Try Chalk Paint to Repurpose, Restore, Relove

Waxing*

Once you have painted your piece it is time to protect.

Depending on where and what the piece will be used for will be the way you protect it. The amount of traffic, bumps, knocks and conditions where it will be placed.

If it is a table then the top will need something that will take the wear and tear that will be given. I like to make sure that table legs will be given a good protective coat.

Mostly for pieces that don’t get a lot of wear and tear, then 1 to 2 coats of wax will be enough. But with a table where the chairs will be pushed in and out and the legs stand to get bumped and knocked then protect with 3 coats of wax or a couple of coats of a water based poly-acrylic. Most water based poly will not yellow a white paint but it would be wise to do a test first. The yellowing of white paint under a poly protection will happen if an oiled based poly is used so make sure you use only the water base polyacrylic.

I have only used the polyacrylic with pieces that are going on our patio and open to the weather. The patio is covered but the outside elements are still in play.

SUPERB FRENCH ANTIQUE ROCOCO STYLE PINK PAINTED ARMOIREThe main thing is after you have put all the work into restoring a piece of furniture then protecting that piece becomes a very important next step.

I have used several waxes with my restoring and I will share them with you here

One important tip when using a wax on your newly painted furniture is to use lightly, don’t put a thick coat of wax on the piece, use sparingly. Better to put another thin coat than a heavy coat at first.

  • So apply wax thinly.
  • Better an extra thin coat than one heavy coat.
  • Use a brush or lint free soft cloth to apply
  • Leave at least 15 minutes to dry.
  • Check for tackiness before starting to buff.
  • Buff with a soft lint free cloth, old tee-shirt is a good choice.
  • Buffing takes elbow-grease but it’s worth it.

 

I like to give at least 24 hours for the chalk paint to settle. Using chalk paint and waxing takes at least 28-30 days to ‘cure’, so take care after your piece is finished. If the piece is a cabinet or dresser, you may want to put something on top, just remember to make sure it is not going to be something that has some weight or is going to moved on a regular basis. A little patience will be rewarded later on.