Fixing and painting this furniture

by Patricia Kinberg

+12

Answered

This furniture is old and had been painted green and then white. The white scrapes off very easily. What can I use over all this to stop the white from scraping off so I can repaint and make it look good again? I tried cleaning and scraping it off the smaller piece but a lot of work. What can I use on this please? Thank you

q fixing and painting this furniture, painted furniture, painting over finishes, painting wood furniture

4 answers

Janet Pizaro on May 05, 2016
Did you use a primer first?

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- Patricia Kinberg on May 05, 2016
  @Janet Pizarro I got the furniture this way and I want to redo it. If I don't scrape off all the old paint, can I just use a good primer to seal it all and that will work? Or will I need to sand/steel wool the paint off first, then prime and paint? Thanks
  
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- Janet Pizaro on May 05, 2016
  @Patricia Kinberg Ok got you. No you have to sand prior to painting. Once that is complete and all the dust and grime is cleaned proceed to prime using Kilz or dinner for wood surfaces. Again allow to dry totally and then you are ready for your paint selection.Make sure you seal that as well with a non yellowing polycrylic.
  
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Suzette Trimmer on May 05, 2016
To Remove layers of paint on OLD furniture, I generally reach for steel wool to use easily at first till you find the right amount of hand pressure to achieve what you're trying to remove. There are different types and strengths of steel wool to use, do not be afraid to ask as many as many questions you need to. I hope others give you advice as well. One person, I go to when I have these types of questions is a furniture restorer in New Hampshire well known for years for his expertise, maybe you can find him on here ..Mr. Alan Korb. When you get this great project done, be sure to let us all see what you were able to accomplish, one of many of the best parts of this site, seeing end result of yet another born DIY'er!!!

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- Patricia Kinberg on May 05, 2016
  @Thank You Suzette T . I sent Mr. Alan Korb an email. I hope to hear from him soon.
  
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- Suzette Trimmer on May 06, 2016
  @Patricia Kinberg I am so happy to know perhaps I have helped in some small way! For my motto is It never costs anyone anything to be nice. My Pleasure, I wish you achieve your desired effect.
  
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- Patricia Kinberg on May 06, 2016
  @Suzette T Thank you so much. I feel the same way and love to help where I can. Thanks again
  
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MN Mom on May 05, 2016
Scrape or strip as much as you can then sand the piece smooth. Be sure to prime the whole piece and then you should be able to paint it.

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- Patricia Kinberg on May 05, 2016
  @MN Mom What is the best primer that I can use?
  
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- MN Mom on May 05, 2016
  If would suggest Kilz. It's a great primer that prevents bleeding of other previously painted areas.
  
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- Patricia Kinberg on May 06, 2016
  @MN Mom Thank you so much.
  
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Debi53 on May 07, 2016
The white paint might be coming off because the green underneath is oil paint. You can't paint latex over oil without the proper preparation. To test to see if you have oil paint underneath the white do this: First, scrub a small area with a solution of household detergent and warm water. Rinse well and towel dry. Then soak a cotton ball, Q-tip or soft rag in alcohol and rub it back and forth over the cleaned area. If paint comes off, it's latex and another coat of the same is in order. If paint doesn't come off, you have oil based paint and must use the right kind of primer to transition between oil and latex.

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- Patricia Kinberg on May 08, 2016
  @Debi53 Thank you. The green is oil based paint. So I will need to sand/scrape off all the white paint then prime? What primer do I need to use to seal the oil base paint? Will I need to use oil based paint again or can I use latex paint for the new paint? Thank you so much.
  
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- Debi53 on May 08, 2016
  @Patricia Winberg You can use latex, but you need to use a bonding primer that says on the label something like, "adheres to any surface." There are several brands and any paint or hardware store sells them. Just ask them to guide you. Although most of these products will tell you you don't need to sand prior to using, I really think you should. Here's why: If you put the bonding primer on top of the peeling white paint, the primer will stick to your paint, but your white paint isn't sticking to your green and it will continue to come off and carry your new primer and paint with it. You don't need to sand off all the green, just sand it to rough it up so your primer sticks better. I also recommend using a liquid sandpaper after your sanding before the primer. This also helps to make the green paint tacky and hold the primer better. Then, after priming, use whatever latex or chalk paint you want and you will be fine. If this piece gets a lot of wear, spray a few coats of a clear protective finish to protect your paint. I prefer spray topcoat to liquid that you have to apply with a brush or pad. It goes on evenly and is easier to apply. If the top gets wear, but not the drawers, just spray the top with several protective coats in the same sheen as your finish--flat, satin, gloss, etc. One final note: I use this product: Scotch Brite light cleansing pad 7445 to 'polish my pieces when the paint has dried thoroughly and if using a clear coat spray, I also use this after the final clear coat. Although it is called a cleansing pad, it is actually an ultra fine sanding pad. It is so fine, that it will not 'sand' your piece, but will polish off the little bumps in paint that sometimes make it feel not quite smooth. This is not the thing to use for heavier sanding. You can sometimes find these at your paint or hardware store like Lowe's. If not, ask your Lowe's or Home Depot to order them and keep them in stock. Hope this helps. Here is a link to the Scotch Brite pad on Amazon so that you can see what it looks like. http://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-Cleansing-Aluminum-Silicate-Length/dp/B00EW7M5S2
  
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- Patricia Kinberg on May 09, 2016
  @Debi53 Thank you so much. This is most helpful Debi. Now to find the time to put this all in action. Thanks again.
  
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