How To Seal Hand Painted Furniture

Seal hand painted furniture to protect it.

Hand-painted furniture should be sealed twice. The wood should be sealed after it's been sanded to keep the new paint you're going to use from affecting the wood. Then, after it's been painted, it should be sealed again. The extra sealing will prevent the paint from damage, give it a glossy or matte finish and protect it from moisture and scratches.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Before you paint, sand the surface of the furniture with a fine grit sandpaper to smooth it out and help the paint bond better. If you're painting over wood that's previously been stained or painted, scuffing up the surface with a fine grit sandpaper will ensure your paint doesn't peel off, revealing the old finish.

2. Seal unfinished wood by using a wood conditioner, often called a sanding sealer. These products work to ensure the raw wood doesn't have dry patches or areas that absorb too much. Using a sanding sealer keeps you from having to paint the same side over because the paint keeps soaking into the wood. Since paint has larger molecules than wood stain, this isn't likely to happen. Very dry wood will absorb much less paint if you treat it with a conditioner to seal the wood before you paint. Since they're not lacquers or enamels, they won't keep the paint from sticking.

3. Paint your furniture just the way you want it. Go wild with a pattern, crazy colors or something serene to match the rest of your décor. Latex wall paint works and is inexpensive. For detail work, acrylic craft paint comes in different sized bottles and adheres well to latex paint.

4. Painted Furniture

   Spray an aerosol sealer lightly over the surface of your painted furniture after the paint has dried. Aerosol sealers are available in several finishes, from matte to high gloss and work well for small projects and highly detailed carved areas. Allow the spray to dry fully between coats. If you don't want to use an aerosol spray, move on to the next step, for another way to seal hand-painted furniture.

5. Use a sponge to apply enamel-based sealers. These may have to cure for more than 24 hours, depending on which one you select. Enamels create a hard and durable surface that wipes clean nicely. They are also available in several finishes. If you decide enamel is not for you, you can use lacquer.

6. Try spray or brush-on lacquer. The key to working with a lacquer is to allow it plenty of time to dry completely. Wet-sand with extremely fine grit sandpaper to remove dust from the surface.

Tips & Warnings

• Use synthetic, not natural fiber brushes with acrylic paint. Natural fibers swell and turn to mush with prolonged exposure to acrylic paint. Avoid polyurethane finishes for furniture.They are hard, brittle and tend to break down in an ugly way.

Resources

• Painted Pianos