What Type Of Paint To Use On Furniture

There are so many different types paint but what kind is good for furniture? I mean there is always left over wall paint and its super cheap can that be used? What about all these chalk paint companies popping up is that paint good for furniture? So, what type of paint is good to use on furniture?

Lets Start With Wall Paint

Wall paint is specifically designed for walls, untouched, unused walls. They make wall / latex paint to have excellent coverage, which requires them to add a lot of fillers into their paints. Those fillers do not make a good strong paint, to hold up to heavy daily use. So as a result they exclude the good quality resins which is part of the durability of the paint.

Side note: resins are the binder which holds the pigmented particles together.

I did a search on latex paint on furniture and wholly bananas the results of so many people recommending regular old wall paint on furniture and kitchens. GUYS, there’s a reason why professionals do NOT use latex paint when painting kitchen cabinets for clients. It’s not a durable solution.

So, if you are painting a little table that is never going to be used, yes use the wall paint. However if you plan on tackling something like your kitchen, night stands, or dinning room table don’t settle for wall paint.

What About Chalk Paint?

Chalk paint too has a ton of fillers to create the desired “chalky” look. As a result it also carries less resins. In addition it is suggested to wax chalk paint and wax is NOT a durable top coat. I am not saying don’t use chalk on furniture just keep the chalk paint projects for things that are hardly ever used. You can read more about chalk paint here.

So What Kind Of Paint Can You Use?

When choosing a furniture paint I have a couple rules of thumb. One is to make sure I choose a paint company that has been around for awhile. I want a company that sells to professionals. You don’t want to pick a paint company that hasn’t been around long to really test their paints out. Also you want to make sure the paint company recommends proper prep work that includes a form of cleaning and scuffing.

Second, I am going to look at their TDS or PDS (Technical Data Sheet or Product Data Sheet). I am going to look at a couple things. Viscosity to tell me how thick the product is. Solids can help give me a clue as to how much fillers are in a product. And also tell me if I will require another step by thinning the product.

Tara Lou’s Recommenced Paints

As a professional furniture painter I use ML Campbell tinted top coat and spray the paint on using an HVLP spray system. So that’s one option if you are looking to step up your game!

If you are just doing a little DIY at home I do have a great professional grade paint for you. General Finishes Brush-able White Enamel, it’s in the name you can brush this on. Now if you don’t like the white color you can have it tinted at your local paint store or wherever you get your paint. I don’t know if this is recommenced by General Finishes but I have been using Mixol universal tints to tint the paints myself!

Side Note

Professional paint companies will make specific products for specific uses. For example General Finishes Exterior 450 is formulated to withstand temperature changes and weather conditions like rain. While Aqua Coats Table Top (which is a wonderful product) is designed for high use tables, it is formulated to be touched, rubbed, and whipped. So be sure to use the proper product on the proper piece!

Let me know what you have used and like!

Happy Painting

Tara Lou

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