Oh Oak I think your paint is ok, I think the problem is the wax.... I am sure there may be a better top coat solution for your beautiful table!. It will be ok I am certain! I use to wax a lot of table tops for I loved the high sheen when newly done but it was so much work to keep them looking smear free:(. I do not know if this product would work for you and I would certainly ask your refinisher about it first, but I now use a product by minwax called Antique oil finish in hand finish, soft lustre instead of wax. It provides the same sheen but withstands daily use wonderfully. I use it on my everyday eating tables about once every year and even with young children eating every meal without place mats the finish remains pretty pristine. I just do not know if it might hurt chalk paint finishes though, but I have a feeling there must be a durable solution out there for your lovely table. Good luck!

Anele, the sofa is a place holder in my sunroom till my antique settee is repaired and reupholstered and than it is meant to go into our kids den but I think I really like it in the room so who know:). I will post pics soon.

This post was edited by roarah on Sun, Mar 30, 14 at 15:42

I have several chalk painted pieces and have had no problems. I have never heard that wax needs to cure. You might check on-line - Annie Sloan (the brand I use) has a web site - and see if there are any suggestions offered.

We don't have a dining table that is painted and we have never had something acidic on a piece of our painted furniture, so I really can't advise on that. But chalk paint is very easily repaired, painted over, etc. and wax is just rubbed on with a soft round brush and buffed with a cloth. However, I do not have any pieces that look glossy. I have two pieces in our sunroom that get alot of use and they have worn just fine.

tina

Hollysprings, a tad harsh, don't you think?

Why would you speak like that to someone who is feeling angry and frustrated to begin with? C'mon. A little tact goes a long way.

Oakley, I think the frustration is that it's just been done, but all things, despite their age, are subject to dings and dents and scratches and cat puke and dog peeâ¦.Pull back a a little bit and try and get some perspective. If the chalk paint turns out to have not been a good idea, "chalk" it up to lesson learned, water under the bridge, and it's a wood table, so it can always be repainted.

In the future, it might be a good idea to put satin shellack on it instead of wax. Ask the paint guy about that.

I lucked out! The owner of the antique store just emailed me. Her DH is the one who paints. He's leaving for another training class with American Paint Co.., and when he gets home later this week he's coming to the house to fix the table!!

She told me that wax does take time to cure and apologized for not telling me that.

Tib, what about a glaze? I'm going to ask the guy when he comes out. I don't know if it's safe on top of wax and chalk paint though, but Ralph Lauren makes some that looks pretty easy to use & has good reviews.

I'll ask when he gets here. In the meantime I think I'll cover the table with plastic. lol

Common sense tells me you don't glaze over wax. Wax on furniture is a protective layer, so it seems to me that all paint, dyes, stains, etc., must be under the wax, poly, shellackâ¦.

Glazing is very easy. I just bought some boring old jar of it from my local hardware store and put it on a sideboard I had painted, and it came out great..perfectly, in fact, and I was surprised by how easy it was to do. You really just rub it on with a cloth and spread it around until you get the look you want (keeping in mind the general rule that "less is more").

OK, I just rubbed my finger with spit quite vigorously over two different Annie Sloan chalk paint pieces (one dresser, one coffee table) that have wax (Brio) on it. There' s no lifting, no spot, nothing.
Could you please report back what the painter tells you?

That's good news, Oakley. Glad you will get it fixed!

There's a whole lotta spittin' goin' on, ladies!

Best not to cover.
If you must, use an old sheet (not plastic)so the wax can breath.

If you decide to go with a tougher finish, rather then wait for the wax to cure,most likely you will get a different color .
Yes you can glaze over chalk but not over wax.
You will have to chalk over the wax then glaze or poly.

Just wondering ~ How are the seats sealed ?

chalk paint - rubbish. The worst possible coverage for a table which sees robust use. Bad advice and bad choices.

chalk paint - rubbish. The worst possible coverage for a table which sees robust use. Bad advice and bad choices.

I believe what campanula meant to say was, "Chalk paint is fragile. It is not advisable on a table which sees robust use. I feel badly I didn't see your plans before you had the table done, Oakley, because I would have warned you against using chalk paint. Sorry you're learning this the hard way, as we all have at one time or another."

Is there a full moon?

Not sure where I said the table gets robust use. I said I sometimes use it for crafts and games, (which is NOT all that often.) and it serves as extra seating when we have company. We usually use the DR table. Actually, I mostly use the game table for wrapping presents.

