I took your advice today and applied a water based topcoat on a chalk painted dresser with a sponge brush and bootie and I was thrilled with the results! I've always dreaded top coating because I find it difficult to get a smooth finish with a bristle brush or a sponge brush. I don't know how or why the bootie makes all the difference, but it does. I appreciate your tips, I've had great success with your chalk paint recipe, too. Thank you and good luck with your business.
I love reading a comment like this!!! Yeah I’m so happy the nylon booty helped! I know applying top coats can be very stressful, so I’m glad my video helped with your dresser project. Thank you so much for watching the video and leaving such a kind comment. I appreciate it greatly!
I use those furniture dollies from Harbor Freight in my shop…great aides. Booty method…never heard of it. I’ll have to look into that. Great insights. Keep up the great work!
Thank you for this video of great instruction. Newbie here. Should I need to sand in between coats, what would I use. Grit? Wet sand? Gentle grit pad? Thanks
Great and simple video!!! Question: Do you have to sand between high performance flat coatings or you can apply 3 coatings without sanding in 2hour intervals? Thanks
It depends. I always run my hands over the dried coat of HPF topcoat and see if I feel any dust nubs. If I do then I will hand sand in between the coats. If the surface feels smooth and free of anything then I don't.
Hi, Bethany love your vedio and the info is awesome. I'm just refurbishing a 100 year old piano and using the same polyurethane flat top coat. Would like to know how many coats should I apply and do I sand between coats and what grit should I use. Thanks
Speaking to indoor painting, what do you recommend for paint fumes and ventilation? I live in Florida and the summers are hot and very humid so I was going to paint in a spare room in my house but there’s no door to close to keep the fumes from spreading. And the garage would have the same humidity as outside.
I only paint with paints that have little to no VOC’s. I really like Wise Owl chalk paint and Debi’s Design DIY chalk paint. I also make my own chalk paint with Lowe’s Signature line of Valspar paint.
Great video. Got several really good tips out of it. I freaked out when I read on the label (yes, I'm reading the label) of their High Performance that it has a 21 day cure time..... What am I supposed to do with that? Does that mean I can't use the table for 21 days? (Kitchen table)
Cure times on ANY topcoat are around 30 days, same with paint. They are offering you a guideline to know that topcoats don't FULLY cure until about 30 days out. I tell people just to go easy on their furniture. Don't place anything super heavy on top of it like a television. Light use is fine. Just be cautious.
Not to be silly but can’t you use a nylon knee high hose? Just asking to be precise because will doing top coat application for first time, finished my chalk paint layer. I want to get it right, also again you don’t sand final top coat?? Your video was very informative, glad I found your channel.
Happy to have you here! Great questions. First, regular nylons I found to be too thick of a nylon. I tried that some time ago and it didn't work great. Then I tried the very thin nylon booties and those worked perfectly. Second, I do not sand the final coat of topcoat.
Excellent video. For a piece like a buffet ..You mentioned a oil base topcoat ( for more durability) but what about about gf satin? Also, I just started refinishing/selling furniture. I live in a cold weather state. So ,I can't paint in my garage for the upcoming months. I can paint in my side room upstairs, but who wants to do that?! Everyone will see all my furniture when they walk in my house and it will be a mess. My question is ( unless you have a walkout basement) do you take all your furniture down to your basement and how does that work out for you? Thanks.
Thank you watching. I work in my finished basement. My entire basement is dedicated to my business. I either bring pieces in my front door or through my bulkhead.
I just had our office furniture painted with satin paint. It’s oak, not super old. Probably about 15 yrs old or so. He used a sprayer but didn’t do any prep. Did 2 coats and it turned out very flat. It needs another coat for sure. How do I seal it for a nice sheen and years of use and to prevent chipping?
Hi Bethany I have a quick question I recently painted some cabinets with a product called beyond paint so no Sandy no priming paint they sell a top coat that you would put on it but I have a gallon of the general finishes flat and I really like how it turned out on the chalk paint how do you think it would do with the beyond paint I've tried to contact beyond paint but their customer service hasn't answered me in over a month
I'm not a big fan of no prepping cabinets. I'm a believer of cleaning, sanding, priming THEN painting for maximum success with adhesion and no issues in the future with chipping and peeling of paint. I would first try General Finishes on an inconspicuous spot first. It's not really going to be if General Finishes will cause an issue. It will be the lack of prep. You could end up with wood tannins pulling through to the surface after you apply any topcoat. That's why prepping is so important. You take a gamble on issues arising. You might get lucky.
