Chipboard today is one of the most common materials in construction and decoration. It forms the basis of furniture that sometimes you want to update. A great solution for this is staining. But first you need to choose the right composition and find out how to apply it.
Choice of paint and its types for particleboard
If you have a question about how to paint a chipboard, then you should understand the varieties of such mixtures. Among others, modern manufacturers offer acrylic paints, alkyd compounds, as well as oil mixtures. You can pick up paint in a spray can or a paint and varnish composition which can be applied by means of a spray gun. As tools for the main varieties of paints are brushes and rollers.
After painting, a layer of varnish can be applied to the surface, which will increase the resistance of the material to mechanical damage. Quite often, experts advise preferring acrylic paints to others. This is due to the fact that they do not have an unpleasant odor, have a water base, and working with such mixtures is quite simple.
After application, acrylic dries quickly enough. Work can be carried out directly in the apartment, which does not entail the need to vacate the room, because there will be no unpleasant odor. Since such a mixture is made on a water basis, it can be diluted with water if the mass is too thick. It’s easy to work with the paint, because inaccurate strokes and the results of incorrect movements can be removed with a rag dipped in water.
In order to obtain the highest quality coating, before painting, it is necessary to primer the surface with an acrylic composition. If furniture items have metal elements and accessories that will be operated near an open flame, then it must be painted with special fireproof paint for metal.
How to apply. Tool Recommendations
If you have already decided how to paint the chipboard, then you must pick up the tool. In hard to reach places it is best to brush the surface. A paint tool, whether it be a roller or a brush, should be designed to work with acrylic paints.
The quality of the coating will depend on the quality of the selected tool, so you should not save. In the process, it is necessary to rinse the rollers and brushes from time to time, not allowing the material to dry on the work surface. It is recommended in advance to buy several brushes of different widths, as they may be required for processing certain areas.
Tips for repairing cracks
It’s not enough to know what kind of paint to paint particleboard. This is only part of the success. It is also important to prepare the surface well. To do this, it is imperative to close the cracks that often appear in furniture made of particleboard. This contributes to the ingress of moisture into the structure, due to which the material begins to deform.
For work, it is necessary to fill the syringe with PVA glue and put on a needle. The gap of the crack should be filled with the composition. After that, a clamp is attached to the plane. She is left for a day or two. After this, restoration work can continue.
You can also get rid of cracks with putty. The mixture can be applied with a spatula in 2 layers. The first is distributed on the surface as evenly as possible and left until the composition dries. The second layer of putty is applied after that.
Work execution technology: priming
The answer to the question of whether it is possible to paint a chipboard is a definite yes. Before starting work on applying paint, it is necessary to prime the surface, which is a rather important step. A thin roller is perfect for this. After the primer has been applied, chipboard furniture or material must be left to dry.
Preparatory work
If you want to know how to paint chipboard with your own hands, then you need to familiarize yourself with the algorithm of the work. It provides for the preparation and subsequent coating. At the first stage, it is necessary to remove old coatings from the surface as varnishes and paints. Use for this should be sandpaper. The skin should have a large grain, and it must be driven along the fibers.
Then, using a flat brush, dust remains are removed from the surface. In those places where sandpaper did not reach, it is necessary to process the skin with fine grain. The dust is removed with the same brush. After sanding is completed, it is necessary to clean the room. All surface details are wiped with rags. Garbage should not stick to the fresh coating, so the room must be carefully cleaned.
Additional measures to remove old coatings
If you have already decided how to paint the particleboard, it is important to think about how to properly prepare the surface. Old decorative coatings can be disposed of by chemical or thermal methods.
The first method involves processing the chipboard with washes. You can choose one of them, given the composition of the old paint. It is important to comply with the conditions of use in order to avoid trouble. As for the thermal method, it involves the use of steam or hot air. For such work, you will need a building hair dryer and scrapers, the latter can be replaced with spatulas.
The stream of hot air should be directed to the surface. Once the paint has softened, it can easily be removed with a scraper. It is important to observe the temperature regime so as not to spoil the chipboard. Additionally, the surface can be plastered and sanded. This will save the product from scratches and defects that will be noticeable under a layer of fresh paint.
Before painting the old chipboard, you can putty and primer the base. To do this, you can use elastic putty on an acrylic basis. This will protect the product from cracks. Putty is applied with a spatula. You should try to form a uniform layer. After the composition dries, the material is processed with fine-grained sanding paper. The product is skinned until it is possible to get rid of irregularities.
Staining process
If, thinking about the question of how to paint chipboard, you decide to choose acrylic paint, it is important to check whether it has the necessary consistency before starting. The mass should not be too thick or liquid. The number of layers can be selected independently. After the paint has dried, do not rush to assemble the structure. It must first be varnished. It is applied to the surface by stamping movements using a sponge. In order to achieve the effect of gloss, it is necessary to apply the varnish in two or three layers. After completing the varnishing procedure and after the varnish has dried, the furniture can be assembled.
Additional staining guidelines
If you want to paint the furniture from chipboard with your own hands, then you need to clean the surface and degrease it. Using sandpaper, the material is scraped so that scratches remain. They will achieve better adhesion of the primer to the surface. The primer can even be a car designed for bumpers.
The next step is to apply an acrylic primer. The surface is painted with a roller or brush in several layers, but they should not be less than two. The amount will depend on the desired result. Some people prefer to see a translucent coating, while others prefer a rich, dense color. If after applying the first layer you saw irregularities, then the surface is sanded again with fine-grained sandpaper, after which you can apply the paint in several layers.
Before painting a cabinet from chipboard, you should familiarize yourself with some of the subtleties. For example, it is recommended to process the product before painting so that the glue in the sawdust does not evaporate harmful substances, and the surface ceases to absorb moisture. This effect can be achieved by impregnation of deep penetration. You can also use NTs varnish, but impregnation is preferred, since it is harmless.
Before varnishing, the material is processed by deep penetration impregnation. In order to highlight the wood texture, you can apply alkyd pigment or English patination. These compounds are designed to highlight texture.
To get a smooth surface after staining, you need to use a short-nap roller, because long hair will leave a textured pattern. With this tool you can achieve a special effect. Now you know how to paint chipboard at home. But you must also consider the color of the piece of furniture. If it is dark, it is better to apply the paintwork in two layers and use a dense primer, otherwise the dark shade will shine through a layer of fresh paint.
The use of different colors when staining
After preparatory work, you can begin to stain. There should be several layers so that the structure of the plane is not visible. First you should use the paint a tone lighter than the selected color. Then work is carried out with the main shade. The brush must be driven in one direction so that the paint is evenly distributed. If staining is carried out in several colors, it is recommended to use masking tape, which is glued to the edges so that the paints do not mix.
It is important to correctly determine the time that will be sufficient for the final drying of the paint. This will take about 2-3 days. Do not use unpainted chipboard, as it can release harmful substances during use.
Finally
If you are afraid that a dusty coating will be noticeable on the surface after staining, then it is better to use NTs varnish, which is applied in two layers. But if the furniture already has a coating, then the PF-283 oil varnish will be an ideal solution. If you want to give the coating a certain shade, then it is best to use alkyd varnish with tinting, which is offered for sale in a wide variety. In order to get the effect of gloss, it is recommended to use yacht varnish, with it the furniture will look perfect.