Bummer. It doesn’t have to cure to apply the topcoat. Several furniture painters have trouble with polycrylic streaking or forming stripes on the surface. Renovated Faith is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. My question is (since I used your number one recommendation) do you think I just have too many coats on it, making it susceptible to rings? If you use a good latex made for cabinets, it should be durable and water-resistant enough without the trouble of a topcoat. I was wondering if you have painted furniture for outdoors, of course using exterior durable paint, and if you have any recommendations for clear, protective finishes for these pieces? Choosing the correct type of paint is very important. Usually, I just get the sample containers of paint at Lowe’s that are around $5. I put 6 coats on a table at 30 minute intervals and have no problems with drying, curing or durability. I've compared six grey wood stain colors you can easily find at the home improvement store or Amazon, and put them side by side on various wood species so you can see which one would work best for your project! I have always wondered myself which top coat was the absolute best and figured it was worth a post on the topic. Like the General Finishes stain, this color becomes almost paint-like with two coats. For the best protective finish for stained wood, I’d pick General Finishes High-Performance Top Coat. So glad to here that Tomika! Trying to find the answer, but nowhere to be found. Depending on the finish, sometimes the only solution is to completely refinish the whole surface. Several said that it didn’t need sanding in between coats! But if you have a white painted furniture piece, you can see how yellowing would be problematic! Recommended as a top coat for Krylon Brilliant Metallic finishes. For any other color, just make sure the topcoat sheen matches the sheen of the latex. There's still not a lot of color to this stain, even with two coats. Finally this beauty popped up, and I pounced on it as quickly as my little fingers could hit "reply by email"! – Karin. In the same way, a topcoat (or clear coat) acts as an insurance policy against the potential damage caused by everyday life. Creating all these color samples was actually pretty easy to do, and takes the guesswork out of staining. I hope I’m headed in the right direction. It also created sufficient coverage with just one coat, and is a little lighter than the General Finishes. Blessings. I'd love to hear from you in the comments below! I've sorted them by the stain used, so it's easier to compare and contrast. The ben paint comes in 3 different finishes - Flat Finish, Low Lustre, and Soft Gloss - which are all 100% acrylic paints designed for a huge variety of exterior surfaces. But is it really the high performance furniture paint so many claim or is it just the latest trend? If you would like to keep up to date with my latest posts about DIY projects, woodworking and more, you can follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram. In the first few weeks of use we started noticing permanent scratches. One was painted and one was stained. No mold, no rot, no problems. Read more here…. This time I let it dry for 12 hours and sanded before applying the second coat. Your test makes me wonder if something about the table surface I used the Varathane on didn’t allow for good adhesion. No dripping water in there though. It took me most of last summer (I work slowly), but I did 3 coats of paint and two thin coats of GF flat water-based top coat. General Finishes recommends 12-24 hours of drying time in between layers for the top coat. This was one of the two products that didn’t leave any evidence of drink rings even after the drinks were left on sealed wood overnight. It has a slightly blue tint to it, but the color is fairly consistent from one wood species to the next. Each photo has the same camera settings. This has a gorgeous matte finish but also comes in other sheens. However, I don’t think it’s of the highest quality but it’s a hell … 6 Grey Wood Stain Colors on 5 Different Wood Species. As a Lowe’s Creative Ideas blogger, each month I receive project challenges. For stained finishes, I recommend “sanding” with a paper bag so you don’t mar or scratch the stained finish. Varathane’s Water-based Polyurethane is a fabulous product that was easy to apply. I love that this sealer has  almost no odor making it perfect to use indoors when refinishing furniture projects making it a great chalk paint clear coat  (Click here for more reviews on the best sealer for chalk paint). Also, you don’t want to worry about the color rubbing off on clothing. Required fields are marked *, By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website. Join 30,000 other DIYers by subscribing to the weekly newsletter and you will also get instant access to dozens of freebies. When applying the paint it goes on very smooth. A fresh coat of paint can turn a drab, outdated house into a modern home. So, I would