If we talk about chalk painting It may not sound like too much to you, but if we tell you that we are going to tell you things about chalk paint, surely you already know what we are talking about. This paint has become quite popular for a number of reasons and benefits, but mostly because of the silky, matte finish it brings to surfaces.
This kind of paint is often used for decorations in vintage and romantic styles, and has a fairly wide range of colors. We will explain what chalk paint is and its uses, so that you can include it in your next DIY project.
What is chalk painting
This is one natural paint without acrylics that comes from the chalk. The chalk in this case would be the main ingredient of this paint and the one that differentiates it from other paints made with chemicals. Due to this large amount of chalk it is ideal for furniture, being used especially on these wooden surfaces. The chalk allows the furniture to breathe and preserves its authenticity, softness and texture and its porosity. Although basic chalk paint is best for furniture, there are other versions that have the same finish and can be used on walls, in wet areas, and even outdoors. To these paints they add UV filters or resistance to humidity.
On which surfaces it can be used
In the vast majority of cases, chalk paint is indicated for wooden furniture. As it is made with chalk, it is ideal for wood, since it allows it to breathe and maintains the wood's own texture, and being natural, we do not need to carry out any previous treatment.
However, many people want use this paint on the walls, in areas such as the bathroom, where there is humidity, or outside. Filters or other ingredients are applied in addition to chalk for this type of paint, so that the paint acquires other properties such as resistance to water or resistance to UV filters on the outside.
Chalk paint benefits
This painting has the great benefit that contains no chemicals or toxic components like the vast majority of paintings, so it is ideal for children's spaces or for those who are eco-friendly. It can be applied on all types of surfaces and it spreads quite a bit. Being natural and composed of chalk, it can be applied in poorly ventilated areas without any problem. In addition, it is a type of paint with a very nice matte and silky finish, which is very popular for vintage decorations. Another advantage that should be noted is that the furniture does not need to carry out any previous treatment of the wood, such as priming or sanding the surfaces. It can be used as is on wood.
How to use chalk paint
There is nothing special to do when using paint chalk on furniture. In general the surface must be clean and free of dust. It is applied on the wood without using any primer. You don't even have to sand the surface. Usually two coats of paint are used for a better finish. One good thing about this paint is that if imperfections appear, you can apply a little paint without fear of that patch effect.
Protect with waxes
When the chalk paint has completely dried and we have achieved the tone we want, what you have to do is seal and wax the furniture. This will protect the paint so it will last longer in daily use. These waxes are beeswax and are usually applied by brush. They are transparent so as not to change the tone of the chalk paint, but to give it a more vintage look they are sometimes used with brown finishes.
Styles suitable for chalk paint
This type of paint with a matte finish is usually use in vintage style. Shabby chic also tends to have this colored paint on its furniture, and even the Nordic style with pastel tones. Pastel colors and tones and matte finishes are ideal for decorating furniture in these styles.
Colors in chalk paint
In this chalk painting we can find a wide range of colors available in stores. Whites, raw and basic tones are usually used, as well as grays and soft pastel tones. In any case, if we cannot find the exact shade that we like to paint the furniture, we have another possibility. We can change the color of the original chalk paint by mixing it with tubes of acrylic paint, to get new tones.