How to paint lacquered furniture, the procedure for working at home

Over time, even the most durable and reliable interior items lose their original appearance, become worn, various defects appear on them. Painting furniture will help transform it, change it beyond recognition. How to paint lacquered furniture is of interest to many craftsmen who decided to restore old dressers, tables or cabinets. Before work, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with all the nuances in order to avoid mistakes and achieve the best result.

Prerequisites for painting furniture

To determine that interior items need repair, you can by their appearance. Changing the appearance during long-term operation is the first sign. Darkening appears at the place of the thread; a mesh forms on the surface of lacquered furniture.

Sometimes small damages add value to interior items, they become real antique products. If flaws, attritions, other visual defects are more significant, restoration is required. You can entrust it to specialists or conduct it yourself at home. It is possible to update the furniture so that the structure of the tree remains visible, as before. You can repaint it in a different color, and the product will look very different. The only caveat - the texture of this tree in this case is hidden under a layer of paint. In order for the products to look beautiful, it is necessary to properly prepare the surface and select coloring substances. It is important to familiarize yourself with the mistakes that wizards often make, and do everything to prevent them.

Major difficulties and errors

Common mistakes of masters during the restoration of lacquered furniture:

Incomplete removal of old coverage is the most common mistake. It is necessary to completely get rid of the old varnish, sparing no effort and money. Even an insignificant part of the previous coating will appear after restoration and spoil the appearance of the product;
Excessive haste - it is necessary to carefully study the instructions for dyes and various products that remove old varnish. Failure to comply with the time may ruin the result;
Inattention - also often prevents craftsmen from painting furniture properly. Timely noticed flaws and cracks can be puttied;
Uneven or excessive application of the coloring matter - many masters try to apply paint in a thick layer, which subsequently leads to the appearance of bumps and sagging;
Skipping an important step is grinding. Many mistakenly believe that removing the old coating is enough, the surface of the products is already quite smooth, smooth. This opinion is erroneous. Grinding is an important point in the process of furniture restoration. The surface becomes even, the paint is more even and lays down better, lasts longer.

Work Stages

The restoration of the paintwork of the furniture goes through several stages. First you need to remove the layer of old varnish, then sand and degrease the surface, apply paint.

Nail polish removal

How to paint lacquered furniture so that it takes on a well-groomed appearance? Removing varnish is one of the most important steps in the process of painting lacquered furniture.

There are three popular ways:

Mechanical;
Chemical;
Thermal.

You can remove the old coating mechanically using sandpaper, a steel brush or grind the surface with a special grinder. The chemical method is the removal of old varnish from the surface of the furniture with the help of a powder or mixture called “wash”:

The tool is applied with a brush to the surface of the product;
Cover with plastic wrap on top, leave for 3-4 hours;
After removing the film, remove the old coating with a spatula.

In the thermal method, the surface of the product is heated with a construction hairdryer or blowtorch. Remove molten varnish with a knife or spatula. With any chosen method of nail polish removal it is necessary to take care of safety: wear a protective suit, gloves, glasses.

Apply a “wash”

Cover the film

Remove the rest with a spatula

Surface grinding and grinding

Experts recommend dismantling furniture for details before starting work. This will allow to process the surface of each element as efficiently as possible. Replacing old, worn-out fittings in disassembled furniture is much easier. You can polish the furniture surface yourself using a special tool or sandpaper. It is also necessary to get rid of minor defects. At the final stage, an antiseptic is applied.

The next stage is the priming and puttying of the surface. Transparent means will preserve the fibrous structure of the tree. To achieve this result, a minimum amount of primer is applied. Usually putty is applied to the product in an even thin layer. When you need to achieve a perfectly smooth surface, the product is applied several times. After that, leave the product to dry completely. Fine-sized sandpaper overwrites the surface and coat it again with a primer.

Grinding coating

Apply impregnation

Putty

We clean sandpaper

Ground

Degreasing

After completing the cleaning and polishing of the furniture surface, they begin to degrease it. It is necessary so that the paint evenly lay on the surface. Degreasing will also increase the life of the restored furniture, the paint will last a very long time. Means for this procedure are different. Any detergent is suitable. Powder, dish detergent or soap is diluted in water and thoroughly clean the surface. After that, wipe with a cloth moistened with clean warm water and wipe dry. An alcohol solution will also help to degrease the surface of the product, and vinegar will perfectly cope with dirt and grease.

Degrease the surface

Dry with a cloth

Paint selection

It is important to choose the right LMC for furniture. Water-based paints have proven themselves best. These include acrylic and thixotropic paints. Acrylic - does not have a pungent odor, is diluted with water, and also has good stability. Thixotropic - dense, when it dries, it becomes like plastic.

If it is important to emphasize and maintain the structure of the tree, the furniture is varnished. It is also suitable for topcoat after paint. Interior items will gain a pleasant shine, the surface will become more resistant, solid. Lucky are:

Water-based - dries for a long time, non-toxic, suitable for all types of surfaces;
Nitrolac - poor wear resistance, so it is suitable only for painting minor details;
Polyurethane - diluted with solvent, good wear resistance;
Shellac is the most popular species, but expensive. Shellac creates an attractive gloss on the surface.

Painting

Before repainting the furniture with your own hands, it is necessary to glue the elements that will not be processed. The best option would be masking tape. It perfectly protects the surface from paint, does not leave marks after removal.

Furniture painting process:

All furniture elements are painted separately. If there is no experience in the restoration of interior items, it is recommended to use a roller. With it, the paint will be more evenly distributed on the surface of the product;
When the drawers, shelves, doors are painted, proceed to the main surface. The tool is applied carefully so that there are no smudges;
Leave to dry completely;
Paint the surface one more time. Repeated application will achieve the best result in staining;
After drying, proceed to the assembly of furniture.

You can paint the interior with a spray gun. It will help to evenly distribute the paint on the surface, saving it significantly. The process of furniture restoration with a spray gun will be much faster than using a brush or roller.

We disassemble the furniture into its component parts

We cover drawers and shelves

Apply paint to the main coatings

After drying, paint again

We collect

Proper drying

Water-based paint dries for a rather long time. It is recommended to prepare in advance a place where the furniture will stand until completely dry. This room should not have children, animals, dust and dirt. Each coat of paint must be kept for at least 12 hours. It is optimal to leave dressers, tables, cabinets, and other painted interior items for a day until completely dry.

Drying time depends on the type of coloring composition. You can read the instructions that are indicated on the bank. They indicate the time and necessary conditions for drying. In addition, it is important to create the right temperature. It should be approximately 20-25 ° C.

If the furniture has a polished surface, even the smallest specks of dust will be visible on it. It is recommended to consider in advance how important such furniture is, or it is better to cover it with matte paint.