and the wrong product for the way the piece will be used.

Choose the finish for the use

Ask where the piece will live, and how hard it will be used.

• Chalk-style paint: flat and matt, and it sticks to many surfaces with little sanding. It needs a topcoat of wax or clear varnish on anything that is handled.
• Water-based enamel or acrylic: satin or gloss, and hard-wearing. Good for kitchen chairs, doors and cabinets.
• Solvent-based enamel: hard and glossy, for metal and outdoor items. It has strong fumes and dries slowly.
• Wood stain: changes the colour while the grain shows. It also shows every scratch and glue mark, so test it on a hidden spot.
• Clear varnish: protects stain, bare wood or paint. Water-based varnish stays clearer. Solvent-based varnish turns amber.
• Oil: a natural, low sheen on bare wood. It needs several coats.
• Wax: a soft sheen over chalk paint. It is not hard-wearing, and it is not for tabletops that get wet.

Outdoor pieces need products made for outdoor use.

Before you start

• The piece must be clean, sanded and free of dust.
• Work in a ventilated room that is not windy or dusty.
• Avoid very cold or very hot days.
• Stir the tin. Do not shake it, because shaking adds bubbles.

Applying paint with a brush

• Use a good synthetic brush for water-based products.
• Load a third of the brush and tip off the excess.
• Lay the paint on, spread it, and finish with light strokes in one direction, along the grain.
• Work from the top down and from the inside out.
• Do not go back over paint that has started to dry.

A small foam roller gives a smooth finish on flat surfaces. Spraying gives the smoothest finish on chairs with spindles, but it needs outdoor space, a respirator and many light coats.

Between coats

Let each coat dry as the tin says. Sand lightly with 240-grit paper, dust off, and apply the next coat. Two thin coats beat one thick coat every time.

Dry is not the same as cured

• Dry to the touch means that you can handle the piece gently.
• Recoat time is when the next coat can go on.
• Cured means fully hard, which often takes 7 to 30 days.

Until a finish has cured, it marks, sticks and scratches easily. Keep curing pieces in a dry, dust-free place, and do not stack them. Tell customers how long to wait before heavy use.

Popular looks

• Two-tone: a painted body with a top in stained wood.
• Distressed: paint, let it dry, then lightly sand the edges where natural wear would occur.
• Colour-wash: thinned paint brushed on and wiped off, so that the grain shows.

One or two techniques on a piece usually sell better than five.

When finishes go wrong

• Peeling: grease or wax was left on, or a glossy surface was not sanded. Remove the loose paint, clean, sand, prime and repaint.
• Brush marks: the paint was too thick or overworked.
• Bubbles: a shaken tin, or hot sun.
• Drips and runs: too much paint, especially on edges.
• Tacky for days: thick coats, or cold and humid weather.
• Stains bleeding through: use a stain-blocking primer.
• White paint yellowing: use a water-based clear coat over pale colours.

Food and waste

Never paint a surface that touches food. Use a finish sold as food-safe on chopping boards and trays.

Never pour paint, solvents or brush water down drains or into the garden. Take solvents and oil-based leftovers to a hazardous waste drop-off.

Keep a sample board

Paint a strip of wood with each colour, stain and topcoat you use, and label it. Write down the product, the number of coats and the drying times, so that you can make "another one like that".

This guide is based on Chapter 5 of Upcycling as a Side Hustle.