Can you paint over chalk paint

A broad range of dyes may be used with chalk paint because of its granular consistency and water-based composition. Chalk paint is intentionally designed to be abrasive, allowing it to be painted over without the need for sanding between coats. On the other hand, you can’t just apply any paint on top of chalk paint—it has to be chalk paint. What is it exactly? Okay, let’s have a gander at it.

What approach would you suggest using if someone wanted to paint over chalk?

Chalk paint may be applied directly without needing a primer in between coats. Simply cleaning the chalk finish and a few other items is all required. First things first, let’s have a look at them, further you can start working on your project whether you can paint over chalk or not though it’s quite a complicated task.

First, let’s have a look at the blackboard.

Let’s begin by doing a comprehensive examination of chalk paint. Before painting over a finish that has flaws or lumps, sanding is required, and this is especially true for oil chalk finishes.

Because chalk paint is neither durable nor fully water proof, the finish of chalk paint is readily ruined by moisture and handling. Therefore, maintenance is required for finishes made of old chalk.

Check whether wax was used to seal the chalk paint before continuing. Chalk paint is typically given a wax finish to lengthen its lifespan and improve its poor durability.

Use a metal putty knife to examine the chalk paint’s surface to determine whether it has been sealed with wax. If there are any traces of scratching or wax deposit on the putty knife, the chalk has been waxed.

Painting-Over-Chalk-Paint-simplified

The Chalk Board Needs Some Polishing

Sanding chalk paint before painting over it is not required and should be avoided. The grainy surface of the chalk paint is sufficiently abrasive to ensure that other colours will adhere well to it. If the chalk paint has been waxed, on the other hand, the top layer will need to be sanded off.

Because the waxed layer of chalk paint is glossy and smooth, you won’t get good results using it as a substrate for subsequent coats of paint. The waxed coating is impervious to liquids as well as colour. If you attempt to paint over waxed chalk paint, you will end up with a slick and unmanageable mess.

Sanding with sandpaper that has a medium grain can be used to remove wax from chalk paint. After the majority of the wax has been removed, you may improve the paint’s ability to adhere by sanding the remaining resin with sandpaper that has a fine grain.

Clean

After the wax layer on the chalk paint has been removed, the colour itself has to be cleaned. Colour made with chalk is susceptible to deterioration from grime, grease, as well as stains. You will need to clean the surface to erase these markings from the chalk paint.

If the surface is not cleaned, grease and stains might prevent the chalk paint from drying properly. The fresh paint will not adhere properly, resulting in a rough surface.

If you want to get the chalk off of a surface, you should:

  • Isopropyl alcohol or trisodium phosphate (TSP) can be used.
  • Fill a washcloth to the brim with rubbing alcohol (or TSP).
  • Use a wet towel to clean up any spills on the chalk finish.
  • We’ll be there with you in just a moment to assist you.
  • It is possible to remove the chalky shine and the rubbing alcohol by using warm water.
  • Without a clean surface, the newly applied paint won’t adhere properly.

The walls should be repainted.

After the previous chalk paint has been washed off and given time to dry, it is time to apply the fresh paint. Chalk paint is a fantastic base for virtually any paint or finish.

Chalk paint can be covered by applying a paintbrush with two or three coats of colour.

Over the freshly painted surface, using a polyurethane sealer is entirely optional.

Lacquer Finish

Paints with a glossy finish should be used if you want the chalk finish to last (or sealers). On top of chalk paint, you may use a glossy finish such as polyurethane or polycrylic to extend its lifespan even more.

Before placing gloss paint over the top of waxed chalk paint, you must first remove the wax by either sanding the top layer of paint or removing it with a solvent. While wax keeps colour from adhering, sanding will remove the shiny coating that wax leaves behind.

Latex is a substance that is frequently employed in painting.

One can use latex paint in order to paint over chalk paint if they so want. Because latex and chalk paint is water-based, they are compatible and may be used interchangeably. Sanding is essential, however, if the chalk paint was waxed before application.

Latex paint is the superior choice to chalk paint as a replacement. Why? Because latex paint, similar to chalk paint, possesses excellent adhesion qualities and is based on water.

However, the chalk and latex paint must be approximately the same. Because latex paint is so frail and lightweight, it will allow chalk paint to soak through to the surface below it.

If you then paint over the dark chalk paint with light latex paint and let it dry, the dark chalk paint will be visible through the latex paint. If you do that, it will come out as unprofessional and sloppy.

Sanding isn’t necessary before applying latex paint, which isn’t the case with waxed chalk paint. After the chalk paint has been removed, the latex paint may be utilized in the same manner as before. Latex paint should never have more than the specified four coats applied to it.

chalk-paint-dresser painted

Acrylic paint pigmentation

Paint made of acrylic can be used to cover paint made of chalk. Chalk paint is frequently used as the foundation for applying acrylic paint. This is because acrylic paint has excellent adhesion to chalk paint even when the wax is not used. Because chalk paint has neither a shine nor a gloss that can be outcompeted by acrylic paint, adherence will not be an issue when putting acrylic paint over chalk paint.

If you wish to paint acrylics over the chalk, then give it a quick sanding with sandpaper that has a fine grain and then clean the surface with TSP. A minor sanding is all that is required to get rid of any lumps or defects in the chalk paint. In the same spirit, washing the chalk paint can remove any dirt or grease that may have accumulated on it.

Painting using Milk as a Medium to Work with

Milk and chalk paint are similar and may be used interchangeably in many situations. Because of this, Milk may be layered on top of unwaxed chalk paint, but the milk paint must first be mixed before it can be applied.

Milk paint often comes in a powder form that must be diluted with water before application. After being mixed, milk paint and chalk colour become more challenging to differentiate, especially when two shades of colour appear to be the same. The two different colours are not distinguishable from one another in any way. Due to this factor, milk paint is recommended over chalk paint.

Before a layer of milk paint can be applied on chalk, it must first be thoroughly cleaned and then gently sanded. This is standard procedure for any painting project. Sanding is unnecessary if the chalk paint is applied without wax and is in good condition.

If you want the most incredible effects, use milk paint that matches the chalk paint.

The Application of Paint Made of Lacquer

Paints made with an oil-based medium cannot be mixed with wax or gloss. Chalk paint may be made more smooth by waxing, but oil-based paint employs either synthetic or natural oil as a solvent. Because oil-based paint is slick, the wax will not allow it to adhere correctly.

It was simply using mineral spirits, and a wire brush will be enough for removing shine or wax from chalk paint. Removing the wax by scrubbing it with a wire brush and mineral spirits is possible.

Sand the surface and clean it thoroughly before using an oil-based paint to cover unwaxed chalk paint. After that, apply a stain-blocking primer.

chalk paint lacquer finish

Enamel

Sanding, washing, and priming the chalk paint are all steps that need to be taken before putting enamel over it. Priming is required before applying enamel paint because of the paint’s weak adhesion.

On the other hand, chalk paint is water-based, whereas enamel paint is oil-based. In light of this, priming is necessary to avoid the interaction of several solvents (oil & water).

 

The Closing Remarks

Over chalk paint, you may apply pretty much any other kind of paint or finish. Cleaning, sanding, and priming the old chalk paint to prepare it for a new coat of paint is a simple process that takes very little time.

Add a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *