What paint to choose for furniture?

What to do if high-quality furniture has served its purpose, a grand renovation is planned, and the old interior items do not fit into the new concept? Painting can be a solution, because it is it that allows you to restore and give a second life to any furniture made of wood or metal. Modern paints and varnishes will help to realize the most daring idea, and a variety of colors and shades will help to ensure that the updated furniture matches any style of the room, be it high-tech, pop art or country.

Painting a wooden or metal surface of furniture can significantly extend its service life, as well as protect it from moisture, mold and mildew. Several types of paints can be used for the restoration of furniture facades. The choice depends on the specific requirements for the safety and quality of the coating.

The most common types are:

• Acrylic. This group of paints is one of the safest for humans and animals, since it uses water as a solvent. It does not have a strong chemical odor, which means it can be used indoors, for example, in winter. It is suitable for painting not only MDF coatings, but also chipboard and chipboard. It is ideal for children's furniture for both home and children's educational institutions. Some manufacturers produce acrylic paints in spray cans, which simplifies application and reduces material consumption.

• Oil. Most often they are used for metal furniture, but they can also be used for wooden products. They have a pungent smell, which requires the use of personal protective equipment, and work to be carried out in a well-ventilated area.

• Alkyd-urethane - a common composition that is used for painting both solid wood furniture and MDF panels. Creates a film on the surface that is resistant to moisture, sun and mechanical damage. It can have a strong specific odor, so work should be carried out only in well-ventilated rooms and paint from well-known manufacturers should be chosen. Often the facades of kitchen sets are covered with this paint.
• Polyurethane resins. Paints based on these components form a smooth, shiny surface that can last for about 20 years. Polyester paint for home use is rarely tinted, but any shade can be applied to industrial formulations. The washable surface, painted with polyurethane paint, will withstand the effects of most household chemicals, including aggressive substances.

• Chalk paint went on sale in 2017. It creates a velvety, even finish on furniture that is very chalk-like to the touch. The paint is non-toxic, dries quickly, it can be applied immediately without additional processing. The main advantage is that it can be used to paint any surface made of concrete, wood, metal, stone and plastic. The only drawback is that the paint can not be found in every, even a specialized store.

• Specialized compositions for coloring leather furniture. These paints can be both natural and synthetic. The latter are more reliable, since they have a good covering ability, they stay on the skin for a long time. Natural dyes do not possess these qualities, but they are safer for humans and animals.

On some paints, the inscription is thixotropic. This term means that this composition does not leave streaks and streaks during staining, allows you to achieve maximum decorative effect. Most popular manufacturers produce such paints.

Modern paints and varnishes have a wide palette of colors. Some formulations are easy to tint, which allows you to increase the number of possible colors and shades up to several thousand. If the required shade is not on sale, then it is better not to engage in independent mixing of color and paint, since it is far from always possible to achieve the desired result.

This service is very often provided in hardware stores. Tinting is carried out on special equipment, so the desired color will be one hundred percent.

As a rule, it is not difficult to find matte or glossy base colors, especially white and black. If you want something unusual, then paint in spray cans will come to the rescue. They have a high decorative effect, therefore they are suitable not only for painting the surface, but also for giving it certain effects.

Among the spray paints you can find the following:

• pearlescent (various shades);
• gold;
• bronze;
• with aging effect (craquelure).

The choice of color directly depends on the style of furniture, purpose and general design of the room. So for the bedroom, they usually choose light, unobtrusive shades, and for the nursery, you can use brighter colors. Wood varnishes and stains are popular. They give wood furniture and interior items any complex shade they like, for example, wenge.

The market of paints and varnishes intended for painting furniture is represented by more than one dozen companies from around the world: Germany, Italy, USA, Russia, Greece, Austria. The following manufacturers are most in demand on Russian construction counters, judging by customer reviews:

• Renner (Italy) - paint of the premium segment, allows you to achieve high decorative results. All products comply with European quality standards, are safe for humans and the environment. The compositions of the Italian production Renner have low consumption, good hiding power, form a durable coating. They are versatile, they can be used for any interior or exterior work. However, due to the high cost, not everyone can afford the materials of this company.

• ALPINA (Germany) - paints and varnishes of a German company, the production of which began back in 1909. During this time, ALPINA has conquered the whole world. Furniture paints of this brand are environmentally friendly, perfectly tinted, easy to apply and durable.
• Dulux (UK) Is a brand of the British company AkzoNobel. The products are safe for humans and have no strong odors. Dulux paint is abrasion resistant, easy to clean and great for damp environments.

• TEKNOS (Finland) - the global volume of these paints on the international market is more than 40%. The optimal ratio of price and quality, in addition, a special component is added to all paints, which makes the coating immune to the formation of mold and mildew.
• TIKKURILLA (Finland) - is safe for humans and the environment, the risk of allergic reactions is minimized. A huge selection of paints for various purposes, a rich color palette, as well as the possibility of tinting made this paint popular all over the world.

• TEX (Russia) Is a Russian company that produces a large number of types of paints and varnishes for various needs. Differs in low cost, excellent technical characteristics. The products are safe if the recommendations for dyeing are followed.
• LACRA (Russia) Is a Russian company producing a wide range of paints and varnishes. Furniture paints from this company are notable for their low cost and good characteristics. The coating has excellent vapor permeability, is durable and resistant to mechanical stress. Requires strict adherence to staining technology.

The final quality of paintwork and varnish coatings for furniture depends not only on the cost and characteristics of the paint.

In order not to make a mistake with the choice, you need to pay attention to the following points:

• Type of surface to be painted. For wood, one type of paint is used, while for metal, another. The same applies to paints for leather, plastic and other furniture. You can find these recommendations in the product passport or on the packaging itself.
• If there is no experience in painting, then it is better to prefer thixotropic paints. They will allow you to create an even laminate floor without streaks and streaks. Such compositions are in the range of products of each manufacturer, both among expensive and among representatives of budget paints and varnishes. You can find the “thixotropic” mark on the ink label.
• The paint must be highly resistant to moisture, mechanical stress and ultraviolet radiation. Otherwise, after a few years, the furniture will have to be painted again, as it will lose its decent appearance.
• Consider the safety of the paint when used in kids' or bedrooms. Information on the composition and possible effects on humans can be found on the label or manufacturer's website.

Each work has its own secrets. To accurately paint furniture, you need to choose the right brush and roller, stock up on masking tape.

It is necessary to take into account the following points:

• The primer for pretreating furniture should be of the same composition as the selected paint. Otherwise, it will not be possible to achieve a beautiful, even coating.
• Alkyd enamels are an excellent, budgetary alternative to more expensive paints and varnishes. Therefore, with limited funds, you can safely purchase this type of paint. They form an even, shiny coating that perfectly withstands mechanical damage and high humidity.
• Oil paints and enamels are inexpensive, but their toxicity should be taken into account. Work requires respiratory protection, active ventilation of the room to avoid intoxication. Paints should not be used if there are allergy sufferers in the house, and they are not suitable for coloring children's furniture.

Repainting furniture is a necessary and interesting activity. You can feel like a designer or artist, choosing a color or complicating the decor of familiar things. Do not be afraid to experiment, you just need to carefully prepare for them.

For information on which paint to choose for furniture, see the video below.