probably lean towards that product. Sheen refers to the amount of shine on a piece of furniture ranging from high gloss, gloss, semigloss, satin, and then matte for the least shine. Great question Laureen! What do you think? Thanks Karen! Here is is an extensive review of General…, Fun & Unique Spiritual Gifts for Women Don’t settle for buying yet another Amazon gift card! Both the General Finishes High-Performance Top Coat and Varathane’s Water-based  Polyurethane had absolutely no drinking glass rings. That is what it takes but I couldn’t do that. To see my best furniture reveals click here:  15 Stunning Painted Furniture (Before and After Reveals), A Better Alternative to Chalk Paint for Furniture, How to Paint Furniture Legs Quickly & Easily, The Best Way to Stencil (Without Paint Bleed! Hi! See the current price here. If I'm working with a new stain color or wood species, I plan to create samples like these first. I have no idea how old this post is if you will respond… but I read a lot of your blog about why you Don’t like chalk paint compared to your method but have you actually ever used chalk paint? Any type of polyurethane can be used over chalk paint. But for furniture, spray clear coats are generally a bad idea as they are notorious for leaving stripes on your furniture piece. Also, a clear coat will save you time on touching up furniture pieces later. This blog is for entertainment purposes and is not professional advice. Criteria for the Best Top Coat For Furniture Projects: After testing seven different topcoats, Varathane’s Water-Based Polyurethane was the clear winner! There’s the General Finishes Water base Top Coat High Performance in Flat, than there’s General Finishes Flat Out Flat, they are both water based Top coats, is there a difference between the both? To my surprise, it was also the best budget-friendly clear coat for furniture. This easy faux finish will give you the same look on any furniture piece at a fraction of the price! This will give your piece maximum hardness and durability. Here’s where you can find the Varathane WB in matte: https://rstyle.me/+3bFRM_2AVu6CfoiaiBjRjg Let me know if you have any other questions. The grain of the wood is still visible on all the samples with one coat. There was a pretty obvious water ring left on the polycrylic sample but it provided a very smooth finish. ), https://rstyle.me/+3bFRM_2AVu6CfoiaiBjRjg, The absolute best top coat for chalk paint. I saw the information about the General Finishes top coat. Valspar’s Clear Mixing Glaze (Lowe’s or online here) – I’ve tried other glazes and this one can’t be beaten. One reviewer found that when they brushed it on there were several bubbles in the finish but those bubbles popped during the drying time to leave a smooth coat with no brush marks! It’s totally trashed after one year of use. I’m willing to be that it’s a really good product. Therefore, the surface can still be easily scratched as there is no protective finish for a typical stain. Gel stains are thicker and more protective so you can get away without a clear coat for lightly used pieces. Thank you so much for that Cecilia and Happy Mother’s Day to you!! I’m wondering if it had to do with the finish of the table. No matter what wood you're working with, you'll get the same charcoal grey color with just one coat. I usually don't need a second COAT on my walls. We love that it has a very consistent, velvety matte finish that had no streaks or bubbles. In this post, I explain the positives and negatives of this dynamic paint color while sharing my Sherwin Williams Silver Strand bedroom reveal. I usually stick to the lower end and have not had any issues. When I’m not spending time with my family, you will find me redoing furniture in the garage or watering plants in my greenhouse. Since you are using the water-based varathane it will not discolor over time like some oil-based. I’m looking for a stain to hopefully use on both parts of the table or to easily get two different cans at somewhere local like Home Depot. Why should I protect my painted furniture with a topcoat? So what's the verdict? I could barely pick out the gray color in most of these samples. I have been wanting to know how to create furniture with a chalkboard for my son’s home classroom. Each group consists of hundreds of professional furniture painters. Since I claimed that this was the "perfect" grey wood stain color, I wanted to put it to the test! Top Coat: A couple of options are Minwax Polycrylic or General Finishes High Performance Top Coat. I love to hear your thoughts and answer any questions! So we thought it might be a good idea to clear up some of the confusion. Sanding is what scared me from doing it to begin with. I’ve never had that problem with the Varathane Waterbased Top Coat. Typically the flat finishes have a higher percentage than the glossy finishes. Also, this formula was the best performing water-based clear coat when it came to water rings as no ring was left after 24 hours. I found these by going