We are all guilty of wanting to skip the prep before painting furniture. We know that Fusion Mineral Paint requires minimal prep, has high hiding coverage, and a built-in top coat and we get so excited to start painting that it is SO TEMPTING to not prep at all before going to town on that piece you just picked up. But you mustn’t! Don’t believe me? We’re about to take a look at six reasons why you should definitely take the time to prep before painting furniture.
1. The older the furniture, the more layers of build-up it has
That adorable little vintage coffee table you just picked up probably has more build-up on it than you can possibly image. Cleaning products, oils from people touching the table, and the amount of times someone spilled coffee on it can really leave a mark on its surface. All of those things will keep paint from adhering. When painting furniture, it’s better to use something like Fusion Mineral Paint’s TSP, which is compatible with all surfaces, contains NO phosphates, and requires NO rinsing (!!!), to prevent your paint from lifting.
2. Scuff sanding gives your paint something to hold onto
Sanding gives your paint a gritty surface to adhere to, and also helps by removing small imperfections in the wood. A scuff sanding by hand before applying Fusion Mineral Paint will do the trick.
3. Unfinished wood soaks up a lot of paint
Raw woods love to soak up paint. Thankfully, Fusion Mineral Paint has such great coverage that this probably won’t be an issue. However, if you do find that you’re not getting the color you desire, you can try applying primer first. Primer fills in the wood grain and creates a smooth coat for your paint to go on.
4. You’re painting on a smooth surface
If you are wanting to paint a smooth surface like a lacquered surface, laminate, metal, or glass, listen closely. After cleaning your surface with T.S.P., apply Fusion Mineral Paint’s Ultra Grip, which allows the paint to adhere to impossible surfaces. Just one very thin coat of Ultra Grip is all your piece will need to hold the paint.
5. Some stains or dyes could bleed through your paint
Some older pieces of furniture were stained with dyes that can bleed through coats of paint. Other stains from daily use, if not removed during the scuff sanding step, can bleed through a coat of paint as well. With Fusion Mineral Paint’s high coverage color this typically isn’t a problem, but if you’re worried that your piece has stains that might bleed through, a shellac-based primer will prevent this from happening!
6. Naturally occurring tannic acid in wood can bleed through
Tannic acid is present naturally in a variety of woods but can also be applied as a chemical stain. The most common woods that bleed through are cherry, mahogany, knotty pine, and newer softwoods. Much like dyes, tannic acid can bleed through your paint coats and leave an undesired color behind. If you think this might be a problem even with the high coverage of Fusion Mineral Paint, applying a shellac-based primer will help prevent this from happening.
So remember, just because Fusion Mineral Paints are amazing it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t prep before painting furniture! Use Fusion’s TSP to clean any grime or dirt on your piece, give it a scuff sanding, and see if you’ll need a stain blocking primer before adding your favorite Fusion Mineral Paint color to that adorable piece of furniture that you’ve been dying to paint. You’ll thank us for it later.
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