Hi Bethany, I'll be doing my 1st furniture project and I'm going to use the miniwax polycrylic. I'm painting my dresser that I place my heavy 46" TV on top. Can you please give me some guidance as to when I can place my TV back on top of the dresser. In case you need to know, I'll be using a primer, then Dixie Belle chalk paint.
Hi there! Here’s my first piece of advice practice using whatever topcoat you’re going to use on a scrap piece of wood. So paint the scrap piece of wood the same color you’re painting the Dresser and then practice applying the topcoat. Regarding Polycrylic is does have a learning curve to it. I now prefer General Finishes High Performance Flat. I find it easier to apply but that’s just me. Just know that Polycrylic has a learning curve. Water based topcoats usually take a full 30 days to cure. If you were just placing picture frames and a few Knick knacks I’d say a week is okay to place those type of items on top. A heavy tv? I’d wait the full 30 days.
Wow, that's a long time to have the TV down 🥺 Is there another product that I can use as topcoat that doesn't require such a long curing time? Is a topcoat really necessary? 🤦🏻♀️ Thank you for your advice!!
@@wallflower225 After your topcoat dries you could place the tv on top after two weeks. Just put down a placemat or a towel. I would hate to see your piece get pre maturely scratched. A topcoat is absolutely needed to protect the painted surface. Most topcoats whether it be wax, water based topcoats or oil based topcoats need a full 30 days to cure.
Yes you can. I've heard the phrase "wax is last". Meaning apply the wax as the last application. Water based polys usually take a full 30 days to totally cure. You can apply after the poly is dry. I would wait at the very minimum a full 24 hours.
Hi. I I painted my bed with GF lamp black milk paint then tried using a Polyacrylic top coat over it when it turned bubbling and looked horrible. So I tried sanding it off, put primer and repainted the bed without topcoat. But now my issue is whenever I slightly touch the painted bed it lives dusty/powdery looking marks 😕
Can you tell me what stain you used for the top of this chest? I am looking for a stain that keeps the raw wood looking natural. This looks so raw and natural. Just what I am looking for. Thank you. Susan
I've watched videos where they sand the surface with 220 grit and then apply the next layer. It also says so on the instructions. Is this not mandatory?
Honestly I have no idea why every can of topcoat says to use 220 grit sandpaper in between coats. It’s way too rough. People end up scratching their pieces. 400-500 grit is the sweet spot.
General Finishes says to use a 220 grit SANDING PAD, which has an effective grit closer to 400 and breaks in eventually to around 600. Sanding pads gum up less than sandpaper and also work better for non-flat surfaces since they bend well, unlike sandpaper. If you don't sand between coats you could have problems with adhesion (in my experience, especially with a roller) and you could also leave small blemishes (called nibs) that your next coat will build on top of and become even more prominent. More coats mean potentially more nibs, and then after 3 coats you have 3x as many nibs.
I took your advice today and applied a water based topcoat on a chalk painted dresser with a sponge brush and bootie and I was thrilled with the results! I've always dreaded top coating because I find it difficult to get a smooth finish with a bristle brush or a sponge brush. I don't know how or why the bootie makes all the difference, but it does. I appreciate your tips, I've had great success with your chalk paint recipe, too. Thank you and good luck with your business.
I love reading a comment like this!!! Yeah I’m so happy the nylon booty helped! I know applying top coats can be very stressful, so I’m glad my video helped with your dresser project. Thank you so much for watching the video and leaving such a kind comment. I appreciate it greatly!
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 I look forward to more of your videos. Thanks!
Hi Bethany, you are always a wealth of information. Thank you for these great tips and I will follow your advice.
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m so happy you found this video helpful!
I use those furniture dollies from Harbor Freight in my shop…great aides. Booty method…never heard of it. I’ll have to look into that. Great insights. Keep up the great work!
