How to Prepare Antique Furniture for Painting

Painting an antique transforms its appearance.

Correctly preparing antique furniture for a new coat of paint is the secret to a professional-looking finish. Many people discover antique furniture treasures at garage sales or thrift shops. Often these pieces need refinishing. Whether the piece is a bargain or a beloved heirloom, adding a coat of paint is an effective way to protect the furniture and seal the wood. It is also effective in keeping the antique looking attractive for many years to come.

Things You'll Need

• Safety goggles
• Work gloves
• Face mask
• Screwdriver
• Putty knife
• Fine grit sandpaper (320)
• Vacuum cleaner with attachments
• Cellophane tape
• Primer
• Paintbrush
• NIOSH-approved respirator (optional)
• Power sander (optional)
• Heat gun (optional)
• Cleaning cloth (optional)
• Bleach (optional)
• Trisodium phosphate (optional)

Instructions

1. Move the furniture to a well-ventilated area. Set it on top of a drop cloth.

2. Put on protective goggles, work gloves and a face mask.

3. Pull out any drawers in the furniture. Remove any hardware, such as drawer pulls or hinges, with a screwdriver.

4. Scrape any loose or peeling paint with a putty knife.

5. Sand the furniture with 320 grit sandpaper all that areas that require painting. If the paint still looks sound, only smooth the rough edges. Continue sanding until the surface feels smooth. Fold the sandpaper to get into any nicks in the wood.

6. Vacuum the antique furniture with a brush attachment for this step.

7. Place strips of cellophane tape on the furniture to test the surface. Do this in random areas. If it is a small piece, use only two or three strips. Rip the tape off. If it comes off cleanly, the furniture is ready to paint. If there is paint on the tape, sand the antique a bit more until the tape test comes clean.

8. Apply primer paint to the wood with a paintbrush. Allow it to dry completely.

9. Sand the furniture again lightly, just enough to smooth any rough sections.

Tips & Warnings

• Put on a respirator mask if the furniture you are painting was made before 1970, as stated by Valspar at Lowe's. This prevents exposure to lead during the preparation stage. It is important that you do not dry sand this type of paint to remove it. Use a power sander or wet hand sand the piece. Use HEPA filters to prevent lead exposure.

• Use a heat gun to remove stubborn paint from the furniture if the tape does not rip off cleanly after a couple of tries.

• If the antique has a musty odor from long-term storage, clean the piece after prepping it for the paint. Use a diluted bleach mixture and a cleaning cloth. Another option is washing it with a weak trisodium phosphate solution. Follow the directions on the container.

• Some antique furniture is quite valuable. If you are unsure of the value, take it to an antique furniture specialist before painting. Refinishing the antique may cause it to lose value.

Resources

• Stores 4 Furniture; Nine Easy Steps to Painting Your Own Furniture; Thomas Dean
• Valspar at Lowe's: How to Refinish Wood Furniture