Forboys, the seats are the same as the table. I sat in them and scooted all around, and they're fine.

Since the table is not used "robustly," lol, I think it will be fine once he fixes it and goes more in depth on how to keep it looking good.

I know it will be fine once he fixes the little boo boo.
Just give it a month to cure.
Chalk paint is like SS appliances or front load washers...
You either love them or hate them.

Hope kitty is well !

I think I read on one of those blogs where they paint and sell with chalk and other paints, they suggested a 3-week curing time before use of any kind. Then to wax after that and allow another period of time to cure.

If glazing is desired, that should be done before wax. That last statement was mine, not theirs. I dabbled in painted furnituret one time, no Phoebe Howard but just custom pieces for friends and I painted, glazed and then waxed but not all in the same week. I have never been able to fathom how chalk paint could work but plan to try it at some time. I was not smitten with milk paint.

Paint media and applications of said have changed considerably since I dinked around in same, but I expect common sense dictates that the kitty stomach acids on a newly painted piece was the culprit, but do not blame the kitty or the refinisher man. C'est la vie. I hope the gentleman can resolve it satisfactorily for you. Good luck and best wishes!

If liquids/kitties/kids are in the mix at any point, you'd probably have better long-term luck with an acrylic or poly finish than wax, Oakley. It's not the chalk paint itself, it's the finish that's at issue here. And certainly there's no way you could have known this in advance unless the painter told you. Don't beat yourself up!

See if your painter can take the wax off and/or repaint the table and refinish it with a good matte acrylic or polyurethane finish. That way you still get the nice translucent coloration of the chalk paint without the fragility of wax/oil, and you keep the satiny-matte surface.

They sell a good nontoxic matte finish for use with milk paint, you can find it anywhere online where they sell artist supplies or Old-fashioned Milk Paint -- I'll link one source below.

I'm unfamiliar with the trademarked Sloan "chalk paint" brand of milk paint you mention (I'm gathering that it's a lot more fragile than regular milk paint, which is actually very hard to remove from wood once dried) -- but Sloan surely must carry a more durable finish as well, precisely for things like tables and chairs that will see some use?

Here is a link that might be useful: Safecoat matte Acri-Glaze

Circus, I'll ask him whenhe gets here. I have no idea what his painting expertise is, only that he does chalk paint since his wife has an antique store that sells the paint and they also paint furniture.

Interesting about how long wax needs to cure. I'm going to try to read up on it today if I have time.

You all have been a big help to me and calmed my angry nerves!

I've never checked on the waxing process/durability as I have had no problems, so I looked it up.

Both the paint and the wax need to cure. Your table paint should have cured before they waxed it.

I've seen kitchen cabinets done in chalk paint that have held up great! Did you know they paint floors with chalk paint? I've never seen any personally, but just goes to show that chalk paint is not fragile.

Annie Sloan does have other protective topcoats. To me though, you would lose some of the "chalk paint look" which I love, if you used poly, etc. It does sound like that bad spot could be buffed out and rewaxed.

I have never had to rewax a piece of furniture. Our oldest two pieces (in a well used sunroom) are at least three years old.

Sounds like the problem is what got on the table and the fact that the paint/wax had not cured.

BTW peanut, chalk paint and milk paint are two different kinds of paint. Check out MMS milk paint! Divine!!

tina

Here is a link that might be useful: annie sloan chalk paint

Thanks Tina, you saved me a lot of time! I knew something was wrong and it wasn't a poor choice to paint the table. Like I said, if painting in chalk paint is so bad then why do many people do it?

I'll definitely protect the table until it cures and I'll innocently ask the painter if the paint should cure first. :)

Oakley, keep in mind that acidic material can eat through even cured paint, etc. I just had to sand and re-poly a small section of my pine floor where a dog peed and I didn't catch it. The urine completely ate through the polyurethane, which had been cured for YEARS. Nothing is fool proof.

I'm glad to hear that you are feeling better about your mishap. And I would like to politely disagree with the comment that if you use a finish other than wax that you will lose the look of chalk paint, however I would not use a glossy topcoat.

I am so happy with the finish coat I used which was a Minwax poly acrylic water based product in matte finish. One thin coat and it has held up fantastic for a couple of years. Granted, this piece does not get abused, but as mentioned previously, the cat uses this as his perch/launching pad and there is not a mark on it.