I have go buy another set of those furniture dollies. I love them! They have helped me tremendously. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for this video of great instruction. Newbie here. Should I need to sand in between coats, what would I use. Grit? Wet sand? Gentle grit pad? Thanks
Thanks for watching! I hand sand in-between coats. I use 400 grit sandpaper wrapped around a felt block.
Great and simple video!!! Question: Do you have to sand between high performance flat coatings or you can apply 3 coatings without sanding in 2hour intervals? Thanks
It depends. I always run my hands over the dried coat of HPF topcoat and see if I feel any dust nubs. If I do then I will hand sand in between the coats. If the surface feels smooth and free of anything then I don't.
Hi,
Bethany love your vedio and the info is awesome.
I'm just refurbishing a 100 year old piano and using the same polyurethane flat top coat.
Would like to know how many coats should I apply and do I sand between coats and what grit should I use.
Thanks
I would apply at minimum three coats. I would lightly hand feather sand with 400 to 500 grit in between each coat. Do not sand the last coat.
Thanks a ton.
I'll send you a picture once I'm done with the Piano.
Thanks for sharing your process. Curious, do you sand between coats?
Sometimes I do if I run my hands over it and find dust nubs. I then will lightly hand sand with 400-500 grit sand paper. Like a feather like approach.
Speaking to indoor painting, what do you recommend for paint fumes and ventilation? I live in Florida and the summers are hot and very humid so I was going to paint in a spare room in my house but there’s no door to close to keep the fumes from spreading. And the garage would have the same humidity as outside.
I only paint with paints that have little to no VOC’s. I really like Wise Owl chalk paint and Debi’s Design DIY chalk paint. I also make my own chalk paint with Lowe’s Signature line of Valspar paint.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 Got it. I'm def going to make some chalk paint with your recipe using the valspar paint. Thank you so much!!
Great video. Got several really good tips out of it. I freaked out when I read on the label (yes, I'm reading the label) of their High Performance that it has a 21 day cure time..... What am I supposed to do with that? Does that mean I can't use the table for 21 days? (Kitchen table)
Cure times on ANY topcoat are around 30 days, same with paint. They are offering you a guideline to know that topcoats don't FULLY cure until about 30 days out. I tell people just to go easy on their furniture. Don't place anything super heavy on top of it like a television. Light use is fine. Just be cautious.
Not to be silly but can’t you use a nylon knee high hose? Just asking to be precise because will doing top coat application for first time, finished my chalk paint layer. I want to get it right, also again you don’t sand final top coat?? Your video was very informative, glad I found your channel.
Happy to have you here! Great questions. First, regular nylons I found to be too thick of a nylon. I tried that some time ago and it didn't work great. Then I tried the very thin nylon booties and those worked perfectly. Second, I do not sand the final coat of topcoat.
Excellent video. For a piece like a buffet ..You mentioned a oil base topcoat ( for more durability) but what about about gf satin? Also, I just started refinishing/selling furniture. I live in a cold weather state. So ,I can't paint in my garage for the upcoming months. I can paint in my side room upstairs, but who wants to do that?! Everyone will see all my furniture when they walk in my house and it will be a mess. My question is ( unless you have a walkout basement) do you take all your furniture down to your basement and how does that work out for you? Thanks.
Thank you watching. I work in my finished basement. My entire basement is dedicated to my business. I either bring pieces in my front door or through my bulkhead.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 Thankyou so much for your response! Keep up the great work!
Excellent teacher ,thank you
Thank you! 😃
I just had our office furniture painted with satin paint. It’s oak, not super old. Probably about 15 yrs old or so.
He used a sprayer but didn’t do any prep. Did 2 coats and it turned out very flat. It needs another coat for sure. How do I seal it for a nice sheen and years of use and to prevent chipping?
A couple of questions first....what color paint was used? Did he seal the paint afterwards?