to 4 different Facebook furniture groups I am apart of. I had been trolling Craigslist for a vintage buffet for months and months to no avail. Enter my free resource library for my latest files, printables, and templates! To provide a thick clear coat for wood, add three thin layers of clear coat for maximum durability. Again, you’ll want just enough product to cover but not to the point of running. Some are just better options for others but water-based and oil-based polyurethane can go over chalk paint just like latex paint. Water-based top coats also dry quickly and can be used on bare, stained, or painted wood. Any of the brands listed in this post, including our top pick, can be used if you want to use poly over chalk paint. Cover up minor scratches by lightly scuff-sanding the damaged area and wiping a coat of poly over it. A few years ago, I refinished our coffee table creating a driftwood finish on the top with white chalk paint legs. *galley cabinetry was never finished. Have a wonderful Mother’s Day. The finish and feel of this chalk paint clear coat are very reminiscent of wax without the cost and hassle. I painted a wooden sewing cabinet with it and now I have decided to go back and add a sealant. We’ve written several articles about basement insulation and a cost effective approach to basement insulation using foam board and fiberglass insulation.Since writing those articles we’ve received quite a few questions about when to use a basement vapor barrier and when not to. It almost takes on a painted appearance, with very little of the wood grain showing through. If you don’t stir in the solids, your finish will be high gloss. I didn't include any exterior stains or "weathering" treatments in this test, but I might do a second round in the future. (As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. I would not attempt to refinish over this surface without at least sanding and adding a primer and I describe it in this post here: How to Paint Furniture the Easy Way. Use when temperature is between 50-100°F. By applying a clear coat to unsealed chalk paint, you can get a more durable, waterproof finish, but without the time, effort, and extra expense of wax! Thank you for going to such a time consuming comparison of these top coats. The best sealer for chalk paint should not only be durable but easy to apply. Have a great day! Just lightly sand with a paper bag before sealing with a clear coat. Also, wax has to be reapplied every 6 months to a year to be effective! Using painter’s tape, I made seven different sections on each of two pieces of wood. Thanks for all of the wonderful information in this blog! Thank you so much for letting me know. We won't send you spam. Not always the best way! This might be a good one to mix with another color to give it a bit of a gray. This can happen easy close to distressed areas. The password is 'transformation' -- please copy and paste that in at the link above. The differences between the grey wood stain colors became apparent quickly after the first coat. As someone who has painted dozens of different furniture pieces, I’ve learned that not all topcoats are created equal and that different surfaces need different protective finishes. Your clear coat testing save me from buying 2 new end tables! Used General Finishes flat out topcoat today, and it was a dream to apply and looks awesome. There were also no brush strokes in the finish! I’d love to update it with fresh paint and new hardware, but I’ve heard that you can’t get good results painting over stain. The only problem is that you can’t exactly get this finish…, The Easiest Way to Stencil on Wood Furniture & Signs Don’t let your next project be ruined because of paint bleeding through your stencil. What are your thoughts, my friend? Some have suggested the Polycrylic can yellow over time when applied over white paint. Great job. There is definitely a learning curve as far as technique and the wax has to be reapplied regularly to maintain the durability of the finish. It will also allow you to scrub furniture without ruining the paint finish. Each sample has been photographed in the same lighting conditions against a white background without any color correction other than adjusting the white balance to be exactly the same for each photo. Wipe off any sanding dust with a moist rag or paper towel. Today’s biggest trend in furniture is a natural, raw wood, farmhouse finish. Glad you had a good experience with it. ), This one turned out much nicer with a second coat. The coverage of this grey stain varies greatly by species. This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. Just be sure to not shake the can (only stir) to reduce bubbles. You’ll love: General Finishes Milk Paint Review – A Water Based Friendly Paint ... As much as the paint is top rated and it has the best kind of resistance that you would expect from mildew, cracking and color change, it doesn’t do so well with dirt. The General Finishes grey wood stain is highly pigmented, so one