Thursday, January 21, 2016

How to Apply Chalk Paint Dark Wax for Your Furniture

Chalk paint dark wax can be applied in any furniture to make even darker color. If you love dark color scheme, try to use it for your furniture.
People apply wax to their paint to protect the paint and to make the color come out. Dark wax will make the color darker. Before starting, you will need to choose the furniture that you want to paint and the brand of the paint and wax that you want to use like Annie Sloan or others. And then, the next step in chalk paint dark wax is to remove the hardware, drawers or shelves. Check if there any rough areas that are needed to sand. Clean the surface with a clean rug dipped in mild soap and warm water to remove any oils and sticky dirt. Clean the soap residue with clean damp cloth, and let the furniture dry.


Applying Chalk Paint in Your Furniture

If there any holes in your furniture, use wood glue to cover it. You will need to use painter’s tape to edge off no painted sections. First step in your dark wax chalk paint is applying the Chalk Paint. You can work directly from the can, but make sure to close the can with cap after dipping the brush. Apply at least twice coat of chalk paint. But, allow the previous coating dry first before next coating. You can apply clear wax first before applying the dark wax to avoid stain. You can use two layers of clear wax for extra caution. But wait for around 24 hours for each layers to completely dry.
Applying Dark Wax in Your Furniture

You can use knife and smear the wax in a plate. Dab the brush into the wax, and apply to your furniture. It’s better if you use special brush for wax. If you don’t want too dark color, you can mix clear wax and soft dark wax; and then add some mineral spirits until the mixture has texture of a pudding. To do this chalk paint dark wax, you need to work in sections. Let the wax for a moment, and wipe a little with a clean cloth. But remember to not too long leave the wax. For neat finish, use a circular and side sweep motions combination, make sure in the end the wax applied in the same direction to the wood grain.




You can put the brush in a zip lock and keep it in the fridge if you need a little break. It’s also better if you use a microfiber cloth. Adding mineral spirits in your chalk paint wax will make the finish glossier also. You may want to buff the surface also, but wait at least 24 hours after waxing. After finish your work you need to clean the brushes to make them last longer. You can soak them in soapy water for about 15 minutes, and then remove the wax or paint residue with warm water. You may add conditioner if you want to keep them smooth.

In wax chalk paint, you need to consider other factors also in order to get the best result. First, you need to work at the room temperature. It is better if you can work indoor where you can set the temperature. Indoor also means less risk of dust or insect disturbance in drying process. Next is ventilation aspect like windows and fan to help better air circulation, but you need to turn the fans off during painting. You need to choose products with low VOCs, low odor, and non-toxic also. For the light, natural lighting is the best, but if the process is in the night, you need proper lighting.
The last, don’t forget to protect the floor to avoid paint drips. In chalk paint dark wax, blotchy appearance can be a problem also. To avoid that, make sure to strike the brush from one edge in all the process. When removing wax excess, you must always begin to wipe from the top to the bottom of the panel. Besides that you need to apply your first coating in uniform and thin and uniformed layer. That way you will have perfect result.

Wednesday, January 20, 2016

Chalk Paint Drying Time and Cure Time and What Can Influence Them

Chalk paint drying time can be up to 1 hour, while the cure time can be up to 1 month. Even so, there are some influences that can affect the speed of the drying and the cure times.
Have you ever wondering the chalk paint drying time before? Well, don’t just wonder about it. Actually, you should have known it. If you don’t wait for the proper time, you might not be able to successfully apply chalk paint on your furniture. Of course, it is not something you would want, right? Patience plays a big role here. Paint is not something that can dry in the count of some minutes only.

The Drying Time and the Cure Time

In the discussion of the drying time of chalk paint, the writer will tell you that there is one similar but different term of it, that is cure time. These two terms always come together. Drying time is the time when the solvents on the paint coat evaporate. It should have been the time when you can feel the paint dry with your touch. However, you should know that the paint is not 100% dry here. How about the cure time?

Cure time is the time when the paint coat reaches the maximum hardness. Yes, this is when the paint is 100% and completely dry. Different kinds of paint have different kinds of drying and cure times. If it is chalk brand paints, it has 30-60 minutes of drying time and 30 days of cure time. If the chalk paint is a homemade one, it has the same 30-60 minutes of drying time and almost the same 21-30 days of cure time. Have you understood about chalk paint drying time and cure time already?




The Influences to the Drying and Cure Times

Although there have been the exact drying and cure times for each kind of paints, it doesn’t mean that it will always be around that time no matter what. Of course, there are things that can influence the time as well. So, what are they? First, it is the paint thickness. The thicker the paint, the longer it will take to dry and cure, of course. Second, it is the number of coats. Chalk paint’s time to dry and cure will be longer with more number of coats too.

Third, it is the paint color. The darker the color, the longer the drying and the cure time will be. Fourth, it is the kinds of paint. As the writer said earlier, different paint has different time to dry and cure. Fifth, it is the material of the thing the paint is put on. Each surface, like wood, canvas, etc. has its own time. Sixth, it is the place where you leave the painted furniture to dry and cure. If it is not humid, the chalk paint’s dry time and cure time should have been faster.

There you go. The writer has provided you with the knowledge you need to know about the time for the chalk paint to dry and to cure. By now, you should have known that those kinds of time are two different terms. Furthermore, they can be influenced by many things. They can be faster or slower depending on the thickness, number of coats, paint color, kinds of paint, surface’s material, and the place the furniture is left to dry and cure. Chalk paint drying time and cure time sure are important to know.