Paint Spraying Furniture

We recently invested in a paint sprayer and it was such a great idea! We had a lot of pieces of furniture that we wanted to paint and give new life to them. I’ll share all of the details about the paint sprayer, paint, wax etc below!

The paint sprayer we bought was the best rated one on many different blogs, websites and amazon, plus the price was right. The sprayer came with a manual that explains the different sprayer heads for different paint types. 

HomeRight Paint Sprayer 

Canadian link C$125

US link USD$92

We did research about the best paint to use for finished furniture and the answer seemed to be chalk paint. The benefit of chalk paint is no sanding and it can go straight onto finished furniture. We bought the Behr chalk paint and had it tinted to the different colours we wanted: cottage white and sycamore green. We also bought the Behr clear wax, which was sold right beside the chalk paint. The wax enhances the colour but also protects the surface, which is especially important on “high traffic” surfaces. We also picked up a drop cloth. Both were purchased at The Home Depot Canada. 

When starting this project, we made sure it was going to be a clear day and minimal wind. 

We lay out a drop cloth on the grass, got an extension cord, and brought all of the furniture outside. 

I also brought two jugs: 1 with water and 1 with ounce measure markings on the side. 

To prepare the paint I would add 1 quart of paint to the sprayer canister (the clear part that holds the paint on the bottom of the sprayer) and then 6 ounces of water. When research I read that you need to thin by 5-15% with water, and this above ratio seemed to work really well for us. 

Always test the paint. Whether it’s on some cardboard, the drop cloth, the back of whatever you are painting. Just make sure the flow rate is good and there aren’t big splats of paint coming out. It should be consistent on all of the areas when you spray. 

When painting, these are a few tips that I found useful. I found spraying in lines worked best. Spray about 3 feet away from the item I was painting, and don’t spend too long on each area, you don’t want to create ripples of paint by putting on too much paint. Also, ensuring I wasn’t pulling too hard on the trigger. The trigger controls the flow rate of the paint coming out. Plus the side of the paint sprayer controls how wide or narrow the paint spray comes out. The paint dried within half an hour and I could do another coat, though the paint can normally indicates a longer dry time. We did 2 coats on each item. The paint really travels, so ensure you’re not too close to anything important. The drop cloth will get most of it, but I still got some on the grass, all over my clothes, my hair, face, glasses etc. It washed off easily but still annoying. If you get it on your clothes, soak them in water and soap after you’re finished and then wash them. It came out of the athletic wear we had on!

The next day, or a few hours later, you should apply the wax as directed on the can. It really

Helps protect the furniture!

We haven’t painted anything other than furniture but we do plan on using this on a fence, deck and roof! Follow me on Instagram @emscourtney to see more up to date details.

Before & After