coat of stain is all you need for most applications. Let me know if you have any other questions! Hey Hallie, Waterbased polys don’t yellow so you can use the Varathane waterbased on the top and legs! Applying a good chalk paint clear coat make horizontal surfaces so much easier to wipe. It stood up well to the water test but not quite as well at the Varathane Water-Based, although the results were outstanding especially for a matte finish which is inherently not as water-proof. Sand very lightly in between and follow the dry time recommended on the can. ), 41 of the Best Christian Gifts for Women (What She REALLY Wants! Just like clear coating painted furniture, be sure to let the stain dry for at least 48 hours and sand very lightly. Loving your article! If you are wondering how to seal chalk painted kitchen cabinets, your best bet is General Finishes High-Performance Top Coat for a more durable finish or General Finishes Flat Out Flat Top Coat for a more matte finish. Original review: Dec. 12, 2020. For that reason, chalk paint always needs some sort of sealant on top. I also want to check on your mention of using wax and polyurethane together. I’m not a huge fan of polycrylic because it is known for leaving streaks so I have to wonder if the layers of polycrylic are making moisture come to the surface when a cold drink is placed on it. Which grey wood stain color is your favorite? Crystalac’s Water-based topcoat was a close second but the price is almost twice as much. Hmm, good question. Let me know if you have any more questions Laureen! There are two basic types of topcoats for furniture: water-based and oil-based. I love General Finishes topcoats! So I haunted woodworker’s forums online and determined that the Varathane Ultimate Water based crystal clear interior satin stuff – yup, exactly the same can as your top pick, I double checked – would be the best thing to use. Wax usually comes in a can and comes in a paste consistency. It also works really well as a sealant for chalk or milk paint as it won’t yellow over time and is easy to use. So, don’t put any clear coat over wax including polyurethane. They came out beautifully and so far are very durable. Pine just looked dirty. Your research project was so cool! The piece I’m doing is 86″ long and 31″ high, under an arched window that is about 9′ wide and 12′ tall starting about 33 inches from the floor and next to a fireplace, so I have to make sure I don’t do something that increases the risk of the piece catching on fire. Hey Dee, These are all great questions. Some bubbles were left in the finish but they quickly popped upon drying leaving a super smooth finish with no brush marks. Karin, I totally enjoyed finding your blog while google searching what to do about my table. I’m Karin, a DIYer, encourager, and tenacious problem solver determined to help you transform your house into a home. When you want to refresh your living room, entryway, bedroom, or home office, this paint provides excellent coverage and an easy-to-clean finish.. Glidden Essentials can be tinted into upwards of 1,100 colors, and you can choose from flat/matte, eggshell, or semi-gloss. The grain and wood color still shows through, but the gray doesn't look like an accident. Bruce is available at both Home Depot and Lowe's stores, at specialty flooring stores, and from online retailers. This even goes for latex-painted furniture pieces. Maybe it’s just the rub-on poly I used for my kitchen area dining table but I thought it was a general statement. I have done it on a side table that had tons of TINY scratches and the Varathane Waterbased Poly made it look like a whole new table. 1. I must say, I have loved Polycrylic since it first came out for its quick dry time as well as durability. Never painted. It has a low odor, with easy soap and water clean up. Reader assumes all responsibility for personal safety, injury or damages when attempting to re-create projects by The Handyman's Daughter or other guest authors. So if a cold drink is placed on unsealed chalk paint, you could be left with a puddle of paint on your now-ruined furniture piece not to mention the potential of wet paint on your rug or clothing. After your first coat is dry, paint on your second coat. So helpful, thank you! I have a Pottery Barn stained dining table that through the years has been well used. I have even had plastic container bottoms scratch it. Thank you Stefen! Many faux finishes use glaze and special techniques to highlight different features of the furniture. Often, the oils from your hands can react with the not so smooth surface of chalk paint or matte latex. The more gloss a surface has the more it will show imperfections in the surface so a matte sheen is much more forgiving than a semi-gloss. ), How To Create A Raw Wood Finish With Paint (No Stripping or Bleaching Required), The Best Way to Stencil on Wood [Without Bleeding! Thank you! This grey wood stain color is more of a black/ebony than true gray. Would you recommend the Varathane Water-based