Painting oak furniture is a great way of making your piece of furniture loved again! Many of us get bored of the look or style of a particular piece of furniture and painting it can give it a new lease of life! Although, these projects don't come easily and we are here to give a few tips before you begin painting your beloved piece.
Allow yourself enough time
Painting a piece of furniture takes a minimum of four days due to the amount of prepping and coats necessary. Make sure you give yourself the right amount of spare time before you begin painting a piece, if you don't, you may start rushing it and it might not turn out how you expected.
Clean the oak
You may not think your furniture has grease and grime all over it but it's more than likely, it does. Make sure you thoroughly clean the wood with a grease remover (especially if it is a unit from the kitchen)! If you don't clean the oak properly then the paint may not stick properly and will flake away easily.
Remove all of the doors and drawers
A crucial stage in painting your furniture. Take all of the doors, drawers, hinges and knobs off before you begin painting. Many people try to paint the furniture whilst these are still on but the reality is that you are bound to get a bit of paint on the hinges and knobs which, in time, will begin to show signs of wear and will need to be sanded down and repainted. To save time trying to figure out what goes where when you are putting it back together, add little numbered notes on the back of each piece so you know exactly where they go.
Sanding is very important
Sanding down your oak furniture will ensure the paint sticks to it correctly. Spend plenty of energy and time on this part of your renovation as it will be extremely worthwhile in the long run. Use between 150 - 200 grit sandpaper to remove any gloss from the furniture.
Dust your furniture
After sanding, it's paramount to make sure there is no dust left over before you begin painting. Dust the oak piece over and over again so you don't get unwanted grains during painting.
Use prime paint
It may be tempting to skip this step as by now you probably just want to be over and done with. However, if you don't use primer then in a few weeks or months the knots and character in the wood will start to bleed through the paint and will show up.
Wait for the paint to be bone dry
It's very frustrating 'watching paint dry', but it's also very important. Make sure you have left enough time in-between each coat of paint to completely dry before re-painting or moving your furniture. This is the last step and you do not want to mess it up by leaving finger print marks in your new piece of oak furniture! Give the paint time and try not to rush it.
We hope our tips will make you more prepared before painting your oak furniture, if you'd like more information, visit our website.