Lastly, the biggest downside of chalk paint is that it's more costly than competitors. You'll find it's around 30-40% pricier than traditional paints like acrylic or latex. This extra cost can affect your DIY budget, especially if you go for a more specialized, eco-friendly option.
Chalk paint is notoriously thick and doesn't level out well unless it has been thinned out with water. Without this step, the paint can dry with visible brush marks, making your finished furniture look unprofessional. To avoid this issue, you will need to mix some water into your chalk paint before applying it.
Chalk paint will last a long time if the right primer is used and a protective top-coat is applied. If the topcoat is wax, it will need to be rewaxed every 3 years or more depending on how much the piece is used.
When you've finished painting something with Chalk Paint®, it's important to think about how you're going to protect your paintwork. After all, you don't want all your hard work to go to waste! Sealing Chalk Paint® with Wax or Lacquer will not only protect your finish, but help the colour last longer.
Many people choose to leave their chalk paint projects unsealed in order to preserve the color and chalky matte finish. But there will eventually be flaking and chipping of paint when left unfinished. The flaking style of chalk paint has also become popular amongst DIY furniture flippers.
For this reason, DIYers love using chalk paint on vintage pieces that have cracks or lots of details, since the paint goes on smoothly, even over layers of paint. Plus, because of its consistency, chalk paint is less likely to drip than regular paint.
While chalk paint can last from 1 to 5 years if stored properly, chalk paint will dry up much faster than that if left exposed to air. If your chalk paint has thickened considerably since last use, know that you can thin it with water if you'd like to use it again.
Go Easy on the Prep Work
So, you might be delighted to learn that chalk paint is remarkably good at sticking to problem surfaces. Sanding, cleaning, and priming can be avoided in most instances—especially helpful with old, antique pieces that you may have picked up along the way.
Jars, figurines, candlesticks, vases—you name it, and it can probably be coated in chalky finish paint. Painting an accent object will take far less time than tackling an entire set of cabinets or a large piece of furniture, but will still add that interesting bit of texture and color in very little time.
TRISH: Okay, Are you using Chalk Paint®? TRISH: Peeling can happen based on a few things: You did not clean the surface well and there is something on it repelling the paint or preventing the paint from adhering correctly. Temperature.
The Best Uses for Chalk Paint
It's a great option when working on an intricate furniture design, as you don't have to sand or prime the surface you're painting. It's also very forgiving, making it a good option for beginners delving into the DIY world.
Chalk paint can become streaky if it is too dry or thick when it's applied. Applying chalk paint coats that are very thin will also result in streaks because the paint dries out very quickly and shows the brush strokes. Unevenly applying a wax sealant can also cause streaks in a chalk paint finish.
Chalk Paint® has incredible sticking power so it really doesn't need any surface prep in the vast majority of cases. You can even paint directly over hardware, if you wish. The only exception is if you're dealing with a particularly shiny surface, such as laminate.
Chalk paint stands out from other paints because it requires no preparation like sanding or priming. The paint can be applied to almost any surface, indoors or outdoors: floors, ceilings, walls, furniture, glass, metal, wood, concrete, plaster, and even fabric.
Priming is not required for most surfaces. Priming will always help for adhesion and covering surface defects. We recommend priming for woods high in tannins(cedar, redwood, mahogany and fir) and knotty woods. Priming these surfaces will prevent tannin bleed and cover rough surface defects.
My favorite technique right now is using a foam roller. We'll talk more about that process in this blog post. You can also use a paint sprayer that is designed for chalk paint. Or you can use a hand brush and if you apply the paint correctly it will come out nice and smooth.
yes, you can use wipe on poly over chalk paint. The wipe-on version of polyurethane is the same as the brush on.
For most purposes, one to two coats of paint are enough. Chalk Paint® adheres to almost any surface, and there is rarely any need to sand or prime before painting. See 'Dealing with stains coming through Chalk Paint®' for when to prime or sand before painting.
Before waxing or applying another top coat to your chalk paint, let the paint fully cure. You'll want to wait at least 24 hours before applying the wax or top coat. If you don't wait for the paint to cure before applying a top coat, you risk pulling up the paint.