Seeking advice and info on chalk paint

Theresa Shearer
by Theresa Shearer
Can someone give me information on chalk paint? I keep reading about it and how good it is. I want to paint a piece of furniture and was thinking of using chalk paint. Is it like using ordinary paint? Can you use same type of paint brush or is there a special one needed? Any info/advice would be welcomed.
  5 answers
  • MN Mom MN Mom on Mar 21, 2016
    Personally I am not a fan of chalk paint. Although I understand the process and the ability to skip the sanding/priming preparation steps, I find the finish is rough and to me, it looks like you just wanted to hurry up and paint a project. I prefer regular paint or stain.
  • Chalk paint has its good points and some bad points as MN mom described above. However, chalk paint does adhere to most surfaces with little prep (you still need to degloss the surface and clean dirt and grease) and you can make your own which can be very durable and help cover up flaws on a piece of furniture. I never chalk paint on beautiful wood but I did paint my dumpster dive antique butterfly table because it was too much to sand. I painted my kitchen cabinets with my own version too after trying different recipes http://www.thegardenfrogboutique.com/2016/02/homemade-chalk-paint-recipe/ I have a few projects I have done with homemade chalk paint so I can choose my own colors with paint samples. I have tried the expensive stuff and I prefer the low cost of mine
  • Janet Pizaro Janet Pizaro on Mar 21, 2016
    I prefer stain on wood over chalk paint. Some homemakers say there is no prep in the process and others have stated the chalk paint works better with prep. Honestly choosing how or what to use is of very personal taste.
  • Opal McCoy Opal McCoy on Mar 22, 2016
    Is it cheaper? I don't really think so- you have to purchase the paint(s), brushes, and the waxes. I really feel its a fad that will pass pretty quickly.
  • Chas' Crazy Creations Chas' Crazy Creations on Mar 22, 2016
    I did my first experiment with chalk paint on these...http://www.hometalk.com/diy/bedroom/furniture/plant-stands-turned-into-end-tables-13944212 I didn't buy the most expensive paint out there because I also just wanted to figure out if I liked the paint or not before doing a bigger project. I found it was easy to go on, and very forgiving. I used a regular paintbrush and you can see stroke marks, I also tried a sponge paintbrush and liked that a little better but still had stroke marks. You do have to put the wax on it, and the wax is supposed to be reapplied every 6 months with the kind I tried. My climate in Colorado is very drying and it's getting close to 6 months and yes they feel like they need more wax. The one thing that happened to my chalk paint that I didn't like was that it chips easy. My kids have accidently knocked over the tables and when they bumped the floor the paint chipped off. Now to fix it was very simple - re-apply the paint, let it dry, re-apply the wax. Not sure I'll use it for the big project (my grandmother's hope chest) I have. We are thinking we'll sand and stain the hope chest instead.
    • Theresa Shearer Theresa Shearer on Mar 23, 2016
      @Chas Thanks Chas. I was thinking of painting a kitchen table but it sounds like it chips very easily so I think I will go with the regular paint. The chalk paint might do better on smaller projects.