Eight Easy Steps For Painting furniture, kitchen Cabinets, exterior doors with Dixie Belle

Vintage Attic Sevenoaks Eight Easy Steps For Painting with Dixie Belle

Painting furniture, kitchen cabinets, exterior doors etc has never been easier!

Painting with Dixie Belle Paint is really enjoyable and easy to get a really great finish!

Follow our eight easy to steps to get the best results with your projects.

STEP ONE

Gathering all the information- this is the first step and it will allow you to really understand your project. Have a good look at your item and ask:

 

  • Is the surface 
    • bare wood?
    • MDF?
    • Laminate?
    • Melamine?
    • Varnished?
    • Lacquered?
    • Previously Painted?
    • Waxed?
    • Oiled?
    • Stained?

 

  • Does it have
    • A deep grain?
    • Damage?
    • Water marks?
    • An offensive smell?

 

  • Are you going to change the hardware?

STEP TWO

For kitchens it is easier to remove all doors so that you can work on a flat surface. 

Remove all hardware from all items to be painted where possible.

For some furniture it is easier to remove doors, shelves, drawers etc.

STEP THREE

Then set about cleaning it, for all surfaces other than bare wood or MDF, we recommend washing down with a diluted solutions of Fusion TSP or sugar soap and whilst doing this continue assessing your project with the above questions as you may find unexpected issues. You may see a yellowish brown residue constantly appearing on the cloth. This could be an indication of nicotine staining. Or a deep reddish brown, maybe mahogany. Remember to rinse thoroughly. 

For bare wood or MDF you just need to wipe over carefully with a cloth dampened with your above solution as too much water on these surfaces will seep in and either raise the grain or in the case of MDF cause it to swell.

BADLY PEELING PAINT USE A PAINT STRIPPER FIRST - CONTINUE AS BARE WOOD

WAXED - REMOVE WITH WHITE SPIRIT AND BLUNT BLADE - CONTINUE AS BARE WOOD

STEP FOUR

Any damage needs to be dealt with now and if you are replacing hardware you may want to fill existing holes. For deep scratches and broken veneer etc it is easier to leave these at this time and deal with these once you have applied a base coat.

STEP FIVE 

The next step greatly depends on the surface you are dealing with. 

OPTION A

Sealing, Stain Blocking & Odour Blocking

For bare wood and MDF and anything that is likely to cause staining or has a nasty odour, it is advisable to seal it first, this is to prevent over-saturation of a porous surface and this will also help with knots and natural stain present in some woods.  For this we use Dixie Belle Boss which comes in white of clear. If you are going to paint in a light colour then use the white boss as this will really help with your coverage when it comes to the painting. For dark colours use the clear, the clear is also useful on items that you are wanting to distress afterwards. The best way to apply this product is with a good quality synthetic brush. Leave to dry over night.

OPTION B

For surfaces that are shiny, i.e glass, metal, laminate, melamine, lacquered, varnished or gloss painted.

Scuffle sand all over using 240 grit sandpaper to create a key. There may be some surface that are too ornate to sand and for those surfaces skip this step. Wipe over with lint free cloth to remove all traces of sanding. 

Then apply Dixie Belle Slick Stick with a good quality synthetic brush. Paint carefully and with the grain, and finish off (laying off) with long strokes from one end to the other or if applicable top to bottom to remove all broken brush marks. For larger areas do this in strips of three of four brush widths because if you try and paint the whole surface in one go the product will start to go tacky before you can lay off.Leave to dry overnight.

OPTION C

Previously Painted eggshell, chalk paint (unwaxed) paints that are matte - Remove any loose or flaking paint a blunt blade/ scraper is good for this. Then wash down again with your previously used cleaning solution, sand lightly with 240 grade sand paper to provide a key, then wash your item down with your cleaning solution. 

STEP SIX 

Fill any holes, large scratches, missing veneer now, you can use the Dixie Belle Mud for this, it is available in white, black and brown, depending on your colour of paint. Leave to dry several hours, preferably overnight.

STEP SEVEN

Apply your chosen colour of Dixie Belle Paint. Do not over apply. Use a good quality brush, Always choose a brush that is large enough for the job! This will really help achieve a brushless finish. We really recommend you use the fine continuous mist spray bottle filled with water and this really helps with the application, just spray onto your brush and the surface as you go, it really  helps to spread the paint evenly and to get it on really flat.

Brush your paint on in nice even strokes, not too thickly. Work methodically over the item and always brush with the grain, remembering to finish off with with full lengths or widths of the brush to remove stop start brush marks. Let the first coat dry it can take anywhere between 20 mins to an hour. It is best to work inside at room temperature, cold, damp conditions will increase the drying time considerably. Once dry apply a second coat in the same manner and leave to dry thoroughly. It is always to better to apply several thins coats rather than thick if you are wanting a smooth even finish. In between coats to keep your paint brush from drying out, place in foil or a dampened cloth. Wash your brushes in luke warm water and occasionally use a brush soap / conditioner to keep the bristles soft.

 

Dixie Belle Paint is very thick and a little goes a long way. The longer the lid stays off, the thicker it will get. If you prefer to work with a thinner paint just add a little water and stir. Too much water then just leave the lid off and it will thicken up. Whatever consistency you desire, Dixie Belle Paint will work for you!

Most pieces will take one to two coats for full coverage. Sometimes, after the first coat dries it will look blotchy. Don't panic! After the second coat, it will be beautiful!

Sometimes you will see brushstrokes, don't worry, as the paint dries, they will disappear. Dixie Belle Paint is the best paint for self levelling.

STEP EIGHT

A GREAT FINISH!

If you want to distress your item, now is the time to do it. Use 240 grade sand paper to distress the edges and 320 to 400 grade to even out the finish if necessary. If you distress a little too much for your taste just paint right over that area and start again!

 You can now apply a finish if you want to! Choose from

Best Dang Wax

  •  Apply a VERY thin layer of Best Dang Wax with a cloth or brush over dry Dixie Belle Paint.
  • Allow 15-20 minutes to set, then buff with a clean lint free white cloth.
  • You may distress before or after waxing.
  • No Need to apply clear wax before any of our coloured waxes.
  • Our wax has NO Petroleum Distillates.

 Dixie Belle Clear Coat is water resistant and can be cleaned using a non abrasive cleaner after only 7 days! Available in Flat, Satin & Gloss

Allow your last coat of paint to dry (depending on the weather/humidity) about an hour.

Apply a very thin, even layer of clear coat, use a synthetic brush or the blue Gator Hide sponge, work methodically.  Leave to dry approx 30 mins.

Then repeat with another coat.

 

For Kitchen cabinets, outdoor projects and any really high traffic areas use 

Dixie Belle Gator Hide.  Apply as above for clear coat.