First, let me start by saying this is my personal opinion on Chalk Paint. I don't sell it - have no affiliation with Annie Sloan, or with any other paint company. I'm entitled to my opinion, and I strongly suggest you try it for yourself to see if you like it. That's my disclaimer :)
If you've spent any time looking at painted furniture on the internet then I'm sure you've heard of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.
The good thing about ASCP is that you don't have to prep what you want to paint. Well, except for cleaning the dust and dirt off - nothing sticks to dust and dirt... but there's no sanding or priming before you start painting. It adheres to just about all textures. It dries crazy quick during the summer, plus there's no smell.
Regular latex paint (like the kind you get at Home Depot or Lowe's) has a very strong smell and stays tacky for at least a day. Chalk paint will dry so fast during the warm summer months that I find it's hard to keep a wet edge.
The bad thing about chalk paint is that it requires waxing after you're done painting, and I find that part annoying.
I'm not going to get into a tutorial about exactly how to use it -- mainly because there are tons of videos on YouTube that will explain that better than I can here. But I will give you my take on it.
I'm lucky enough that I found a store that sells it just 12 miles from my house.
THE GOOD
THE BAD
Overall I like chalk paint. It's usually my first choice when I want to paint a piece. The main selling points for me are the fast drying, and the low odor.
The Wax -
I dislike the waxing at the end because it doesn't always come out as smooth as I wanted. If I was into the 'shabby chic' look I might like it better. But I don't care for the beat up look in my furniture. I'm looking for a smooth finished look, the wax can make it look 'blotchy' in bright light. My house is all windows - so I have a lot of bright light.
The wax can be fussy to use. If you get it on too thick, it's labor intensive to buff off. If you use the wrong kind of cloth to apply, it can leave streaks of lint that are impossible to get out. If you don't buff it out enough it's sticky and gooey (tacky) feeling, which is just yucky.
There's a definite learning curve in using the wax. But who's got time for that? And when you apply it to a project - it's permanent. That's it. It's waxed. No turning back or changing your mind. My projects are always one-of-a-kind pieces, so a learning curve is inconvenient to say the least.
It's expensive. Not gonna lie there. It's pricey - $28 for a small can if I remember right. Of course they recommend you use their special brush to apply. Sorry - I just forked over $30 for the wax - I'm not forking over another $40 for a brush! Yikes.
Annie Sloan says apply a 1st light coat of wax -- then apply a 2nd light coat. Ugh. Really? I have to buff this entire desk twice?
The Dark Side...
The dark wax is even fussier. The dark wax is great for adding texture and age to a piece, but it's thick and funky to work with. It changes the color of the paint and it can go on very splotchy. It's easy to overdo it with the dark wax, so use it sparingly.
Basically it's for accenting scroll work or designs that are intricate that you'd like to have stand out on the piece. The dark wax gets into crevices and highlights them.
I found that the dark wax can make a piece look dirty. So I'll reiterate -- use it sparingly.
Other Alternatives.
I know AS does not recommend using any other wax but her own brand on her chalk paint, but this summer I'm going to try a cheaper brand. Like Johnson (in the yellow can). The AS wax is so thick... while Johnson is a bit thinner and easier to use. Not so sticky if you get lint or the occasionally knat that likes to land in it.
I've also seen others use Polyurethane for a finish. I'm going to try that too. Brushing on Poly and letting it dry sounds a lot less difficult than waxing.
It's a journey. I try something new on every piece of furniture I mess with. So I guess I haven't yet found my rhythm.
The good thing about ASCP is that you don't have to prep what you want to paint. Well, except for cleaning the dust and dirt off - nothing sticks to dust and dirt... but there's no sanding or priming before you start painting. It adheres to just about all textures. It dries crazy quick during the summer, plus there's no smell.
Regular latex paint (like the kind you get at Home Depot or Lowe's) has a very strong smell and stays tacky for at least a day. Chalk paint will dry so fast during the warm summer months that I find it's hard to keep a wet edge.
The bad thing about chalk paint is that it requires waxing after you're done painting, and I find that part annoying.
I'm not going to get into a tutorial about exactly how to use it -- mainly because there are tons of videos on YouTube that will explain that better than I can here. But I will give you my take on it.
I'm lucky enough that I found a store that sells it just 12 miles from my house.
THE GOOD
- I like the no prep.
- I like the fact that it dries so quickly you can finish a project in an afternoon.
- I like the finish after it's sanded lightly with 400 grit (feels baby soft).
- I like the colors they offer.
