All furniture, no matter what material it’s made of, deteriorates over time. Other times, even if it hasn’t deteriorated yet, it becomes old and boring looking. Spray painting furniture is one way to bring it back to life.

It’s not hard to spray paint your furniture. Simply follow the steps below and your furniture will look brand new in no time:

1.)   Choose a spray paint. There are many kinds of spray paint available in the market. The first thing to do when you are furniture spray painting is to pick the right kind of spray paint. Make sure that the paint you are using bonds to the kind of furniture that you are working on. If you are working on plastic, for example, make sure that your spray paint is specifically designed for non-porous surfaces.

2.)   Choose a spray gun. Choosing the right spray gun is important if you want your furniture to look like it was painted by a professional. The different kinds of spray guns are mentioned in this article later on.

3.)   Prepare and clean the surface. It is important to remove any paints or finishes previously used on the surface so you’re working on a raw piece of furniture.

4.)   Sand the surface lightly. It is important to sand the surface because this will make the new paint grip the furniture’s surface more. Use a dry cloth to clean the surface after sanding.

5.)   Apply spray paint. When spray painting furniture, make sure that you are standing 1-2 feet away from it. Spray in wide sweeping motions in an oval pattern. This, along with the distance in spraying, will help prevent dripping of paint. For best results, apply two layers. Make sure to let each layer dry before adding on the next one.

6.)   Apply sealer. Wooden furniture should be finished with 2 coats of clear polyurethane spray. Like the paint, make sure that the first coat is dry before applying the second coat. If you are spray painting plastic furniture, there is no need to finish with a sealer.

As mentioned above, if you want your furniture to look like it was done by a professional, you have to use the right tools. Furniture spray painting involves the use of different kinds of spray guns, which will be discussed below. These spray guns atomize the finish, which means they spray an even chain of dots that we see as paint.

–          External Mix Gun. In external mix guns, the air and fluid are mixed outside the air cap. They give a larger and coarser pattern, so they are better used on furniture that has a large surface and volume. This type of spray gun is best used for finishes that dry quickly such as lacquer.

–          Internal Mix Gun. The air and fluid in internal mix guns are mixed inside the air cap before they are sprayed onto the furniture. The pattern of this type of spray gun is finer and softer, which makes it better to use in precision finishing such as special effects, color gradations, and fine lines. This type of spray gun is generally used for varnishes, enamels, and other types of slow-drying finishes.

–          Suction Feed Gun. The paint container on a suction feed gun is on the bottom, and its lid has vent holes on the top. An air compressor is used so a vacuum will be created at the air cap, which then produces a siphoning action.

–          Pressure Feed Gun. A separate tank is used in a pressure feed gun for the material to be pressurized. Atomization in this kind of spray gun is done when an air compressor forces the paint into the fluid tip and air cap.

More about Spray Guns.

If you are not the do-it-yourself type, choosing the type of spray gun to use may be the hardest step in spray painting furniture because it may be hard for you to differentiate among the different types of spray guns. Good luck!