Poly on the table top and legs? (Click here for more reviews on the best sealer for chalk paint). You have provided the solution. Any of the top three choices would work beautifully on milk paint but if you like a super matte finish, this one is your best bet for use on milk paint whether it is General Finishes Milk Paint or Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint! The General Finishes grey wood stain is highly pigmented, so one coat of stain is all you need for most applications. Find the latest business news on Wall Street, jobs and the economy, the housing market, personal finance and money investments and much more on ABC News This General Finishes Top Coat provides maximum durability and is very waterproof. I'm dealing with wanting the grain to show through on maple but still achieve a depth to my color. I have NOT had that issue, but it’s something to consider. Much more pigmented than the other samples, although not quite as much as the General Finishes one. We decided to scrape off the popcorn, easy to do with a water sprayer and cardboard box. I’m planning to use MinWax gel stain or another gel stain like Java gel or General Finishes on the inside as it’s more of a stained look and different from the outside. What are you aware of in that respect. Reply. I was shopping for new ones when I saw you painting tips. ], General Finishes Milk Paint Review (What is the BEST Paint for Furniture? I plan on getting the General Finishes product after reading this post. I just painted shelves white Marquee Paint. While wax can waterproof a surface, there is a definite learning curve with applying wax properly. Remove excess adhesive on … Also, it’s a good idea to use a top coat on any furniture pieces exposed to regular humidity in bathrooms or your kitchen. Made from Lowe’s exterior grade A/B 1/8” ply and Douglas Fir wood. Spar urethane, of which Minwax Helmsman is a leading brand, is spar varnish that includes urethane plastic as one of its resins. It's perfect for that rustic look, or for wood with a nice grain that you want to show off! AT ALL. You might test an inconspicuous part of the table to see how it looks before doing the whole thing. This blog is about transformation. Those dreaded water rings from drinking glasses can easily ruin a furniture piece but with the right amount of clear coat, you can leave glasses on your coffee table overnight with no damage to the surface! (function(m,a,i,l,e,r){ m['MailerLiteObject']=e;function f(){
Please try again. My second favorite color was Minwax Coastal Gray. To give painted furniture maximum protection, top coat paint with 3 coats of clear coat. After writing this, General Finishes came out with a High Performance Topcoat in Matte and not just satin. Espresso is a dark color that I love and is very popular right now, but if you'd like to go lighter, the General Finishes stains come in lots of colors. My favorite clear coat that does not yellow is Varathane’s Water-based Polyurethane! Make sure to use a water based topcoat so that your paint doesn’t yellow! Just don’t want the white legs to yellow! Thank you for stopping by! The CrystaLac topcoat can also be sprayed onto any surface, even metal, and dries quickly. If your piece is white or cream, use the product I recommend for white furniture. This clear coat is highly resistant to moisture and alcohol so it is great for use on any surface that demands a hard, tough, protective finish. I appreciate it! Their Flat High-Performance Top Coat is a clear, flat, water-based topcoat and excels at making chalk painted or milk painted projects much more durable. Traditionally, oil-based polyurethanes were the main clear coats used on furniture but now more water-based formulas are on the market. Matte is the most popular now as you will see it often on farmhouse style or chalk painted furniture. The only reason it was not the best chalk paint topcoat is because the price is higher than our top pick but it’s by far our best choice as the best clear coat for white paint. Minwax Classic Gray came out very light. I used an inexpensive foam brush to apply the protective finish. All seven topcoats are good products but I found our top three clear coats all performed better than Polycrylic in terms of durability and water permeability. Are they both basically the same? About a year or so ago, I picked up a paint at Lowe’s that was supposedly a two-in-one and the paint guy told me I wouldn’t have to prime or seal with it. A: Answer Touching up an existing painted surface can be challenging - professional painters wrestle with this constantly. The top coat makes the surfaces harder and therefore more durable but most important clear coats are much more waterproof than latex as latex paints can bubble up if water penetrates the surface. Karin, I love your in depth articles and the comparisons you have done on different paints & finishes. After sanding lightly, all three top clear coats would be a great choice for stained furniture. Hey Mandy – I don’t think