How to Do Crackle Faux Finish

The aged look of old paint gives character to furniture and accessories.

Add a rustic, Old World touch to walls or wood furniture with a faux crackle finish. This painting technique employs a special glaze and multiple layers of paint to get the look of weathered paint that has dried and separated over time to reveal a lower layer of paint color or wood through a fine web of cracks. The crackle glaze keeps two layers of paint from bonding, creating a time-worn look on furniture and walls instantly.

Things You'll Need

• Dropcloth
• Primer
• Flat interior paint, 2 colors
• Crackling glaze
• Paintbrush or roller
• Painter's tape
• Clear finish

Instructions

1. Tape off areas that you do not want painted. Place drop cloths on the floor to help protect it. Then, apply a coat of primer to the working surface.

2. Apply two coats of the base color according to the manufacturer's directions with brush or roller. Generally, let first coat dry four to eight hours. Then apply second coat. Let dry 24 hours minimum.

3. Apply the crackling agent with a roller or a brush -- avoid overlapping as much as possible. A roller will result in finer cracks, while applying the glaze with a paintbrush produces more pronounced cracks. Wait until it's dry to the touch, which is generally between two and four hours.

4. Apply the top coat with either a brush or a roller -- again a brush produces more crackle, and a roller less. Try to apply the paint in one direction only without overlapping brush or roller strokes. The crackling begins to develop in a few minutes.

Tips & Warnings

• For high-trafficked or moisture-prone areas, you can apply one to two coats of an oil-based, clear finish, i.e. lacquer or polyurethane.

• Apply a brown-tinted polyurethane in a matte finish for a protective coat that provides even more aging.

• For straight-lined crackles, use short brush strokes going in one direction. For spider web-like crackles, use a sea sponge starting from the center of the working area and spiraling your way out to the edges.

References

• Valspar at Lowe's: Faux Painting With Crackle