Posted by Frenchic Admin
FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions and Answers 2
How are Frenchic paints different from other paint ranges? Are Frenchic paints truly durable?
We get lots of questions from our customers. Here are some of the most common ones, with answers.
Award-winning Frenchic Paint® has set new standards for furniture painting, making it easier and more fun than ever. And if you previously thought chalk paint wasn't durable or practical, now's the time to try Frenchic!
Read the answers to our most frequently asked questions here to learn valuable information about our range.
The innovative features of Frenchic paints at a glance:
- Fast drying time
Almost odorless
Levels into a beautiful, smooth finish
Especially economical
Really great coverage
Almost drip-free
Contains primer
Durable, washable finish without varnish or wax
Beautiful matte finish
Gorgeous, muted shades -
The beautiful leveling of Frenchic paints gives you a head start, making it easier to achieve a smooth finish than with other paint ranges.
We want to offer our customers plenty of advice, tricks, and tips, because every paint job and every painter's style is unique.
Q: I always have a hundred and one projects on the go. Where can I easily check which Frenchic paint range is suitable for my different projects and surfaces?
A: In general, any Frenchic range is suitable for indoor projects, and only Al Fresco is suitable for outdoor furniture. All ranges are suitable for wood, MDF, and metal. Read the guide to choosing a paint range here.
Q: Why should I choose Frenchic paint?
A: You choose ease, speed, and a beautiful result.
Paints are evolving too, and new products are safer and less toxic than ever. So why not choose the best?
You save both time and materials when you choose the Frenchic range's 'all in one' paint.
Avoid waste, because Frenchic paints are suitable for many surfaces. Made with a new formula, the Frenchic range is a trailblazer in the paint market.
Frenchic paints have many completely new features, which have also won the range awards: for example, the paint levels beautifully and has an easy-to-apply consistency.
For example, paints in the Al Fresco range are suitable for painting indoor and outdoor furniture.
Wood, metal, MDF, plastic, and various board surfaces. The paint already contains a primer and other protective agents, so no varnish or wax is needed for finishing.
Drying times are significantly shorter than usual: the drying time for one coat in the Al Fresco range is 2h.
The paint also has an innovative self-leveling property that leaves the painted surface beautifully smooth.
The paint is slightly thicker than usual and does not run, making it easy to paint with and allowing it to glide on effortlessly.
Q: Can I start painting as soon as I open the paint can?
A: Please don't start painting with unmixed paint.
Frenchic paints contain heavy color pigment that quickly settles at the bottom of the can, and unmixed paint can cause unwanted variations in shade.
Unmixed paint also reduces coverage and surface durability if the beneficial protective additives in the paint are not evenly mixed in. So always mix your Frenchic paint thoroughly.
You may notice the color pigment has settled at the bottom of the can. We recommend mixing the paint thoroughly for a long time, right down to the bottom, both before painting and during the project.
For mixing by hand, use a wide spatula or a wide wooden stir stick, or an electric whisk.
Q: Can Finishing Coat be used on outdoor furniture or an exterior door?
A: Yes, both Finishing Coats are weather-resistant.
Q: Can I use old paint?
A: Test-paint a small area, and if everything seems normal, you can use the paint: Its consistency, appearance, and smell should all seem normal when mixed.
If the paint smells bad and won't mix smoothly, we do not recommend using it. Frozen or frost-damaged paint should not be used.
Paint can easily go bad due to dirty water, pollen or other debris when painting outdoors, or renovation dust. Water-based paint also freezes easily, so store your paint somewhere warm during the winter. Frozen paint will not return to its original condition, and we do not recommend using it.
Paint can go bad because of bacteria, which can also get into the paint from dirty brushes.
When stored correctly, clean paint will keep for at least a couple of years, even after opening.
Q: How do I get rid of bad smells (smoke, etc.) from a piece of furniture?
A: Treat the entire washed and dry surface with Finishing Coat as instructed. That's it!
