Can we apply a coating over a paint?

Tuesday, 24 November 2020

You just refurbished your grandma’s antique furniture or perhaps, restored an old hardwood kitchen set with some colored paint to refresh its look. Once completed, you wonder, about applying a finish to protect the project. 

Usually, the answer is yes. There is no problem to coat your project with a couple coats of finish. Not only is it possible, it’s an excellent idea. The finish will protect it from scratches or water, which in turn, could cause your paint to delaminate and eventually ruin your hardwork.

Before doing so, make sure you follow some basic principles:

1. Not all paint has the same composition. This means that your finish may adhere on some paints, but not on other. To find out if yours will, we recommend to do an adhesion test on a less visible part of your furniture. To do so, clean the surface to eliminate any dirt or grease. Then, lightly sand the surface with a 220-grit sandpaper or any other really fine grit sandpaper. This step is only to maximize the adhesion of the finish to the paint by creating micro scratches. Once sanded, remove the dust with a dry cloth. 

Next, simply follow manufacturer recommendations for the finish application. 

Once applied and dried, you may scratch the zone with your nail to see if the finish adheres well to the paint. If there is no damage, you may follow the same steps on your whole project.

2. To avoid marks and bubbles in the finish, apply the finish generously. It should be enough finish that the surface looks wet, until it is completely dry. To ensure it is applied with enough finish, use a new applicator and apply at a 45 degree angle. Follow the drying time between the coats, this can’t be rushed!

3. To avoid premature wear of your furniture or your floor, use a neutral PH cleaner as the one offered by Finitec.

4. Use protectionfeltsunder furniture or decoration to protect your furniture’s finish. 

Lastly, there are also 2 in 1 finish and paint products available. We typically recommend 2 coats of the 2 in 1 finish, as well as an additional coat to protect the paint’s pigment. 

If you have more questions regarding your project, please contact our experts at 888-838-4449 or at service@finitec-inc.com.