Chalkpaint or chalk-type paints have long been touting themselves as paints which don't need very much prep, or in some cases no prep!
I personally have difficulty with the last part of that statement, every surface needs to be thoroughly cleaned prior to painting and cleaning is prep!
We've created an easy to use guide for preparing the most commonly chalkpainted surfaces using Granny B's Old Fashioned Paints as a FREE download - CLICK HERE to download.
Some golden rules to keep in mind when painting with water-based paint and especially the ever-popular chalkpaint option:
Cleaning
Always clean the surface well. Particularly older pieces of furniture that have been oiled, waxed or treated with wood care products. These products contain oils that would typically seep into a fresh coat of chalkpaint or newly sealed coat of paint creating yellow, brown or discolored patches.
We recommend a good washing down with a sugar soap solution, or repeated wipe downs using lacquer thinners and a soft natural fiber cloth. Repeat the process until there are no further dark deposits from the furniture onto the cloth.
For more on prepping older items check out our Granny B's Surface Prep Guide
(Available as a FREE download)
Bleeding
Linked to the above point, and occurs when you paint over a previous stained, waxed, oiled, varnished or naturally dark wood. In this case a priming layer will be required.
We really don't suggest that you sand if the surface is even or smooth as quite often it's that layer of varnish holding back a bucket-load of potentially disastrous wood-bleed causing agents.
For more about wood-bleed check out our Granny B's Surface Prep Guide or read this handy article about wood bleed and how to prevent it
Adhesion
This is a contentious issue, just about every chalkpaint claims that their paint will stick to any surface. Obviously I am going to tell you that Granny B's Old Fashioned Paint does an amazing job of sticking to just about aby surface, but truth be told different chalkpaints stick to different surfaces with different levels of adhesion.
Certain glossy surfaces such as smooth plastics, porcelain, tiles, and glass can pose problems. To be safe, and not sorry down the line (avoiding chips forming) we suggest a light de-glossing to increase adhesion. For this purpose your options range from a light sanding through to using a purpose specific priming agent.
Once again we invite you to review our surface preparation guide for more detail on prepping various surfaces, Check out our Granny B's Surface Prep Guide
(Available as a FREE download)
Granny B's Old Fashioned Paint is a proudly South African manufacturer and distributor of chalkpaints, stencils, glazes, waxes, stains, sealers, decoupage tissue, transfers and other decor crafting media and accessories
Get in touch via:
hello@grannyb.co.za
www.grannyb.co.za
Tel: +27(0)11 7080139