How To Paint Raw Wood Furniture: What Paint To Use On Raw Wood

Raw wood furniture is furniture that is not finished or painted. Some people love to have a piece of natural wood furniture as it is, while others like to paint it to add character and beauty to the furniture.

Before you decide to paint your unfinished wood furniture, study the steps on how to paint raw wood furniture and know what paint is ideal for raw wood. The most common interior paint choice for unfinished furniture are water-based, semi-gloss or gloss, and latex or acrylic. Oil-based enamel paints can also be used as an attractive and durable paint for unfinished furniture.

How to Paint Wooden Furniture

Painting wooden furniture is what makes it look more beautiful, especially when the furniture is already old. The process is just simple and will only require basic tools and supplies.

It would be an advantage to know how to paint raw wood furniture. The following approach will teach you how to paint raw wood furniture to make your simple and old furniture beautiful.

Prepping the furniture

Prepare the location where you will be working. Place a cloth on the floor and ensure that all windows and doors are open to allow proper ventilation. Put the furniture on the cloth. Ensure that you are wearing protective gear, such as gloves, eye protection, and facemask. These things will protect your lungs and skin from any serious damage caused by paint.

Remove hardware from the furniture

Remove the necessary hardware from the furniture such as knobs or pulls and any other hardware that can be simply unscrewed. It will help you paint the wooden surface evenly and will protect the hardware from drips of paint.

Patch any holed, chipped, or pitted surfaces with wood filler

Apply a generous portion of wood filler to the damaged part of the wood. Do not worry about the overlap because you will sand it down after. Use a putty knife to polish the excess wood filler and allow it to dry.

Sand the surface of the furniture

If the furniture is big, you may use an orbital sander to save time and energy. Some parts of the furniture, like the grooves, edges, nooks, and crannies, maybe finished off with a sanding block, or just sandpapered by hand. Sanding will help remove the furniture's varnish or lacquer; it will make the primer coat to stick. Work more on the areas where wood filler was applied, so the filled portions are flush together with the rest of the furniture.

Remove the residue after sanding the surface

Wipe the furniture's surface with a tack cloth to remove the dirt or residue and leave the surface clean. You may use a damp cloth if necessary, then follow with a dry cloth.

Brush or spray a smooth coat of primer

Use a piece of equipment that will make your work fast and easy. Use a paint roller to apply a primer in wide-spaced and paintbrush on corners, edges, and hard to reach areas. Allow it to dry.

You may use a spray primer for a more even and faster job; after one coat, let it dry and make two more coats.

Sand the primed surface

Use fine-grit sandpaper for sanding all the areas of the furniture after drying. It will make the paint adhere to the primer even better. Make sure to wipe away any dirt or sawdust after sanding with a tack cloth.

Apply additional primer

Apply more than one coal of primer but do not forget to lightly sand in between coats for better results.

Coat with a thin layer of latex or indoor paint

Apply a thin layer of paint using a foam roller. Work quickly and remember not to apply too much paint at once. The furniture will look better if you apply several light coats; you may use a paint conditioner to slow down the paint's drying period, giving a more even look.

Go over the paint with a brush

Using a high-quality paintbrush, run it over the furniture's surface while the paint is still wet.

Apply a second coat of paint after six hours at least

Wait for the first coating to dry and apply another coat of the same paint.

Sand between coats of paint

Remember to lightly sand the furniture with fine-grade sandpaper after each coat has dried, and wipe off the dirt and dust with a tack cloth.

Seal the paint job

Apply polyurethane once the paint is dry to protect the paint from scratches; choose between glossy or matte.

Attach the old or new hardware

Put back the old hardware or replace it with a new one.

Let the furniture cure for several days

To ensure that the paint is set, let it sit for a while (at least three days).

Learning how to paint raw wood furniture is fun and exciting. You will learn a new skill and get to share it with others.

Conclusion 

Painting your furniture is a challenge. However, if you will learn the steps on how to paint raw wood furniture, you will know that the procedure is easy to follow. You can make your wooden furniture look nice, and you can customize it according to your taste.

Related Articles