Posted by frenchicfinland Admin
A few tips & painting instructions
Welcome to the dangerous side of color!
Possible side effects include unexpected painting projects, rescuing furniture, and endless admiration of colors. Your first painting project is often the start of a new favorite hobby, so pick up these useful tips and easy tricks for your own project.
First project? Read the Beginner’s Guide too.
Be bold and make your home your own, using the shades you love
Upcycling, painting and restoring old furniture is a small act of environmental kindness and the choice of an eco-conscious home decorator.
Every painting project is unique, and everyone has their own habits when it comes to the surfaces and furnishings in their home. You can always repaint if everyday wear shows on the painted surface, or enjoy its beautifully worn look. Maintenance and touch-up painting are part of caring for painted surfaces.
Painting can make even an old surface beautiful again. You don’t always need to buy new.
Painting is fun and sometimes even therapeutically relaxing. Explore the Frenchic range and enjoy the colors!
The instructions for a successful paint job are ultimately very simple with Frenchic paints:
- Wash and clean the surface to be painted thoroughly, then let it dry.
- Sand the entire surface and wipe away the sanding dust.
- Apply at least two coats to a clean, dry surface, using thoroughly mixed paint.
- Allow to dry according to the instructions.
What painting tools do I need?
Get your tools and paint well before starting your project.
As well as cleaning products and cleaning tools, you’ll need paint and a brush. You might also need a long-handled, handy radiator roller, a new roller sleeve, a paint tray, and a paint-mixing tool.
Remember safe ladders, protective equipment, and masking tape. Move and protect other furnishings in advance.
Choose a shade and test it out
If possible, always choose a color in the environment and conditions where it will be used. At home, in your own light and shadows, you can best see how the color comes to life and whether it’s right for you. Our adhesive-backed shade samples are made with genuine Frenchic paint and offer a neat way to choose a shade without opening paint tins. The Peel & Stick shade card range is available in all colors and collections.
The Frenchic range includes 250 ml tins for testing, so you can easily check the shade and coverage.
If you’re unsure whether the paint is suitable for your project, try it out on an inconspicuous spot first. This will also give you an idea of its coverage, drying time, and how far it will go in your project, and help you confirm that the shade is right. Always test the paint and tools before starting a larger project.
Mixing the paint is the most important step before you try it.
Uneven color may be corrected by applying another coat of paint. If there’s a big difference between the surface being painted and the chosen shade, you may need more coats than usual. Frenchic paints always require at least two coats.
Remember that the colors shown on your screen are produced electronically, and each screen displays shades in its own way.
The material’s surface, its sheen, the lighting, and nearby colors also affect how a color appears. It’s worth looking at colors on both horizontal and vertical surfaces.
Assess the shade only once it’s dry, after two coats, using thoroughly mixed paint.
Get inspired by other people’s projects and pick up the best ideas
Get inspired by our customers’ project photos in our Facebook group and see what your chosen shade looks like in different lighting and on different surfaces. Search the group by shade name to find furniture painted in that shade. Try searching for terms such as KITCHEN or TILE.
Don’t skimp on the amount of paint
One coat or diluted paint can reduce durability. Porous and uneven surfaces, such as fiberglass wallpaper or unfinished wood, usually require a little more paint than indicated in the instructions.
Make sure you have enough paint to complete your project.
The standard industry advice is that if you need more than one tin of paint, make sure they’re from the same batch or, if that isn’t possible, mix the batches together before painting to ensure an even result.
All Frenchic paints require at least two coats.
Choose your brushes and other tools
Don’t skimp on your choice of brush. Painting with a tidy, clean, undamaged brush or roller is enjoyable and gives you a first-rate finish.
Choosing old, dirty tools can result in a messy finish and overly thick coats of paint.
Thick layers of paint or wax will not dry within the time specified by the manufacturer and will reduce the surface’s wear resistance.
Your painting project will go smoothly when your tools are in good condition.
