How-To: Furniture Prep Guide

Hello and welcome back!

Prepping your furniture before applying chalk paint is important first step. Not only does it allow your paint to cling and attach better, but if done right, it will help to prevent bleed-through from previous oils, wax and varnish.

Here's what you'll need to prep your piece:

• Lint-free cloths (I tend to use microfibre as dust clings to these much better)

• Warm, soapy water - you can choose to use a sugar soap, but this isn't necessary unless the furniture is particularly grimy! For these pieces, I opt for a combination of warm water, lemon juice and malt vinegar. These help to break down the dirt and can also help to break down layers of wax and oils.

• Medium grit sandpaper

• Priming undercoat

• A chip brush

Step 1: Dust and Wash your Piece:

Make sure you give your newly acquired piece a thorough wash before any sanding takes place. This seems like a no-brainer, but even if your furniture looks clean enough, it really is important that you give it the once over.

Firstly, this will allow you to ensure that all dust is off of the piece and any stains that can be removed, have been.

Secondly, you will be able to take a closer look at the overall condition and you may spot issues that you had previously overlooked, such as any minor repairs.

Lastly, if you decide to use a concoction of lemon juice and malt vinegar (and, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, bicarbonate of soda), washing over with this and gently scrubbing as you go, can remove some of the top coat that you will wish to sand, making the next step slightly easier.

Step 2: Sanding:

Although using a priming undercoat will stop most bleed through, I would still recommend sanding any areas that you plan to paint. This does not mean that you need to sand your piece completely back to its original state, but a light sand with a medium grit by hand will allow your undercoat to cling to its surface much better and effectively prime your furniture.

Step 3: Apply Priming Undercoat:

Applying a priming undercoat is a step that I never skip. With my first piece, I read that chalk paint can be applied directly to the furniture's surface without the need for such things. Lots of bleed-through and 4 to 5 coats later, I vowed that I would find a better, more efficient way to paint going forward. Hence, the undercoat.

Before applying, consider the paint colour you will use; for lighter colours, such as Annie Sloan's Old Ocre or French Chic's Polar Bear, use a white priming undercoat; for your darker shades, like Oxford Navy or Panther, use a grey or black primer. The reason for this is it creates a steady base for your paint to adhere to, whilst assisting with the colour's vibrancy.

To apply, use a synthetic chip brush - it is a good idea to have a dedicated 'undercoat brush' as cleaning undercoat is much tougher than chalk paint - and give your piece a couple of generous coats. I tend to apply this in the same way that I paint, ensuring that I have good coverage across the surface.

First coat of priming undercoat on side table legs.

Remember, priming undercoat tends to take longer to dry than chalk paint. Even quick drying ranges will take at least an hour to two hours to be touch-dry and completely dry after three hours. My advice here is to leave it a full three hours before even thinking about applying your second coat and a further three before you begin applying your chalk paint. Always check that the paint is dry before further applications - these times are just a guide.

There are lots of priming undercoats available on the market (as mentioned in my previous post Want To Start Upcycling? A How-to Guide) but I tend to Johnstone's Quick-Dry Priming Undercoat. It has never failed me and does help with the vibrancy of the colour.

Step 4: Cleaning your Brushes:

Again, this step may seem pretty obvious but take it from someone that has made the mistake of not cleaning brushes directly after use, it is one not to be missed!

Between coats, I recommend that you keep you brush in a sealable plastic bag to stop your primer from drying on your brush, unless leaving overnight. If left to dry, the undercoat will harden, making the brush inflexible and this is really difficult remove at this stage; reactivating the undercoat isn't like water-based paint - it becomes stringy, sticky and you risk transferring fragments onto your furniture. In short, the brush may not be usable going forward or could take (as was my experience) hours to fully clean.

To clean (when wet), rinse out with warm water to remove any excess primer. Then apply a soap or detergent (washing up liquid works well). If you're lucky and you've not had to prime a large surface, following a second rinse with warm water, your brush should be clean. However, in cases where you need to add a bit more umpf, try using brown sugar. Rub some directly onto the brush itself and its natural abrasion will help to strip some of the stubborn areas away. You can also, dissolve this in warm water and soak your brush in this for 30 mins. When you return, give your brush another clean and rinse. Of course, if all else fails, paint brush cleaner is the way to go, however I tend to use this only if I've forgotten to clean directly after use.

Your Furniture is now Prepped

And you're ready to apply your first coat of chalk paint!

As always, thank you for popping along, reading and enjoying my posts.

Until next time...