At the moment, acrylic paint is consistently included in the list of the most popular ways to give the surface one color or another. The advantages of this paint are quick drying, the ability to paint work on virtually any surface, environmental friendliness and wear resistance. At the same time, many people ask whether such a paint requires varnish, how acrylic looks under a layer of varnish, and, in the end, which product to choose for this?

The main task of varnish is to protect the surface from external influences. As a rule, varnishing is carried out in relation to wood, preventing moisture from entering the wood and preserving the wood from various external influences. At the same time, varnish is also applied for decorative purposes.

Do I need to varnish acrylic paint?

Of all types of paintwork, acrylic is the least in need of varnishing. The reason is that it already contains varnish and is extremely resistant to moisture. Therefore, coating such a paint with a layer of acrylic can be explained only by the need to give the surface additional protection.

Types of varnish by composition and place of use

Varnish is represented by very numerous types of products, allowing to satisfy almost any need. This product is actively used today in various fields of activity. All this divides varnishes into various directions of use, which we list below:

  • Furniture. As the name implies, it is widely used in the furniture industry. However, it is actively used for other wooden surfaces, including floors;
  • Parquet. Like the above, it is also actively used for flooring. But can also be used for the same furniture, doors and the like. It is a one-component alkyd-polyurethane or acrylic-polyurethane;
  • Decorative. It is applied primarily for reasons of improving the appearance of the surface, and only then from the need to protect this surface. Scopes of application are extremely numerous;
  • Yacht. From the name it’s clear that they can be covered with a wooden deck of swimming facilities. But the scope of application of this varnish is much more multifaceted, and it can be used in a number of external works. The reason is that the varnish perfectly resists water and natural influences.

In turn, in their composition, varnishes are divided into the following types:

  • Acrylic. The most environmentally friendly and safe types of varnish. The reason is this one so watery. It is used in interior decoration, and is distinguished by its transparency. Being applied to a tree does not change its appearance. Similarly, the paint under it will also look;
  • Nitro lacquers. They are used for internal work, but unlike acrylic, they are toxic, therefore they must be applied in respirators. They are distinguished by their fast drying time. The base contains plasticizers, resins, organic solvents;
  • Alkyd. Applicable for both external and internal use. Consist of alkyd resins and various organic solvents. They are characterized by high resistance to moisture, but at the same time they have the disadvantage of a long drying time;
  • Polyurethane. Universal varnishes for various wooden surfaces. Differ in extremely high durability to various mechanical influences. Scratches on such a varnish will appear less likely than on the rest;
  • Oil. Dry for a very long time - up to several days, depending on external conditions. Created on the basis of vegetable oil, in which organic solvents are added, as well as resins of natural and synthetic nature. Give the tree a signature tan;
  • Epoxy. Resistant to mechanical stress and moisture. They can be applied to a wide variety of surfaces, both indoors and outdoors. It takes about 12 hours to dry.

Which varnish to choose for acrylic paint

From all of the above, it can be understood that acrylic varnish is ideal for staining this type of paint. It is closest to the paint itself in chemical composition and is transparent at the same time. That is - we do not change colors, which is sometimes extremely important. Other advantages of this varnish include resistance to solar ultraviolet, fast drying time and the absence of an unpleasant odor. At the same time, it’s also easy to work with this varnish, and we’ll just talk about this later.

The nuances of applying varnish to acrylic paint

  • When choosing a varnish, take an interest in the presence of strengthening components in it;
  • It is best to use varnish, the shelf life of which does not exceed 90 days from the date of manufacture. That is - as fresh as possible;
  • Since acrylic paint forms a good glossy coating, it is not necessary to give additional gloss to it, except in rare cases. So it is better to get a matte varnish;
  • Before coating the surface with varnish, it is necessary to wait until the paint has completely dried. In addition, it is necessary to completely clean the surface from contaminants and extraneous fragments. If you do this shortly after staining, you must be as careful as possible and not use coarse rags;
  • Do not apply varnish until you finish the painted surface with an acrylic primer. So you can protect the varnish from possible cracking in the future. Apply varnish only after the primer has completely dried;
  • The varnish itself must be warmed up to a temperature of 40-50 degrees Celsius. If you do not have a thermometer, then you can put a three-liter jar with varnish in a liter of boiling water. And the product will reach the desired temperature in about five minutes;
  • Try to varnish the surface under the light source located on the top and right. This will give you the clearest understanding of the process;
  • An ideal application tool is a wide flute brush with a width of 50-150 millimeters;
  • After covering about half a square meter of the surface, we polish the layer. To do this, take a dry flute brush and begin to draw it vertically on the surface. As soon as the brush begins to stick to the surface, work can continue.
  • At the time of drying the varnish (the benefit is that acrylic dries quickly enough), it is necessary to prevent dust from settling to the surface.

