To sand or not to sand, we often find ourselves faced with this dilemma when we want to renovate, tune up or restore a piece of furniture. The answer is not simple, since various factors must be taken into account, such as the material it is made of, its condition, the finish that we are going to give it, as well as the type of paint that we are going to use. Keep reading if you also have doubts about when you should sand a piece of furniture.
If a few months ago I gave you a series of tips on when to apply primer before painting a piece of furniture, now it is the turn of another topic that also causes quite a few doubts: the sanding. Although it is a task that is not usually very pleasant, on certain occasions it is essential.
What functions does sanding have?
The main functions of sanding are:
– Smooth, repair and provide uniformity to a surface
– open the pore to improve paint adhesion
– delete layers of paint, wax or varnishes
You can see in this link the type of sandpaper you should use in each case.
When should I sand a wooden piece of furniture?
I personally advise sanding in these cases:
– Untreated wood, pallets, fruit boxes or Christmas lots. This type of wood usually has imperfections such as cracks, chips or hairs, we will notice them as soon as we pass our hand over the surface. In my humble opinion it is very good to want to preserve the rustic aspect but I can assure you that it is not funny to stick a splinter in it, so my recommendation is that this type of wood should always be sanded, it will continue to retain its charm but it will be safer.
– Wood with several layers of paint or varnish, especially if it is very shiny. If the furniture has several layers of paint, it is preferable to remove them so as not to continue thickening its surface. It is also convenient to pass the sandpaper in case it is waxed or has a layer of glossy varnish, in this way a better grip of the paint is achieved. An alternative to sanding is to use chemical strippers or a heat gun.
– deteriorated woods. When the surface of the furniture shows scratches, chips, indentations, etc., it must be sanded to repair and even the surface.
– To create a stripped/worn effect. On this occasion, sanding is used to give a certain finish.
What if the furniture is melamine?
Melamine is a world, normally it is recommended to sand because they usually incorporate a layer of lacquer or varnish that makes it difficult for the paint to adhere, however from my humble experience I do not recommend sanding since I have verified that the paint does not look good at all, in some areas it looks more matte than in others, especially when the paint layer is thin as in the case of spray paint.
For all this I advise apply a good primer without prior sandingexcept if the melamine is damaged, since in that case there is no choice but to sand to even out the surface.
Crystals, metals, plastics…
I do not usually sand the glass or plastic, I directly apply a previous primer if I use paints that require it. In the case of metals, it will depend on whether layers of paint need to be removed or if it is rusty, since in those cases sanding is recommended.
A separate case: blackboard paint
“Without the need for primer or prior sanding”, this is how chalkboard paint is usually presented, but I always say that with nuances. Blackboard paint does not need prior priming because it contains priming ingredients in its composition, for this same reason it does not require sanding the surface on which we are going to apply it, since it is not necessary to improve its adhesion.
Therefore, sanding can be dispensed with but only in cases where its function is to open the poreIf the furniture has imperfections, roughness or has many layers of paint, then it will have to be sanded before applying the blackboard paint.
Sometimes to save us a few hours of work or effort we skip steps that are essential, so I hope that these tips based on my experience clarify your doubts about the need or not of sand a piece of furniture or other type of object before painting or tuning it.
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