- I like the matte look you can get.
THE BAD
- I don't like having to wax it afterward (there's a learning curve to wax - especially the dark wax).
- I don't like the fact that it's so fragile and you can chip the paint off far too easily.
- I don't like the price ($38+ tax for a pint)
- I don't like the fact that I can only get it at one store - they aren't open on Sundays, and if they're out of a color I need then I'm out of luck.
- I don't like the fact that the colors are so limited -- unless I mix the colors myself. (I'm sorry but I'm a lazy painter. There's no way I'm mixing colors just to get the right shade when other paint companies are doing that for me. Especially at that price...)
Overall I like chalk paint. It's usually my first choice when I want to paint a piece. The main selling points for me are the fast drying, and the low odor.
The Wax -
I dislike the waxing at the end because it doesn't always come out as smooth as I wanted. If I was into the 'shabby chic' look I might like it better. But I don't care for the beat up look in my furniture. I'm looking for a smooth finished look, the wax can make it look 'blotchy' in bright light. My house is all windows - so I have a lot of bright light.
The wax can be fussy to use. If you get it on too thick, it's labor intensive to buff off. If you use the wrong kind of cloth to apply, it can leave streaks of lint that are impossible to get out. If you don't buff it out enough it's sticky and gooey (tacky) feeling, which is just yucky.
There's a definite learning curve in using the wax. But who's got time for that? And when you apply it to a project - it's permanent. That's it. It's waxed. No turning back or changing your mind. My projects are always one-of-a-kind pieces, so a learning curve is inconvenient to say the least.
It's expensive. Not gonna lie there. It's pricey - $28 for a small can if I remember right. Of course they recommend you use their special brush to apply. Sorry - I just forked over $30 for the wax - I'm not forking over another $40 for a brush! Yikes.
Annie Sloan says apply a 1st light coat of wax -- then apply a 2nd light coat. Ugh. Really? I have to buff this entire desk twice?
The Dark Side...
The dark wax is even fussier. The dark wax is great for adding texture and age to a piece, but it's thick and funky to work with. It changes the color of the paint and it can go on very splotchy. It's easy to overdo it with the dark wax, so use it sparingly.
Basically it's for accenting scroll work or designs that are intricate that you'd like to have stand out on the piece. The dark wax gets into crevices and highlights them.
I found that the dark wax can make a piece look dirty. So I'll reiterate -- use it sparingly.
Other Alternatives.
I know AS does not recommend using any other wax but her own brand on her chalk paint, but this summer I'm going to try a cheaper brand. Like Johnson (in the yellow can). The AS wax is so thick... while Johnson is a bit thinner and easier to use. Not so sticky if you get lint or the occasionally knat that likes to land in it.
I've also seen others use Polyurethane for a finish. I'm going to try that too. Brushing on Poly and letting it dry sounds a lot less difficult than waxing.
It's a journey. I try something new on every piece of furniture I mess with. So I guess I haven't yet found my rhythm.
***Update 7-24-2015
I recently decided to try ASCP with a different wax as a finish and OMG! I love the finish I ended up when I used Johnson Paste Wax. It's the wax in the bright Yellow can. (This wax can be found at most hardware stores - Home Depot etc - and it's a boat load cheaper!)
It's a much easier wax to work with than Annie Sloan's. It seems thinner and was much easier to buff off. It's the buffing off that gives you the finish you want. I used it on the top of a dresser and ended up with a butter soft (and I'm talking super soft - rabbit fur soft - baby skin soft, whatever you want to call it unbelievable soft...) finish.
I think I may have found my rhythm. :)
I recently decided to try ASCP with a different wax as a finish and OMG! I love the finish I ended up when I used Johnson Paste Wax. It's the wax in the bright Yellow can. (This wax can be found at most hardware stores - Home Depot etc - and it's a boat load cheaper!)
It's a much easier wax to work with than Annie Sloan's. It seems thinner and was much easier to buff off. It's the buffing off that gives you the finish you want. I used it on the top of a dresser and ended up with a butter soft (and I'm talking super soft - rabbit fur soft - baby skin soft, whatever you want to call it unbelievable soft...) finish.
I think I may have found my rhythm. :)
I should also point out that there are other (smaller) companies that are making chalk-like paint - Annie Sloan is not our only choice these days. Vignettes comes to mind. Same great chalky paint, smaller price, three choices of can sizes (not just two), more color choices, and they'll even work with you to come up with the color of your dreams. Unfortunately the nearest store that sells it is about 30 miles from me... |