Q: Is one coat of paint enough?
A: No. Frenchic paints all require at least two coats.
Even if the first coat provides good coverage, a second coat evens out the color beautifully, covers small imperfections, and improves the durability of the surface. It also ensures the shade looks as the manufacturer intended.
Sometimes you may need more coats if there is a large color difference between the surface being painted and the chosen shade. Before tackling a larger project, test your chosen shade in an inconspicuous spot.
If the paint can instructions say two coats, apply two coats.
If the coverage instructions say that a can covers six square meters, and you still have a lot of paint left after painting that area, the coats are too thin. Frenchic paints don’t need to be thinned, and their self-leveling properties benefit from applying a generous coat.
Q: I can’t be bothered to wash the furniture. Can I start painting right away?
A: Don’t paint a dirty surface.
Frenchic paints are water-based and repel dirt and grease. Even furniture and surfaces that look clean can release a surprising amount of dirty water when washed.
At worst, your careful paint job could go to waste if you paint a dirty surface: the paint can’t adhere to the surface because dirt and grease are in the way, which can cause the paint to start peeling.
Q: I couldn’t be bothered to sand. Does it make a difference?
A: Roughening the surface helps the paint adhere better and can significantly improve durability. Light hand-sanding, for example with a sanding sponge, is a quick and easy step that’s always worth doing.
Especially if you’re painting a slippery, glossy, smooth surface, always roughen it before painting. Read the guide to painting laminate furniture here. As a rule of thumb, the more wear a surface will be exposed to, the more important it is to sand and prepare it properly.
Frenchic paints have excellent adhesion, but all paints benefit from sanding or at least roughening the surface. Sand a clean surface.
Q: I sanded first and only washed afterward. Was that wrong?
A: In a way, yes, because sanding a dirty surface can drive dirt deep into the wood grain.
Your sandpaper or sanding sponge will also get clogged with dirt and grease and quickly become unusable. Always sand a clean surface.
Q: Which Frenchic white is closest to Tikkurila white? I’m planning to paint trim and interior doors.
A: The shades in the Frenchic range are unique, and there isn’t an exact match in other ranges.
Yorkshire Rose is close to the standard Finnish trim white.
Q: Can I mix Finishing Coat into the paint to make the finish more durable?
A: We don’t recommend it.
It can reduce the paint’s durability. We recommend applying Finishing Coat over the dry paint according to the instructions. This gives extra protection against wear on heavily used surfaces, such as a kitchen tabletop.
Q: I painted the stair railings about four years ago, and now the paint has worn off in some places. Why does this happen?
A: Railings and handrails are exposed to oils from hands and other contaminants.
Preparations and cleaning before painting also have a major impact on the paint’s durability - all dirt and grease must be removed before painting. When paint wears off in high-traffic areas, touch up the paintwork as needed.
Q: How much paint do I need?
A: Coverage depends on many factors.
- In general, a small 250ml tin of paint is enough to paint, for example, two bedside tables or two or three chairs.
- One 750ml tin is plenty to paint a large three-door wardrobe twice.
- Painting the cabinets of an average-sized kitchen often takes 2 x 750ml.
Paint consumption will be higher than usual if the surface being painted is porous or uneven, or if there is a large difference between the base color and the chosen shade.
You’ll need more paint than usual if you decide to paint the back and inside of a piece of furniture or cabinets as well.
Paint consumption is also affected by the painting tool and technique you choose, as well as each painter’s individual style.
Uneven surfaces, such as embossed vinyl wallpaper, fiberglass wallpaper, or paneling, always require more paint than usual. Porous surfaces, such as bare wood or MDF, absorb a lot of paint. We recommend sealing porous surfaces with Finishing Coat before painting.
Normally, two coats are needed, but this can vary if the paint has not been mixed thoroughly, the drying time between coats is not observed, or there is a large difference between the base color and the chosen shade.
Visit your nearest retailer for advice on how much paint you’ll need. Check the FB group to see what others say about coverage for projects similar to yours.
