Painting furniture is simpler than you think! With just a quick clean you’re ready to transform almost any surface. Whether it’s wood, metal, or laminate, prepping doesn’t have to be a chore – it’s as easy as clean it- paint it!

Why prep? A little prep goes a long way to ensure the best adhesion, durability, and long-lasting finish.

Some more intricate surfaces may need a little more prep work, but not to worry, this step is usually only minutes! Follow these simple steps based on your surface type, and you’ll have a beautifully refreshed piece in no time. It’s all about setting yourself up for success – so let’s get prepping and painting!

Clean it with TSP Alternative

The first step is always cleaning. We recommend TSP Alternative, it is a biodegradable, organic degreaser. Using a degreaser is important because it is the oil, and grease that will cause issues with the paint adhering well. These greases and oils build up over years of handling and use and are quite normal. We just need to eliminate them for the best results. Cleaning before you scuff sand ( if your project needs it ) stops you from grinding the dirt further into the paint or wood fibres.

Using TSP Alternative is simple! Dilute 2 capfuls of the solution into 1L of water and wash your piece thoroughly until your rag is clean. Throwing away the dirty water won’t harm our waterways as our formula is organic. This powerful degreaser can be used in a spray bottle for ease of application. Unlike true TSP, this one is eco-friendly not requiring gloves or a mask.

Want a visual? Watch this video on how to know if your surface needs more than just a quick clean with TSP Alternative!

Prep for Painting over Raw Wood

Fusion Mineral Paint can be applied to raw wood. After cleaning just give it a very light sanding if there are any scratches on the wood to even out the surface. Always sand in the direction of the grain. If you have done any recent stripping of the wood and used any water on the surface, then wait a day for the wood fibres to dry out completely before applying any coating so as to ensure that when you do apply the paint onto the raw wood, it can soak in and basically seal the surface. This is why Fusion™ Mineral Paint is considered a self-priming paint.

When the paint dries, it can be a bit rough on the surface due to the fact that the wood fibres can swell a little ( due to the water content of the paint )  and dry in that  “at attention “ position. A quick very light wipe using a fine grit sanding pad is all you need to knock back the grain. Remove any dust with a lint, free damp cloth. Then onto your second coat. This second coat will be considered your “finishing” coat and you will be left with a washable, low-sheen finish.

NOTE: if the raw wood has knots or is known to be full of resins, then you will want to ensure you apply a blocker on that surface, such as Zinsser BIN shellac-based primer before applying the paint to finish. See below for more details. 

Prep for High Gloss surface

For best adhesion, a high gloss surface such as lacquer should be lightly scuff sanded with a fine sanding pad. Your aim is to dull the sheen, not remove the finish entirely. You do not need to sand back to bare wood. Use a fine grit sanding pad in the direction of the wood grain until you have knocked back the sheen. This should only take 2-3 passes. Even a large dresser should take no more than 5 – 10 mins. You are creating a ‘tooth’ for the paint to adhere to. Once scuff sanded, remove any excess dust prior to painting.

Prep for Removing wax, pledge, or sticky residue – prepping new metal for paint.

Nothing likes to adhere to wax, so if you have wax or even a polish such as ‘pledge’ on the surface of your piece you will need to remove it.  Grab our odourless mineral spirits, a clean rag and give it a good wipe-over until you can’t feel a waxy residue any longer. Watch this video to see how easy it is to remove wax from your furniture. The mineral spirits breaks down the wax and silicon-based polishes, the cloth will remove it. If you have lots of wax from years of re-applying just substitute the cloth for some 000 steel wool. New metal? This often comes from the factory with an oil coating on, use the odourless mineral spirits to clean and remove it before painting.

Prep for Painting over old dull paint finishes

Almost all painted and previously finished surfaces can be painted over with a simple clean with TSP Alternative. After cleaning you want to assess the surface to make sure there is no loose or peeling paint. If there is you would need to fix that by sanding or removing the old chipping paint, then apply the paint!

This video shows Jennylyn painting over a previously painted surface.

Prep for bleed through/knots

Certain woods like Cherry or Mahogany will bleed tannins or have knots like Pine or Oak. To stop this from happening, you must use a stain blocker to prevent them from coming through your paint finish if you are concerned about this. This is most noticeable on lighter paint colours. Apply 1-2 coats of Zinsser BIN  Shellac. Shellac is the key ingredient that seals in wood tannins and bleeds from knots.  After cleaning your piece with TSP Alternative, apply a coat of Zinsser and let it dry for 30 minutes prior to using Fusion Mineral Paint.

Zinsser BIN shellac stain blocker is the only stain blocker we recommend to prevent the wood bleeding through the paint.

How to stop bleed through and knots! Jennylyn shows you how.

Prep for Melamine, Laminate, and Themafoil

Prepping these slick high gloss manufactured surfaces for paint can be tricky, however not impossible. Fusion has you covered! We have an adhesion primer for impossible to paint surfaces. Ultra Grip is our 100% acrylic resin-based adhesion primer. Be sure to remember your first step is always cleaning with TSP Alternative, apply 1 to 2 very thin coats of Ultra Grip with a roller or high quality synthetic bristle brush and leave to dry overnight or at least  ( 12 hrs ) for best results. Allow minimum 2 hours between coats of Ultra Grip. The paint will now adhere to the surface with no problems. See this blog post 

How do you know if you need Ultra Grip?

Do a test paint patch, if you see separation like this – we call it lacing, then there is something on the surface like a wax residue or factory coating like Teflon. Ensure you’ve cleaned your piece well with TSP Alternative, do your test patch and if it laces, apply 1-2 coats of Ultra Grip. The second coat of Ultra Grip should stop lacing and your paint will adhere beautifully.

Always ensure there is no wax if separation continues to persist, as nothing will adhere well to wax it must be removed.

Applying Ultra Grip with an applicator pad or a damp car sponge will ensure a smooth application. This product is slightly thicker and likes to hold texture so be sure to apply it smoothly.

And just like that, it’s easy to prep it beautiful for a gorgeous paint job! By following these simple key steps you will ensure a perfect paint finish every time!

Follow the prep guide so you can .. Paint it Beautiful