Whitening a piece of furniture is a great way to revive an old wooden piece of furniture, while leaving the grain of the wood itself visible. You can apply a stain, use regular paint to achieve a similar effect, or paint the furniture white with more traditional methods, creating a more opaque appearance as well. You can get great results with a couple of hours of work and using a few basic tools by following any of the three methods.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Whiten an Old Furniture
Step 1. Put the furniture on a tarp
Alternatively, you can use newspapers or any other material to collect and absorb the splashes and drips of the products.
Step 2. Remove the old sealant with a chemical stripper (optional)
If the wood is covered with a sealant, using the paint stripper will get you a good result more quickly than sanding:
- Attention: these products are extremely caustic. Use them only in ventilated areas and cover your skin, eyes and mouth (with a respirator).
- With a brush apply the paint remover on the wood trying to give the least number of passes possible. Cover the entire surface, but handle the product as little as possible for maximum results.
- Wait 3-5 minutes while the paint stripper dissolves the sealant.
- Scrape any loose, sticky material from the wood. You can use steel wool to get to the hardest spots.
- If you use the chemical stripper Not skip the step of washing the wood with water and vinegar. This neutralizes the product, so that the work on the furniture will be safer and the whitener will adhere better (alternatively, you can use turpentine, white spirit or a neutralizing paint).
Step 3. Wash the cabinet with water and vinegar
Dilute the white vinegar in equal parts with water and use the solution to wash the wood. This mixture is effective in eliminating stains and dirt that could make it difficult to apply the whitener uniformly. Treating the wood in this way also improves its ability to absorb the product.
Wait for the mixture to dry completely before continuing
Step 4. Sand the furniture
Carefully use medium or fine grit sandpaper or a sander. This step gives the wood greater consistency and will make it easier to apply the new coating uniformly.
If the furniture already has a layer of varnish, lacquer or paint on it, it will need to be sanded completely
Step 5. Rub it with a clean cloth
By doing this you eliminate all the dust created by sanding, obtaining a clean surface to work on.
Step 6. Purchase or prepare a cover mix yourself
You can buy a ready-made one as a "wood stain" or "stain", or make your own by mixing paint and water.
- If you create your own blend, use a 2: 1 ratio of latex paint to water to get a thick, thick covering whitener, while with a 1: 1 and 1: 2 ratio you get a lighter result that may be suitable for applications. following.
- Similarly, you can prepare a solution by mixing turpentine in an oil-based paint until it reaches the desired consistency.
- Whether you make the product at home or buy it at the store, be sure to mix it thoroughly before use.
- All "stains" or "stains" should be suitable for any type of wood.
- Buy whitening stain, not paint. The latter is based on lime and gypsum, which takes much longer to dry and cover the grain of the wood.
Step 7. Apply the stain
Use a brush, foam roller or clean cloth and follow long strokes across the entire surface of the cabinet. Since this mixture dries faster than standard paint, apply it on small sections of the furniture and do not try to cover large areas with a single pass.
- For oak or other porous and coarse-grained woods, apply the whitener in the opposite direction to the grain, to cover the edge of the wood.
- For pine and most other woods, spread the product following the direction of the grain for best results.
- You can speed up the job by passing the stain in strips along the entire surface of the furniture, so as to make it easier to spread the excess product (see the next steps) in a single movement, before moving on to the next layer.
- Use a sponge to whiten hard-to-reach areas, such as corners.
Step 8. Squeeze the dye into the wood (optional)
Before the product dries, use a clean cloth to rub it into the grain and knots of the wood and level the coating with the brush.
- This is especially important for oak and other rather porous types of wood.
- You can skip this step if you prefer to give the furniture a deliberately "beginner" look by giving individual brushstrokes.
Step 9. Refine areas that are too white
Before the whitener is completely dry, use a clean cloth to wipe excess product off the surface of the cabinet. This helps make the wood grain more visible through the dye.
- Alternatively, you can use a dry sponge.
- If the excess stains have already dried, remove them with sandpaper.
Step 10. Apply additional layers of whitener as desired
If you add other layers (and also in this case clean the excess), you get a thicker color that darkens the grain of the wood more. These additional applications allow you to easily create the exact combination of colors and wood grain you want for your project.
A coat is usually thick enough, especially if the color has been prepared to the desired consistency. If you see that you need to add more than three layers, you should use a denser whitener
Step 11. Put a protective product on the bleached cabinet (optional)
When the stain has completely dried, apply a clear water-based sealer to the surface. This will protect the work done and give it a fresh and new look for a long time. Most sealants can be applied with a lint-free brush or sponge.