Here is a not very good iphone picture.

There is a lady who posts here who does a lot of chalk painted furniture. I remember that she used poly on a table top because it wears better. I can't remember her user name except it started with an M, like maybe MzLiz or something like that? If you can find one of her posts, email her and ask.

"and I'll innocently ask the painter if the paint should cure first. :)"

Or you could just tell him you are unhappy he did not let the paint cure first!

kswl, making people defensive is not a wise move. Taking an approach of no-blame but wanting the problem solved so everyone wins is probably best.

Tannatonk,

That's precisely what I meant - the matte acrylic finishes are different from standard glossy polyurethanes that folks probably have in mind. They won't change the feel of the chalk paint or make it look like it's been glopped with plastic. Your photo is a great illustration of this: you only have to apologize that your photo doesn't include said lounging kitty in it! ;)

Thanks for the link to the Annie Sloan products, Tinam - is this chalk paint more like a latex than a milk paint? One of the things I like about real milk paint is its translucence. I'm considering it for my next round of kitchen cabinetry.

Point taken Tannatonk - thanks for sharing your picture. I may be one of the few who like/prefer the waxed finish. But, it works for us!

Circus - I can't really explain. Chalk paint will have a "chalky" feel to it (before wax or another protective coating). It is thicker.
Milk paint is mixed with water and can be very thin or not. Here's a link that describes it much better than I can - and some beautiful examples. If you are considering using milk paint, you might want to read the blog Miss Mustard Seed. She has painted furniture for years and developed her own line of milk paint.

Here is a link that might be useful: chalk paint/milk paint

Circus peanut (cute name!), just for fun here is Mickey. Obviously not on the cabinet, but somewhere I do have pics of him there. He has a basket that he sleeps in on one of the shelves.

I had ignored this post since i have no expertise, but I am glad you posted. Glad to hear they are making it right. Nice red, btw

I just bought an old dresser on CL that the woman refinished in chalk paint. She does this all the time, and I have heard about chalk paint on here but didn't think much of it one way or another. It's for the Maine house and it's already been sitting here for nearly a month so I guess that's a plus.

But a more general, educational question?

1. Why is chalk paint suddenly so popular
2. Where would you use it?
3. How do you take care of it?

Kswl, I remember you wrote that you pretty much told off the masons working on your brick floor. I don't roll that way. I appreciate his hard work and the fact that he's making a 30 min. trip to my house to work on the table here. I'm not into making people feel like a piece of...well, you know. Karma and all that.

Mtn., furniture doesn't need to be stripped or primed for chalk paint. The hard part is waxing the furniture.

Google chalk painted furniture images and you'll get a lot of ideas.

www.anniesloan.com will answer alot of your questions.

I would guess that the many decorating blogs/magazines/home decor books, etc. have helped it's rise in popularity.

Whoa. I also remember KSWL felt bad about her behavior. Not so nice to come back and call her on it. Shall we all pretend we are flawless?

Speaking of flaws, in my experience, painted furniture that will be in use only holds up if you use some serious, toxic products on it, in a spray booth preferably. If you don't. I think you need to like patina.

By the same token, Holly springs, there is something called the implied warranty of suitability. It's not a customer's responsibility to "research" chalk paint before they paint a table. It is the service provider's responsibility to notify the customer that a table will not be usable as a table, if in fact that is what you claim would happen.

She couldn't have felt too bad if she wants me to behave the same way. lol. There, that's all I say about the remark.

Circus, since AS came out with her paint years ago, there are many new brands out there that are cheaper, and some say better. I don't know, but if you do a web search on chalk paint reviews, it will help quite a bit.

Tannatonk, that is one beautiful cat! She reminds me of my cat Cricket I had years ago.

I'll find a picture of the little culprit who did the unthinkable on my table. lol

Hijacking a bit, Oakley.

Circus, milk paint is easily removed with plain household ammonia and steel wool. Stripped all the woodwork in a 250 year old log cabin once. Actually very easy. Dip the steel wool in the ammonia and wipe down the wood. Oh, and wear rubber gloves! :)

Dear Tibbrix, Can I hire you to translate everything I say? It seems like a pretty effective method to keep this recurring foot taste out of my mouth. Seriously, you deserve a peacekeeper award :)

Wrong, oak, I didn't say a thing to the masons doing the actual work, it was their boss with whom I had the chat. You're excused for not remembering :-)

The goal is never to make the other person feel, well, how you said in your own words, but rather to calmly assert your position like a grownup, not "innocently" and guilefully or coyly asking a question to which you already know the answer.

