IT DIDN'T STICK!

Tell me you have been there before! I have painted hundreds of pieces of furniture and every so often...it just does not stick! Oh, I get so mad at myself! I should have guess, I should have known! I thought I was so smart, I finally found some time to get some painting done and I did such a good job cleaning up the inside of this wonderful farmhouse cabinet but...I should have listened to that little voice inside my head! Now look what I have to do...what a mess!

As someone who likes to look at the positive side of things, this experience has given me an opportunity to share some valuable information. Before you start repainting your flea market find you need to know what type of paint was used to create its current finish. "How do you know if it is oil or latex?" Well, let me tell you....

- Traditional paints are either water-based (latex) or oil-based (alkyd)
- You CAN NOT paint water-based paint directly over oil-based paint (I knew this!)
- You MUST prime first before painting water-bases over oil-based
- You can paint oil-base over oil-base
- You can paint oil-base over latex paint without primer but you should give it a light sanding first.
- You CAN NOT mix oil and water based paint in one can, this will create a toxic gas!

So, how do you tell what your project piece is painted with???

First, clean a section of your painted surface, then soak a cotton ball or q-tip in alcohol (not vodka) and rub back and forth over the cleaned area. If the paint comes off, it's latex (water base), if the paint does not come off it's alkyd (oil base).

Another little tip to assure success is to sand off any super shiny or glossy finish before you prime or paint. It is always the prep that makes the difference!

Since this picture was taken, I am happy to report it is all done and ready to come into the store!

We learn from our mistakes and share with our friends. I hope you find this information helpful! Happy painting! C