Paint over Varnish
Furniture and walls that have been previously painted with varnish have a very slick surface. At some point, you may decide that you want to paint over the varnish. The slick surface is difficult to paint over. Often, the paint does not adhere to the varnished surface and will chip easily. It is possible to paint over varnish by following some basic steps to prepare the surface before you repaint.
Steps
- Clean the area you wish to repaint completely with a good household cleaner. You can go over the area with a scouring pad as you clean. Clean and wipe away as much residue as possible. You want the area you paint to be free of any dust and general build-up.
- Check to see that the room where you are painting is well ventilated. Be sure to prepare the floor and surrounding area, so that you do not damage anything as you are cleaning or painting. You can cover the floor with a painter's cloth.
- Remove any hardware from the furniture that you are working with.
- Sand the area or piece of furniture completely with fine sandpaper. This will give the surface a texture that the primer can adhere to when you paint. Try to sand in the direction of the grain. Completely wipe away any residue left by the sandpaper.
- Fill in any scratches on the wood or chips in the wood with wood filler. Sand over the filler after it is dry.
- Wipe down the area you wish to repaint or piece of furniture with paint thinner or denatured alcohol. You want the surface to be clean and dull, and these products will do just that.
- Apply a coat of primer. If the varnish is dark and very hard to cover, you may want to apply 2 coats of primer. It is best to use an oil bonding primer to paint over the varnish. The oil bonding primer will create a good surface for the paint to stick.
- Paint the area you wish to repaint or piece of furniture with oil or latex based paint in your choice of color. Apply as many coats as needed with a paint brush to cover the varnish completely.
Tips
- Skip the above preparation steps and choose to strip the varnish from the furniture. This way you will be sure the surface is well prepared for painting. Stripping paint takes more time and patience, but you will not have to worry about new paint chipping because there is varnish underneath. You can purchase different kinds of paint stripper and follow the directions on the label.
Things You'll Need
- Paint thinner
- Paint
- Paint stripper
- Fine sandpaper
- All purpose cleaner
- Primer
- Scouring pads
- Cloth
- Paint brush
- Oil bonding primer