The manufacturer’s stated coverage is printed on the side of each Frenchic paint tin, and you can also find it in the product details for each shade in this online store.
Coverage of Frenchic paints on a smooth, non-absorbent surface:
Lazy Range: 750ml: 12.5m2 and 250ml:;3.5m2
Al Fresco: 750ml: 12.5m2 and 250ml: 3.5m2
Trim Paint: 500ml: 7m2
Wall paint: 2.5L: 35m2
Q: Where can I get a small amount of paint to test?
A: The small 250ml tins are tester pots from the Frenchic range.
If you order today, your package will arrive within a few business days!
Q: Help! My go-to shade, Al Fresco’s Blackjack, was sold out again! When will it be restocked?
A: If you’re painting interior surfaces, indoor furniture, or kitchen cabinets, you can choose the same lovely matte black from any of the Frenchic ranges.
All Frenchic ranges are splash-proof, wipeable, and durable for everyday use.
Only the shades in the Al Fresco range are suitable for outdoor furniture.
Due to high demand, some Frenchic products are also sold out. If the product you’re looking for is sold out, it will be automatically restocked in due course. We don’t respond to availability inquiries individually, as delivery times can vary considerably. You can also ask your nearest retailer about product availability.
Q: We have a party next weekend. Can I paint the whole kitchen this week? I’ve never tried your paints before.
A: We recommend trying the paints and tools first before starting a larger project.
That way, you’ll get familiar with the paint’s coverage and drying times. You’ll see the finish your chosen tools produce and what result you’re happy with - and find out how fast or slow your project is.
Also take the paint’s drying time into account. You can use a freshly painted kitchen gently 48 hours after painting. Take care with painted surfaces for a few more weeks, until the paint has reached its full hardness.
Q: Can I paint a high chair?
A: Yes! Frenchic paints have been awarded European Toy Safe certification, so it’s safe to use our paints on children’s furniture too.
However, be realistic when deciding whether to paint: a child’s high chair gets very heavy use and is cleaned frequently with cleaning products and tools, as dried porridge, food, and drinks are scraped from the joints.
Heavy use of furniture and similar items does not mean they can’t be painted.
All painted surfaces can be damaged by strong cleaning products, especially disinfectants, and by using abrasive cleaning tools. Be prepared for normal touch-ups.
Q: I want to paint my wooden garden furniture as soon as the snow melts and I can clear the snow and ice from it. What paint do you recommend?
A: Only paints in the Al Fresco range are suitable for outdoor furniture.
Wooden furniture must be dry, including inside the wood, and clean before painting. Moisture from winter can remain inside wooden furniture for a long time, so furniture that has been outdoors can’t be painted as soon as the snow melts.
Put the furniture in the sun and shelter it from the rain to dry before cleaning and painting. Read the outdoor painting instructions before you start.
Keep painted furniture protected from the weather during the winter.
Q: I’m looking for the perfect gray wall paint that doesn’t have blue or green undertones. Is there one in the Frenchic range?
A: It’s available: Stone in Love, a linen-colored wall paint.
The same shade is also available in the Trim Paint range, which is suitable for painting furniture, kitchen cabinets, doors, and trim.
Q: When can I paint after it rains?
A: Wait at least 24 hours. After rain or washing the furniture, wait until it is completely dry (wet wood feels cold to the touch). Wooden furniture must also be dry inside before painting.
A good rule of thumb is to wash and paint the furniture on different days.
Q: Can I paint over wallpaper with Frenchic paints?
A: Yes.
Choose wall paint for painting the wall and check that the wallpaper is attached to the wall before you start. You can paint over wallpaper.
Q: Oh no - my can is dented! Why did you send me a dented can? Can I still use the paint?
A: The thin metal shell of paint cans dents quite easily.
During shipping, a metal paint or wax can inside the parcel may get dented, even when the cardboard packaging shows no visible signs of damage - cardboard is flexible, unlike thin metal.