Hi Bethany I have a quick question I recently painted some cabinets with a product called beyond paint so no Sandy no priming paint they sell a top coat that you would put on it but I have a gallon of the general finishes flat and I really like how it turned out on the chalk paint how do you think it would do with the beyond paint I've tried to contact beyond paint but their customer service hasn't answered me in over a month
I'm not a big fan of no prepping cabinets. I'm a believer of cleaning, sanding, priming THEN painting for maximum success with adhesion and no issues in the future with chipping and peeling of paint. I would first try General Finishes on an inconspicuous spot first. It's not really going to be if General Finishes will cause an issue. It will be the lack of prep. You could end up with wood tannins pulling through to the surface after you apply any topcoat. That's why prepping is so important. You take a gamble on issues arising. You might get lucky.
Thanks
What tips do you have if you only have a garage to work in? Where I live that only gives me like a 2 month radius before it's too hot or too cold.
If you can temperature control the garage in any way that would be ideal.
Hi Bethany, I'll be doing my 1st furniture project and I'm going to use the miniwax polycrylic. I'm painting my dresser that I place my heavy 46" TV on top. Can you please give me some guidance as to when I can place my TV back on top of the dresser. In case you need to know, I'll be using a primer, then Dixie Belle chalk paint.
Hi there! Here’s my first piece of advice practice using whatever topcoat you’re going to use on a scrap piece of wood. So paint the scrap piece of wood the same color you’re painting the Dresser and then practice applying the topcoat. Regarding Polycrylic is does have a learning curve to it. I now prefer General Finishes High Performance Flat. I find it easier to apply but that’s just me. Just know that Polycrylic has a learning curve. Water based topcoats usually take a full 30 days to cure. If you were just placing picture frames and a few Knick knacks I’d say a week is okay to place those type of items on top. A heavy tv? I’d wait the full 30 days.
Wow, that's a long time to have the TV down 🥺 Is there another product that I can use as topcoat that doesn't require such a long curing time? Is a topcoat really necessary? 🤦🏻♀️ Thank you for your advice!!
@@wallflower225 After your topcoat dries you could place the tv on top after two weeks. Just put down a placemat or a towel. I would hate to see your piece get pre maturely scratched. A topcoat is absolutely needed to protect the painted surface. Most topcoats whether it be wax, water based topcoats or oil based topcoats need a full 30 days to cure.
@@madelinejeanantiquesrestor9074 Thank you so much for your input!! I will do what you recommend. I also would hate to see my hard work get messed up.
@@wallflower225 You are very welcome! Best of luck with your project!
Can I use clear wax over (water based) polycrylic ? If so, how long should the last coat of poly cure before doing so ?
Yes you can. I've heard the phrase "wax is last". Meaning apply the wax as the last application. Water based polys usually take a full 30 days to totally cure. You can apply after the poly is dry. I would wait at the very minimum a full 24 hours.
I did a top coat and it looks streaky. Should I lightly sand a reapply?
What topcoat (oil based? water based?) and what did you apply it over? (paint or stain?)
Hi. I I painted my bed with GF lamp black milk paint then tried using a Polyacrylic top coat over it when it turned bubbling and looked horrible. So I tried sanding it off, put primer and repainted the bed without topcoat. But now my issue is whenever I slightly touch the painted bed it lives dusty/powdery looking marks 😕
Can you tell me what stain you used for the top of this chest? I am looking for a stain that keeps the raw wood looking natural. This looks so raw and natural. Just what I am looking for. Thank you. Susan
I've watched videos where they sand the surface with 220 grit and then apply the next layer. It also says so on the instructions. Is this not mandatory?
Honestly I have no idea why every can of topcoat says to use 220 grit sandpaper in between coats. It’s way too rough. People end up scratching their pieces. 400-500 grit is the sweet spot.
General Finishes says to use a 220 grit SANDING PAD, which has an effective grit closer to 400 and breaks in eventually to around 600. Sanding pads gum up less than sandpaper and also work better for non-flat surfaces since they bend well, unlike sandpaper. If you don't sand between coats you could have problems with adhesion (in my experience, especially with a roller) and you could also leave small blemishes (called nibs) that your next coat will build on top of and become even more prominent. More coats mean potentially more nibs, and then after 3 coats you have 3x as many nibs.
Do you sand between coats of the topcoat?
Yes I do. I use 400-500 grit sandpaper wrapped around a felt block.
Can you use this top coat on raw pine with no stain? This is for my kitchen table.
You sure can!
Biscuit!