For your project, set aside both a wide and a narrow brush, as well as quality tape for masking. You can use cheaper tape to attach protective sheeting.
You may also need a tape measure, a pencil, furniture cleaner, and a sanding sponge.
Follow the instructions and drying times
Painting is quick and enjoyable, but remember to allow time for the process, especially for the coats to dry.
- If the instructions say to apply two coats of paint, apply two coats.
- If the instructions say to sand or roughen the surface and clean it before painting, follow them.
- You’ll notice a huge difference in durability when you follow the instructions and drying times: take extra care to protect fresh paintwork from everyday wear and tear during the first few weeks.
- If you forget the instructions or drying times, you can find them on the side of each paint tin and on our website. Read the instructions before you start.
- Read the instructions on the paint tin before you start.
- Try the paint and tools before taking on a larger project, such as painting kitchen cabinets, especially if you are not yet familiar with the paint range and tools.
Do not overwork paint layers while they are drying by subjecting them to unnecessary mechanical stress, for example with small touch-ups. This can damage both the top and underlying coats, and the surfaces will need to be sanded smooth before repainting.
Allow at least 2 hours between coats of Al Fresco paint and at least one hour between coats of Lazy Range paint under normal conditions.
How do I prepare furniture for painting?
When you start your project, prepare the furniture for painting. Get your supplies ready, protect the area around the furniture and put on painting clothes.
Start by cleaning. Powerful pressure washing is not good for furniture, especially old wooden furniture. A pressure washer can force water deep into the surface, and it can take a long time to dry.
Wash the surface to be painted before sanding
Wash the surface to remove grease, dirt and fingerprints. Surfaces that are touched often must be thoroughly washed before painting. Finally, rinse off the cleaning agent you used with clean water.
Always paint only clean surfaces.
After cleaning, lightly sand or roughen the surface.
Glossy, slippery and heavily used surfaces should be roughened or sanded thoroughly before painting to give the paint a good surface to adhere to.
Hand sanding is usually enough, for example with sandpaper or a reusable, washable sanding sponge. You can also use the sanding sponge wet, making sanding comfortable and less dusty, even indoors.
The paints in the Frenchic Paint range are water-based and repel dirt, oil and grease.
If you decide to sand the surfaces back to bare wood before painting, be prepared to use more paint, as bare wood can absorb the first coat into the grain.
Pro Tip: you can seal porous surfaces before painting with Finishing Coat. This saves paint and drying time. Finishing Coat dries quickly, in about 15 minutes, and is easy to apply, for example with a sponge. You can find the instructions on the product page.
The surface to be painted must be dry and clean
Clean all cleaning agents you use and remove any paint stripper residue, grease, wax and paste from the surface before painting. If you paint a dirty or damp surface, the paint will not adhere and will quickly start to flake and crack. Silicone seals cannot be painted, so they should be replaced as part of the painting project.
All paints in the Frenchic range are designed to be applied in at least two coats
Prepare brushes and rollers by wetting them. Check that no water drips from the tools, then start painting with a damp brush. Load the brush with an ordinary amount of paint: not too little, but not so much that paint drips from the brush as you lift it from the container. Thick (and overly thin) coats reduce durability and won’t dry within the usual time.
Coats that are too thick take longer to dry than the instructions state, and a thick layer of paint may crack as it dries.
Mix the paint thoroughly before you start painting
The base color matters: when painting from dark to light (or vice versa), you may need more coats than usual.
Gray is a good shade for reddish, orange, or yellowed wood surfaces: apply the first coat in a gray shade (City Slicker or Swankypants). It immediately neutralizes the red and brown undertones, so you’ll need fewer white coats.
Coverage is also affected by how thoroughly you mix the paint before and during painting. Let each coat dry fully according to the instructions (Al Fresco 2h and Lazy Range min. 1h).
If you apply coats that are too thin or don’t mix the paint, you’ll likely need several coats to get an even, opaque finish.
