How to Paint Vinyl-Coated Wood Furniture

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Things You'll Need

  • Dish soap

  • Coarse sponge

  • Rags

  • Towels

  • Palm sander

  • 220-grit sandpaper

  • Heavy-duty fabric drop cloth

  • Blue painter's tape

  • Acrylic latex primer

  • 3- to 4-inch latex paintbrush

  • Acrylic latex paint

Abrade the outer vinyl coating to enhance adhesion by sanding it.

You can alter the color of your vinyl-coated wood furniture by refinishing it with a coat of paint. However, before you get started, you must condition the vinyl to accept the paint, or the finish will fail. Because vinyl coatings are nonporous, they are ill-suited for adhesion and must be abraded before any paint will stick. In addition, if you want the finish on your vinyl-coated wood furniture to remain durable, you will need to apply the appropriate base coat, first, or the paint will shed and flake, over time.

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Step 1

Move the vinyl-coated wood furniture outdoors or into a ventilated area.

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Step 2

Scrub the vinyl coating with dish soap using a coarse sponge. Rinse the soap using damp rags. Dry the furniture using towels.

Step 3

Abrade the outer vinyl coating to enhance adhesion by sanding it with 220-grit sandpaper.

Step 4

Place the furniture on top of a drop cloth, and cover areas you do not want painted with painter's tape.

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Step 5

Coat the abraded vinyl coating with an acrylic latex primer using a 3- to 4-inch latex paintbrush. Wait at least two hours for the primer to dry.

Step 6

Wash the brush with water.

Step 7

Coat the primed vinyl with an acrylic latex paint. Wait at least six hours before using the furniture.

Warning

Do not use a water hose to rinse or clean vinyl-coated wood furniture as this may cause water to leak into the wood beneath the vinyl.

Do not paint over unprimed vinyl-coated wood furniture, or the finish will flake off.

Do not prime over vinyl-coated wood furniture unless you have abraded it, first, or the primer will peel.

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