How to Finish Wicker Furniture

Wicker furniture is often painted white or other light colors as a complement to summer weather, but you can paint or finish it in any shade you choose. It is best to remove old paint, apply a new coat and complete the project with a clear finish.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Damp cloth
• Newspapers
• Scraper made from natural fibers or brass
• Disposable gloves and face mask
• Liquid stripper
• Fine-grain sandpaper
• Paint
• Lacquer or other finish

1. Clean your wicker furniture with a damp cloth before you start your finishing project.

2. Lay down newspapers where you will be working on your wicker. You will want an area that has good ventilation so the chemical fumes will not be concentrated around you.

3. Remove old paint from the wicker furniture. Use a brass or natural fiber scraper to slough off chipped and flaky paint. A liquid stripper can be used to soften an old coat of paint. Scrape gently so as not to shred the caning.

4. Let your furniture dry after you have stripped off the old paint. This can take up to 2 days. You may find areas you have missed and will need to apply more stripper.

5. Sand the wicker furniture gently with a fine grain sandpaper. This will help a new finish adhere to the strands of the weave. Exerting too much pressure with the sandpaper can cause pieces to crack or break, so be careful.

6. Examine your wicker furniture to determine whether you want to paint it a new color before you apply a clear finish. If you have removed a dark shade of paint, a residue sometimes remains that is impossible to eradicate.

7. Paint the furniture if desired, using an oil-based paint or a spray paint that is suitable for wicker. Check the paint can labels to see what materials it will work with. Two light coats are better than one thick coat.

8. Apply a clear lacquer finish after the paint on your wicker has dried. Lacquer will provide your furniture with some protection from the elements, although wicker should be kept away from excessive humidity and rain. Lacquer finishes can be brushed or sprayed onto your wicker pieces.

9. Set your finished wicker furniture out to dry in a shady spot on a warm, windy day. This can speed up the drying process, which can take a couple of days.

Tips & Warnings

• Always wear disposable gloves and a face mask to protect yourself from paint fumes.
• Avoid using a polyurethane finish on wicker furniture. This type of finish dries into a very hard coating. Wicker is a flexible material and may cause a polyurethane finish to crack as the wicker shifts.