- USA always a clear water-based sealant. Oil-based ones can leave a yellow tint that interferes with the desired color.
- Apply the sealant in long strokes.
Method 2 of 3: Use Undiluted Paint to Give a "Whitening" Look
Step 1. Prepare the wood
Just like if you really want to whiten it, you have to sand it down and clean the surface to be able to brush it. Remember to put the piece of furniture on a cloth or something similar that can catch every drop of paint.
Since this method involves applying the paint instead of the whitener, it is not necessary to completely remove the old finish (sealant), unless it is cracking. In this case, follow the directions described in the first method for stripping the furniture with a chemical product, or sand it completely with a sander
Step 2. Dip the brush very gently into the paint
Use pure (undiluted) paint. You must have just enough paint on the brush to be able to distribute it on the surface. Wipe it off with a rag if it fills with too much color.
If you can't find a balance between the amount needed to cover the whole area and keep a very thin layer, dip the brush in water and shake it (not on the wood) before applying the color
Step 3. Brush the wood quickly and lightly
If you take a break during the painting process or if the first contact between the brush and the wood is too heavy, you will get uneven spots. Try to move the brush as quickly and gently as possible.
- Be especially careful when painting the corners. It's easy to slow down by trying to reach the edge, but doing so risks creating an uneven layer of paint.
- If you want to avoid noticing brush strokes, do very long strokes, but keep a moderate speed and a light touch.
Step 4. Blend uneven spots with a rag or sponge
Always with a light and quick touch, locate any irregular or too thick spots and brush gently to give a homogeneous look with the surrounding areas.
Step 5. Apply a sealant
One or two coats of a water-based sealant allow you to preserve the furniture without altering its color. Wait for the paint to dry completely before applying it.
Method 3 of 3: Paint the Cabinet White
Step 1. Sand and clean the cabinet
Follow this method if the furniture is made of metal or wood. Let it dry completely before continuing.
- Sand the wooden furniture gently. Unlike the application of the whitening product, in this case you are trying to obscure (largely) the grain of the wood and make it completely white. Excessive sandblasting of woods such as pine or oak can cause a loss of tannins through the paint and dye the furniture yellow.
- It is not necessary to remove the old finish, unless it is damaged and cracked. If you need to, sand it thoroughly until you remove it completely, or follow the instructions in Method 1 to safely use a chemical stripper.
Step 2. Apply a coat of primer
Let this layer dry before continuing.
- Use a primer if the surface is very shiny or shiny.
- Use a stain-resistant primer if the surface already has stains present.
- Try to apply a water-based primer if the paint is water-based, an oil-based primer if the paint is oil-based. If you mix the two types together, you may not have any problems, but that's not necessarily the case.
Step 3. Rub the surface with a fine grit sandpaper
If you sanding after each coat of primer, or at least before applying the final layer, you wipe away the excess primer that has dried in irregular ridges and you will get a homogeneous and smooth base.
Step 4. Add more layers of primer
Each layer needs to be very thin, so apply at least two coats before painting. Always let each layer dry before applying the next one.
The primer must not hide the underlying color. This is the job of the paint
Step 5. Apply several thin coats of paint
Use a clean brush to spread the paint and wait for each coat to dry before applying the next. It is important to do at least two thin layers if you want to get a smooth and resistant result.
- You can use a roller or take long strokes of the brush to apply an even layer over a large flat surface.
- To refine the details or curved areas of metal, use a small painter's brush that you can find in art stores.
Step 6. Apply a sealant (optional)
24 hours after applying the last coat of paint, you can coat the cabinet with any type of sealant to protect the paint.
If you don't apply a sealant, avoid touching the furniture as much as possible for a few weeks until the paint dries completely
Advice
- Although this technique is known for whitening furniture, you can use any color of paint or paint.
- You should first try the product on a piece of scrap wood of the same type or on a hidden corner of the furniture.
- If you apply two coats of whitening product in different colors you can create a "translucent effect" where the underlying color shines through from the top one.
- Before applying a different wood stain to bleached furniture, remove the sealant layer (if any) with a chemical stripper, then smooth the wood until the color layer is barely visible.
- Before applying the paint on a bleached piece of furniture, the only thing you need to do is to lightly sand to create a rough surface on which the paint adheres easily. The whitener will no longer be visible under thick layers of paint.
Warnings
- Always apply paints in a well-ventilated area. People with a tendency to be allergic to chemicals or paints should wear protective gloves when working with these products.
- Do not apply a base coat before bleaching. The primer should only be used for paint, not for painting and darkening the wood grain.