Glad your cat is fine, your table will survive and all's right in the oak forest.

**Blushes**

Thank you, edeevee. Kind words.

Please accpet my apoligies, K. I honestly thought it was the masons you chewed out. Venting to the builder is fine, I've done the same many times!

Here is the culprit, Raven.

He looks so guilty.

Thank you, Oakley. Your cat is a cutie!

Raven is beautiful! Tuxedos FTW!!! Cats just like to throw up on nice things. (TMI: I once found a entire regurgitated gopher--huge--on my bed).

hi Tina, yes, I'm familiar with regular milk paint; I used it for a number of projects a few years back. Love the stuff! Love that matte chalky tactile finish, too.

If one can apply this Sloan chalk paint on top of other finishes, sounds like it's different from milk paint in that it has some kind of latex or acrylic additives. I know they market an acrylic binder that can be added to regular ole milk paint to achieve the same kind of coverage. But that must make it a bit more like a regular paint, and I have to say I'm rather fond of the unique way milk paint can be thinned as desired for that slightly see-through washed wood effect.

Great tip on the ammonia as remover, cyn47, thanks! We tried just about everything to get 100-year-old milk paint off our kitchen woodwork in former house; can't recall if we tried ammonia. We finally resorted to a commercial preparation that I thought was more pricey than it was worth.

At least we have established a definitive connection between felines and chalk/milk paint. As my contribution towards minimizing general grumpiness, here's a shot of my kitty on one of my old milk-paint projects. Well, at least his ears:

So sorry about that, oak. I paint furniture I sell at an antique mall, and always give 3 coats of a satin finish poly~have never had a complaint. I use acrylic paint since I feel it's more 'hardy' if that can apply to paint. Latex can be pulled off since it's latex, and the chalk paint just never appealed to me. I don't sand down or do anything special, but do a heavy de-glossing with Windex, of all things. The ammonia dulls as well as cleans to make for a great sticking surface. You probably could have painted it yourself.

I would be annoyed with the company that did the painting ... for not having the honesty to say "It's not sturdy enough for dining tables."

Oak - just a suggestion - when your painter comes out to look at the table, even if he says he can fix the problem area, seriously ask him about applying a good, matte coat of poly. I know you say it is not a heavy use table, not for meals, etc., only for crafts and games, etc. but if I or my family were using it even lightly, we would more than likely have a drink of some kind while using the table. Wax and liquids don't mesh too well. I would even worry about a hot cup of coffee.

That red really adds a nice touch to your room and it looks like he did a great job with it. Poly will protect it for many years. You could even add the poly to it yourself.

Is there a website to post a review? Maybe I've got too much time on my hands, but I'm a stickler in giving a review, especially if I've been very pleased OR very disappointed.

Be honest without being terribly derogatory, and state you are hoping he will stand behind his work until you're satisfied.

Patty Cakes, I agree with you. I have been doing furniture painting since the 1970s but due to MS, I have had to slow down, especially on physical labor and now having issues with "thinking" but I remember that latex peels off well if you get it to the right layer and that is what I used. Cannot tolerate the smell of oil enamels. I always laid on a coat or so of poly to protect. It's like "real" furniture from Ethan Allen c.1960, it's damageable but not easily and anything can be destroyed. I have known people who could destroy a steel ball with a rubber hammer. I think I might have married one of them. I have not tried the chalk paint but might give it a try soon on something I do not value.

Can poly go on top of wax? I thought I read it can't. I'll definitely ask him. He's in Round Top right now, that lucky guy!

Since this is small town America...well, it's the next small town over from this small town, the only review I'd give would be word of mouth. I go to their store a LOT, and I'm definitely going when he gets back from the antique fair. Now's not the time to make an enemy. lol

** You CAN NOT poly over wax.

**You CAN chalk over wax then poly.

**Chalk paint does NOT need to cure.

The finisher can chalk to fix that spot then wax again....
Wait 30 days(really at least) to see if the end result will be to your liking.

If not~ you can explore various other more "tougher" finishes
of which there are 1000's.

As Tuesday said I would probably go the matte route to help
preserve the intent of the chalk look.

What ever happened with the table?
Sue