Painting over varnished wood can be a daunting task. You might not have time to strip the varnish back by sanding it off completely which is where a Zinsser primer can do the work for you.
Just apply the primer directly on top of the varnished wood, let it dry for a couple of hours, and then apply the paint of your choice on top of the primer. The primer will create a bond, that will make the paint stick to the wooden surface extremely well even if it hasn't been sanded before.
A: Hi there, thank you for your question. Our Kilz 2 Prime can go over the stained wooden doors. However, we do suggest scuff sanding the coating first to help promote adhesion, but you don't need to sand off the stain.
And yes, you can use latex over varnish, although that might not be your best choice. But, chances are, unless the chest was handmade by someone, it doesn't even have a varnish finish anyway. Most furniture factories have been using lacquers for decades. You can also paint successfully over lacquer.
You can paint over varnished wood as long as you use the right materials and painting process. The best paint to use is a water-based acrylic one. If you're using an oil-based paint only use an oil-based primer, not an acrylic one. “Sweet, this means it can be done!
Surfaces with varnish, polyurethanes, or other sealants or finishes require sanding before any paint can be properly applied. If not, the newly-painted surface will bubble, peel, crack or generally not stick.
Cover the surface with an even coat of water-based paint.
Apply the paint to your item in wide, solid strokes. Cover the entirety of the surface, and double-check to make sure you don't miss a spot. Oil-based paints are not recommended when painting over varnish. The paint may not absorb into the wood properly.
Chalk paint is the best way to paint practically anything without sanding. It offers a gorgeous matte finish and no need to prepare the surface.
Yes, you can paint over polyurethane or varnish, so long as you properly prepare the surface. Paint won't stick to polyurethane directly, so if you skip this step, the paint can peel off.
To be effective, it will need to stick to both the old polyurethane finish and the new coat of paint. Oil-based primer is generally the best product for both jobs.
All in all, as long as you are only touching up small areas with acrylic paint, then it is perfectly fine to paint over a varnish acrylic painting. I've done it a few times myself with no problems!
Now the woodstained or varnished surfaces have been suitably prepared and primed they can be decorated with two full coats of Zinsser Perma-White Interior, in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions, allowing a minimum drying time of two hours between coats.
There are latex, oil and shellac-based primers on the market but there's really only one choice for consistent results on finished interior wood: shellac. This is for two reasons. Shellac-based primer is the best choice for bleed-through prevention from tannins and stains.
Liquid deglosser is a great way to paint furniture without sanding because it softens and seals the wood's surface so the new paint can better bind to it. Apply a coat of deglosser onto your furniture using a brush. Deglosser should be applied immediately after your furniture has thoroughly dried from being cleaned.
If everything was done correctly, your polyurethane surface should be ready for paint without any issues. Water-based paint works just fine if your surface is primed correctly, however it's recommended you use oil-based paint for a more superior, long lasting finish.
Oil-based primers are ideal for interior and exterior unfinished or bare wood because they seal the porous surface of wood, enabling the coat of paint to better cover the surface. They stop tannins, released from woods, such as cedar or redwood, from bleeding through the surface of the paint.
Apply a Primer and Sealer
In respect to the Zinsser primer this can technically be applied straight on to varnish without the need to sand it if you do really want to skip that step, but we would always recommend that you sand first.
Many people believe you can't paint over varnished wood. This however is false. In order to paint over it you will need to use either oil or water-based paints.
Step 1: Sanding
It is not necessary to remove all traces of the varnish, but it is critical to remove as much of the glossy finish as possible. Once you've finished sanding, vacuum as much dust as possible, then wipe the piece with a damp rag to remove all traces of dust.
Vinegar isn't limited to just removing paint from wood either, if you wanted to you could use it to remove wood treatments like varnish too as the same acid that allows you to remove paint from wood penetrates and removes the chemical that allows the varnish to adhere to the wood.