How Do You Prepare Varnished Wood For Chalk Paint

The TSP helps get rid of anything that would sit between the paint and wood.

How do you prepare varnished wood for chalk paint. This should help break up the varnish and give the primer a solid base to adhere to. To remove the veneer pull off the loose sections. For stubborn dirt and grease use warm soapy water but avoid harsh chemicals.

The good news is yes you can paint over varnished wood. The varnish is not water-proof so avoid extending the interaction time between the wood and wet rag. If you use a light color paint the dark wood might bleed through.

A quicker option was to use an emulsion paint and then protect it with a clear varnish. As it turns out not only can you spray paint wood without sanding you can also spray paint pressed woodparticle board which some parts of this desk were and even that papery cardboard panel on the back. Vacuum up as much of the dust from sanding as possible.

For shiny laminates use a sanding pad and lightly sand the surface. For hard-to-remove spots try wiping them down with trisodium phosphate TSP. Ive experimented with this because Im a lazy arse who doesnt like sanding stuff down.

The bad news is that it requires some preparation. Wipe away any sanding dust before painting. If its really stubborn you can use a hot iron over the damp towel to steam it and loosen the glue.

Remove the damp cloth immediately after you cleaned the varnished wood. And if you use a water base poly on top to seal it it may give you a crackle affect which you may or may not want. How do you prep varnished wood for painting.