You’ll find the drying time and other instructions on the side of the paint can. Please always read the instructions before painting.
Drying and curing are two different things
Water-based paints, such as Frenchic paints, reach their final hardness in about three weeks. Until then, the paint is still fresh. Don’t scratch or scrape fresh paint.
If the humidity is too high or the temperature too low in the room where you’re painting, the paint film will dry more slowly and its formation will be disrupted. This will make the painted surface less durable and it may crack. Paint dries faster on a porous surface than on a dense, non-absorbent one.
Frenchic paints become touch-dry quickly when applied at normal temperatures and can be recoated after two hours.
Even if the paint surface dries quickly after painting, that doesn’t mean it has reached its final durability in the same amount of time. The wax and other protective properties in the paint continue to cure for several weeks.
You can begin using painted furniture and surfaces gently no sooner than 48 hours after painting. The paint is still fresh: you can use the surfaces during this time, but avoid heavy use until the paint has fully cured.
Care for, use, store, and clean your painted furniture with care
Whether your furniture is antique, sentimental, or painted by you, appreciate your beautiful paintwork and take good care of the painted surface.
That way, all your hard work won’t go to waste. Normal signs of wear are part of everyday life, and how a piece of furniture is used affects how well the paintwork holds up.
Painting a side table for decorative use is different from painting a kitchen table that’s used for more than just dining. You can use a tablecloth or placemats under plates and glasses/cups; always use trivets under hot dishes.
A kitchen table, for example, is used very differently from a sofa. Since dining table surfaces are often cleaned with various cleaning products, we recommend protecting painted surfaces that get heavy use and wear with Tuff Top Coat.
Consider how heavily the furniture will be used before painting
Before painting, consider whether the painted surface will have time to dry and harden undisturbed before being used gently. Fresh paint is soft and scratches easily.
Durability depends on many factors: naturally, furniture in a family kitchen with children gets more wear and tear than furniture in a household with two adults.
If the paint has worn or chipped in a particular spot on a piece of painted furniture, consider whether that spot is still subject to the same use and wear, and therefore needs occasional touch-ups. Touch-up painting is a normal part of caring for painted furniture.
In the kitchen, all surfaces are washed and wiped down more than in other rooms. Most cleaning products contain ingredients that soften paint, so a protective Finishing Coat is a great way to protect the painted surface.
If you’re wondering whether the paint can withstand wear and tear on a dining table, it’s worth being realistic and considering how you and your family use it in everyday life.
Pro Tip! You can protect the painted surface of a heavily used dining table with a matte Finishing Coat, 'Tuff Top Coat'.
When you paint a tabletop, for example, you can’t cover it with a tablecloth the next day - the paint is still fresh. A freshly painted surface takes about three weeks to fully harden, so it’s very important to protect it until then.
If you paint a garden chair, don’t cover it with a cushion the next day - the paint is still fresh and won’t be able to dry under the cushion.
Always store painted garden and balcony furniture and other items in a sheltered place during winter.
The best place to store furniture is a spacious, well-ventilated storage room where it won’t get knocked around. Wooden furniture left outside over winter will swell with moisture and the paintwork will be damaged. Read more about outdoor painting.
A quick guide to painting outdoor furniture
Check the weather conditions before starting to paint.
The best painting weather is warm and overcast, with temperatures of at least +10C both during the day and at night (for the first 48 hours), so the paint film dries normally.
Also check that rain, humidity, or anything else will not interfere with the drying process after painting. Cloudy, dry weather and a sheltered spot are ideal for a painting project.
Do not paint when it is too cold, hot, or in direct sunlight.
Do not leave freshly painted furniture outdoors overnight to dry in case of rain. Do not leave painted furniture outdoors over winter either: water and ice will quickly damage the paint if water gets underneath it.
Only paint outdoor furniture that you can store away from the elements during winter.