To make deliveries efficient and, at our customers’ request, as fast as possible, parcels go through a lot during transit.
Fortunately, dents or indentations in the side of the can do not affect the paint’s quality at all. So you can use the paint without worry.
We don’t send damaged products or dented cans to our customers.
Q: Can I paint in an unheated garage in winter?
A: It’s best to paint under the right conditions.
+10 degrees is the minimum for both painting and drying - around the clock.
If you paint when it’s too hot or in direct sunlight, the paint will dry too quickly and won’t have time to level out - the result will definitely be prominent brush marks.
If you paint when it’s too cold, the paint won’t dry within the time specified by the manufacturer, and you won’t be able to work on the next coats or steps. Read more here about how the weather affects your painting project.
Read the Outdoor Painting Instructions before you start. Store painted furniture under cover during the winter.
Q: I’d like to paint a children’s loft bed. Which paint do you recommend?
A: You can choose a shade for indoor furniture from any range:
Trim Paint, Lazy Range and Al Fresco .
All Frenchic range paints are safe and tested for painting children’s furniture and even toys. Keep the paint’s drying times in mind when planning your painting project.
Q: I’d like to paint a radiator, masonry heater, or fireplace with Frenchic range paints - is that possible?
A: Yes, it can be done.
However, schedule painting outside the heating season; hot or warm surfaces must not be painted.
Take a look at our customers’ photos and experiences painting radiators and heaters in our FB group.
You can easily check the surface temperature of your masonry heater with a thermometer. Both radiators and heaters must be cold when painting, and gentle heating can only be started two days after the painting work is complete.
Greasy soot must be carefully cleaned off the surface to be painted before painting. Frenchic range paints do not contain rust inhibitors.
Frenchic range paints have not been officially tested for heat resistance. Many of our customers have painted masonry heaters with great success.
Water-based paint in general, such as Frenchic paints, can withstand temperatures of 70-80 degrees. You can easily measure the temperature of your surface with a thermometer before painting.
Q: I’d like to paint my old kitchen cabinet doors - which range is suitable?
A: You can choose a color from any Frenchic range for painting kitchen cabinets:
Wall paint, Trim Paint, Lazy Range and Al Fresco ranges.
Take the paint drying times into account for your painting project and read our tips on painting kitchen cabinets before you start.
Q: When should I use finishing coats?
A: If you want extra protection, especially for kitchen countertops or other surfaces subject to heavy use, or if you want a glossy finish instead of matte paint.
We recommend the matte Tuff Top Coat finish for anyone painting tabletops and countertops.
You can also use the matte Tuff Top Coat to protect painted kitchen cabinets.
If you want a glossy finish, apply a couple of coats of Finishing Coat over the dry painted surface.
Frenchic range finishes are easy to apply and dry quickly. Read the instructions in the product details.
Q: Can I paint over Frenchic paints as usual with another paint? Or with another paint from the Frenchic range?
A: Yes and yes - if you haven't used self-levelling furniture wax.
Prepare the surface as usual: clean it and sand it before painting.
Q: I'm planning the color scheme for my new home. Where can I see Frenchic colors in person?
A: We recommend ordering a color wheel to help with your planning and visiting your nearest Frenchic retailer.
You can also order small tins online to try out the colors.
Q: How can I get a discount code or other discount for the online store?
A: Our online store rarely has discounts, but our email subscribers get benefits throughout the year and are the first to hear about offers and other perks.
Please note that you can use only one offer at a time, and discounts cannot be combined. You can find discontinued products and 50% off discounts here. The last remaining items and discontinued products vary, so keep an eye on this page.
Q: Can your paints be used for art and painting pictures?
A: Of course! Many people use it - the matte finish looks stunning in art projects. Artists have also discovered our non-toxic metallic pigment shades from the Frensheen range.
Q: I restore antique furniture as a hobby and sometimes build my own furniture. Are Frenchic waxes suitable for antique furniture or for finishing wooden surfaces?
