Can I paint a dresser without sanding first?
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I have a old dresser that is falling apart and I'd love to redo it. Am I able to paint it without sanding first?
10 answers
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you should use at least a medium Sand paper, then to fine. This way it prevents peeling. First use a primer, then paint.
Phil
on Sep 29, 2015
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There are liquid products that remove the paint. Try Home Depot.
AmericanWoman
on Sep 29, 2015
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Maybe. If you are going to use chalk paint, either commercially made or homemade, the chalk paint companies say you can skip prep work, including sanding, as long as the existing finish is clean and smooth. If you are planning to use latex paint (my preferred paint for furniture), most everyone is going to tell you that sanding is an absolute must if you want latex paint to stick. I am here to tell you that is just NOT true. I hate to sand. Hate it! If the finish is in relatively good shape, I don't bother with sanding just to ensure paint adhesion. Out of all the pieces of furniture I have painted with latex paint (more than 30--I've lost count!), I only stripped and sanded one piece and that's because the finish on it was really in bad, bad shape--all bubbly. Even though I don't sand, I have never had a problem getting latex paint to stick to any surface, even laminate, long term. I've got pieces of painted furniture in my house that were painted 8+ years ago with latex paint and endured being man-handled by movers during a relocation from one house to another, and they look just as good today as they did the day I painted them. If you want to skip the sanding step, you need to thoroughly wipe the dresser down with a "liquid sandpaper" (aka deglosser) product, which is completely different from a paint stripper. (And, by the way, if the finish on your dresser is smooth, you do not need to strip the existing finish off before you paint it.) I personally prefer the Klean-Strip brand of liquid sandpaper/deglosser. It not only deglosses but cleans off any dirt and grime that might be on the furniture and leaves a slight tackiness so your primer will adhere well. After following the directions on the liquid sandpaper bottle, then I apply a couple very thin coats of a good BONDING primer like Zinsser. After the primer has dried well, I apply however many thin coats of latex paint it takes to get good coverage, being sure to let each coat dry well before adding the next coat. Don't rush it. If you put the primer and paint on heavy in order to "just get done," it may never cure properly and you run the risk of having it chip, bubble or peel. Latex paint generally dries to touch with 30 minutes or so but it can take up to 30 days, depending on the weather, for latex paint to completely cure/harden. Until it is fully cured, you probably should be very careful placing books, lamps or anything else on the dresser top as stuff can stick and potentially pull the paint off when you move them.
Shari
on Sep 29, 2015
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Shari is right. It's a deglasser. But I would go chalk paint. It adheres to everything..
Pamela Lee
on Sep 29, 2015
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Thank you everyone for your help :)
Rebecca Haller-Fry
on Sep 29, 2015
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If you use chalk paint you can, also, most chalk paint is voc free and doesn't have a strong oder and dries very quickly. I recently painted over a finished bed frame and the paint went on smoothly.
Dani
on Sep 29, 2015
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Rebecca-I was only trying to help you with your question. I teach at Joann's this very subject. 😉
Pamela Lee
on Sep 29, 2015
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When ever refinishing wood it is always recommended to lightly sand first. You also have to make sure there is no debris on the furniture so lightly clean as well.
Janet Pizaro
on Sep 30, 2015
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Liquid Sandpaper....available at Lowes, Home Dept, etc. Coolest-Thing-Ever. :)
Betty Hammond-Wirsen
on Sep 30, 2015
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You need to do something to make sure there is not wax or polish on the old wood. That will cause a paint failure. I unknowingly painted over either furniture polish or wax and the new paint dried and peeled off immediately. So then we had to remove all the old finish and start from raw wood. It was good in the end, but lots of extra work.
Kathy Kinney
on Sep 30, 2015
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