Why? The paint itself can withstand outdoor conditions, but wooden furniture and other wood surfaces expand and contract with changes in moisture and dryness. This can cause the paint film to crack, allowing water, snow, and ice to get underneath the paint and lift it away from the wood surface.
The type of wood can affect how well the paint lasts and soaks in. Some types of wood are naturally oily, such as teak and other hardwoods.
Some garden furniture may have been factory-treated with an oil-based coating or wood preservative intended to prevent other substances from adhering to the surface. Paint is not designed to adhere to these types of protective treatments.
Ask the furniture retailer about the original surface treatment or type of wood.
If you have previously oiled your outdoor furniture, you should continue oiling it. Water-based paint is unlikely to adhere well to an oiled surface. Oil can rise to the surface from wood that has been oiled for a long time, even after several years.
Al Fresco is our weather-resistant paint range, containing protective ingredients needed outdoors, such as an anti-mold agent and UV protection against color fading.
Paint storage
Can old paint be used? If the paint mixes to a smooth consistency, smells normal, and the color looks right when test-painted, you can use it. Paint that has been stored for a long time often needs to be mixed thoroughly for a long time, right down to the bottom. Thorough mixing distributes the pigments and important protective ingredients evenly throughout the paint.
Store paint in a dry place at normal room temperature. Water-based paint must not freeze. Frozen and thawed paint is no longer recommended for use.
Leftover paint from a painting project will remain usable for a long time if it has stayed clean and the storage container is sealed airtight. Transfer small amounts of paint to smaller containers so the air inside does not dry out the paint during storage.
For example, you can transfer clean paint to a glass jar and store it upside down so the container is completely airtight. Paint thinned with water should not be stored.
If dirt, dust, or other debris gets into the paint can while painting outdoors or indoors, it will quickly spoil the paint. Store paint at a minimum of +10 degrees, preferably at normal, dry room temperature in a shady place.
Read more about storing paint here.
Wear protective clothing when painting
You can clean your tools with warm water and, if needed, mild detergent.
Protect the floor and surrounding area while painting, and wear safety glasses, gloves, and suitable painting clothes (long sleeves and pants).
It’s best to paint indoors in a well-ventilated space. Read more here.
Fix mistakes by sanding, not by painting over them
If something goes wrong, you can fix it: lightly sand the painted surface, wipe away the dust, and repaint.
Some people want to sand between coats for an extra-smooth finish. Use very fine sandpaper or a handy, reusable, washable sanding sponge or sanding pad.
Rushing and skipping steps usually leads to an uneven surface and a paint finish that won’t last.
Set aside time for your project, do several small test patches, boldly try new techniques, and get to know your painting tools.
Enjoy your painting project!
First, try out different techniques on a practice piece to find what works for you, your tools, and the surface you’re painting.
Try different tools and find what works for you
Try a roller too. It can also create texture if you’re not familiar with using one. Don’t press down when painting with a roller, and always do a test patch so you can see how much paint is right for the roller you’re using. A roller that’s too dry, combined with an overworked surface, will leave an uneven finish. Avoid buying cheap foam rollers. Find out more about microfiber rollers here.
Extra tip for painting with a roller: apply the paint with the roller, then while the paint is still wet, immediately go over the area lightly with a brush.
If you haven’t tried the oval brushes in the Frenchic range, we highly recommend them: they make your painting projects much easier, and you’re sure to love using them!
Painting with high-quality, non-toxic paint is a pleasure, but you still need a healthy dose of common sense = painting sense.
The innovative, award-winning Frenchic paints are designed to make your painting projects easier and faster - they level beautifully and dry quickly.
Follow our instructions and you’re sure to succeed!
Our website is full of helpful guides and tips:
Click here to go straight to the paint selection guide.
Join the Facebook group and share photos of your own Frenchic projects. Invite your skilled friends who paint, upcycle, and renovate to join the group!
We love diversity and creativity.
We admire the beauty of all the different colors and shades.
We believe in the happiness that comes from offering unique and creative products to our customers.