A: Absolutely! Frenchic's soft waxes are natural waxes and contain beeswax, so you can use them to care for and protect your antique furniture.
Frenchic waxes make it easy to achieve beautiful, thin coats. You can choose a pre-tinted wax or a clear wax to beautifully deepen the shade of your furniture.
Frenshimmers metallic shades are also suitable for restoring old furniture, decorative painting, and painting hardware.
Q: How can I be sure of the shade - I don't trust the pictures in the online store.
A: The only way to be completely sure is to test the paint where you intend to use it.
The small 250 ml tins are intended for testing shades. Peel & Stick color samples are made from real paint.
We do everything we can to ensure that the shades in our online store are as close as possible to the actual shades, but shades may vary between devices (your phone, tablet, desktop computer) depending on several factors, such as your device's display settings.
This means we cannot guarantee that the paint shade will look exactly like what you see on your screen.
That's why it's worth checking out our customers' photos, for example in the Facebook group, where you can see several pictures of the same shade. Click here to see all our other social media channels.
In the group, you can easily search for things like a shade name.
Q: How can I be sure of the shade - I don't want to test-paint.
A: You can order a color chart or Peel & Stick color samples to your home to make sure of the shades.
Q: Why does the color I chose look completely different in my home than it does in my friend's?
A: The light and shadows in your home are different.
Bright rooms show shades differently from shady ones. North-facing rooms have different shades than south-facing ones.
The time of day and the seasons affect how colors appear. Look at the color in different lighting, in the very room you had in mind for the shade.
Assess the paint shade only once it's dry, after two coats.
When testing shades, also note that color looks different on vertical and horizontal surfaces. That perfect white or beige can look completely different in the living room than in the bedroom - because the light comes from a different direction.
You probably have other large areas of color in your home that can reflect onto the chosen shade: the ceiling, floor, rug, bedspread, curtains...
You can be 100% sure of a color by trying it on the surface you have in mind. Assess the shade only once it's dry, after two coats.
Always choose a colour in the space and on the surface you have in mind. Note that evening sun and daytime sunlight affect colours differently. Light has a different colour in winter than in summer. The lights you use in the space also affect how the colour appears.
We therefore recommend ordering a small 250ml tin of paint and testing it on a piece of furniture, for example, in an inconspicuous spot, or visiting your nearest retailer to see the colours in person. Also, make sure you have enough paint for your project.
Thoroughly mixing the paint also affects the colour.
We all experience colours in our own way, so a colour that suits one person may look completely different to someone else - this is why testing is the best way to make sure the colour is right.
Colours on your phone, computer, and tablet screens
We do everything we can to ensure the colours in our online store match the actual colours as closely as possible, but colours may vary between devices depending on several factors, such as your phone, tablet, or computer screen settings.
This means we cannot guarantee that the paint colour will exactly match what you see on your screen.
We always recommend testing the colour in the space and on the surface you have in mind before starting a larger project.
Assess the colour only once it is dry and painted at least twice, as instructed. Order a small tin to test, or visit your nearest retailer to see the colours in person.
If you’ve done a lot of painting, you’re sure to be amazed by the quality of Frenchic paints
Frenchic paints have completely new features that make painting faster and more affordable, and produce a beautiful result.
Every project is different, however, and working conditions and tools vary. Everyone is responsible for following the instructions.
Get a head start on your painting project with easy-to-use Frenchic paints that level beautifully. Make quick progress on your project by choosing fast-drying, odourless Frenchic paints.
Frenchic paints have a completely new manufacturing formula, with durable protective agents already built into the paint - convenient, right! Frenchic paints create hard-wearing, washable surfaces without waxes or varnishes.
Painted by people, not machines - small imperfections make the result perfect, personal, and unique, and a hand-painted surface does not need to look like a factory-painted one. We always recommend testing first.
Get inspired by our customers’ photos and videos in the Facebook group - be sure to join us!