I’d use wax and poly together. I was nervous to try redoing the tops but your instructions were clear and seemed pretty simple. You are so sweet Marilyn! My question is, will these streak marks show up after I apply the poly or should I sand my paint job to the point of it all looking a bit dull? If you have, you know how incredibly frustrating that can be. The grain of the wood is still visible on all the samples with one coat. Hi Karin, I just had to comment because I am shocked at your top pick!! (For some reason the man told me I couldn’t get the pro classic in the color I wanted). Appreciate all your effort! I’ve also used Rust-Oleum Varathane Crystal Clear Water-Based Polyurethane with success. Perhaps you are familiar with using wax as a protective coating on chalk paint but did you know you can more easily apply a top coat and your surface will be better protected from water? After painting your furniture piece, let it dry for 48 hours. This post is genius and so helpful! The final coat can be rubbed out with 0000 steel wool and paste wax. I feel like it would just destroy it, ha! I love Polycrylic. Then, consider adding two additional coats where needed to protect the project: the top, the outside of the legs, and any surfaces likely to be marred or scratched. The easiest thing to do is purchase premixed bagged concrete that is specially formulated for countertops. Thank you so much Liz! I add a second layer of the paint to cover any spots that I missed. I used two coats of Sherwin Williams Snowbound. Click here for more reviews. ❤️. It dries really fast so do two quick “coats” on just the knot holes and then paint as normal. One coat should be fine for most applications. Can't beat that! They are both from General Finishes. Then I put three coats of Varathane Water based Polyurethane on it, gave it time to rest, and resumed using it. Looking for a darker color? I don't take on these projects too often and when I do I tend to just jump in. Over time, those fingerprints and smudges will make your piece look dingy – and not in a rustic farmhouse way. To see how some of these colors look on real furniture, check out these grey wood stain projects! The Minwax polyurethane separated so it took me a while to stir the product so it was once again consistent. The shinier the piece the more durable and easy the surface is to wipe off. I would appreciate any wisdom you could share with me because I am so afraid I am missing something and am going to screw it up! The very ingredient that gives chalk and milk paints their velvety look and powdery feel works against them in the durability department. I’m hoping a sealant will help protect it and maybe give it a more smooth finish. That’s so strange Julie! What do you think? So sorry you are having to deal with this and let me know if I can answer any other questions. Two coats of the General Finishes grey wood stain might be a bit too much. Different wood species take stain differently. You can give it a few weeks to make sure it is cured all the way but if it keeps leaving marks, I would sand it down again and use just the Varathane Water-based Poly. Varathane’s had better results by far – click here for the current price. Excess stain was then wiped off, and all the samples dried for 24 hours before photographing. I get it! Me and my spouse have a small business fixing and selling vintage furniture, and though we don’t do a lot of chalk or latex work (because we usually work with natural wood grain) we have had a little experience with water based clear coats, and in our experience they are much less robust than oil based finishes. Remember, you are not sanding to remove the surface you are just barely roughing up the surface to accept primer or paint (How to Stand Furniture in 5 Minutes). A paint sprayer is a must-have tool for painting jobs that will make sure the final varnish or paint layer looks just as intended. I’ll look forward to your reply to my questions. Mannington: This flooring giant offers very good engineered hardwood flooring in more than 100 different colors, styles, and species. I will purchase the water-based Varathane and see how it goes! The color on the oak was nonexistent. I live in Alberta, Canada, where we deal with huge temperature swings. You can add me to your list of followers!! SW Silver Strand is a light gray paint…, Using Latex Paint To Get A Restoration Hardware Finish  Do you love the look of a Restoration Hardware Finish but not the price? Thank you for your sweet comment and I wish you all the best! Thank you for sharing your wisdom Click here for the current price and reviews. I probably need to test it too! I can’t imagine having a tabletop without a clear coat for easy clean-up after means. I think all of them might darken it slightly. I’ve bought a piece of furniture from Nadeau: Furniture With a Soul and I’m going to paint/stain/top coat it to look similar to Ethan Allen’s large Ming media cabinet in the peacock blue.
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