The varnished surface looks very presentable, however, over time, it is scratched and cracked, as a result of which it completely loses its beauty.

The easiest way is to return the product to attractiveness by painting. True, this operation has some nuances, therefore, before proceeding with it, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with how to apply paint to varnish.

General information

The first thing that interests home craftsmen when they are faced with a similar task is whether it is possible to paint with varnish? Of course, it is best to remove the old coating, but if this is not possible, or you need to save time, you can also paint over the old coating.

However, in order to say with confidence whether it is possible to apply paint to varnish, it is necessary to clarify what kind of paint and varnish material we are talking about. The fact is that not all formulations are suitable for these purposes. For example, you can not use nitro paint, as the old coating will begin to lag over time.

In addition, before applying the paint composition, the surface still needs to be prepared in a certain way.

Paint selection

Now consider what paint can be painted on varnish. The composition in the first place should have good adhesion, as well as other performance properties, depending on the type of product that needs to be painted, and its operating conditions.

  • Silicone Water Dispersion   - differ in environmental friendliness, since water is used as a solvent, as well as high elasticity, so that they are easily applied with your own hands without streaks and sagging. In addition, such compositions are characterized by water resistance, resistance to chemical detergents, resistance to weathering, etc.
  • Alkyd Enamels- form a durable coating with saturated color on the surface. Like silicone, they can also be used for both indoor and outdoor use. The main advantage of this material is its low price, however, it must be borne in mind that during the drying process, the paintwork releases toxic substances into the environment.

Pay attention!
  When, the respiratory system must be protected with a respirator.

The process of painting over varnish

Surface preparation

The peculiarity of applying paintwork on top of varnish is the preparation of the base. First of all, you need to make sure that the old coating is firmly fixed to the base, does not peel and does not peel off.

The work is performed in the following order:

  • First of all, the surface is sanded with fine emery paper, before the acquisition of a matte surface.
  • Then the cleaned surface is treated with a degreasing liquid.
  • After that, a special one is applied to the surface to improve adhesion. The composition is distributed in a thin layer over the entire surface. For these purposes, you can use a brush, roller or spray.
      As a rule, the primer is applied in two layers. More accurate information on how to work with the primer, contains instructions on the package.

Advice!
  In order not to apply the paintwork over the varnish, the old coating can be removed with a building hair dryer and a spatula.

In the photo - surface sanding

Painting

After the soil layer dries, you can start painting.

The work is performed in the following order:

  • First of all, you need to prepare the paint, thoroughly mixing it with a wooden stick. If painting is carried out with a silicone-based compound, then most likely you will have to add color to it to give a certain color.
    To do this, you first need to know the proportions of paint and color, mixing them in a small amount. Then you can dilute the bulk of the material. To perform this operation, you should use a construction mixer or an electric drill with a nozzle.
  • Further, painting is carried out just like any other surface. The composition is applied in a thin layer with a brush,. At the same time, the formation of sagging or splashing of the composition is not allowed, so the work must be done very carefully
  • After drying the first layer, the procedure must be repeated again.

This completes the painting process, if the work was done correctly, then the coating will be of high quality and durable.

Application of varnish on top of paint

So, we figured out whether it is possible to paint over varnish and how to do it. However, one often has to deal with the need to apply varnish to a painted surface. It should immediately be said that this procedure is not only possible, but in some cases even necessary.

The fact is that the lacquer transparent film protects the painted surface from various negative environmental influences, so its use will increase the life of the painted surface. Often, home craftsmen are interested in whether it is possible to apply varnish to acrylic paint?

You can apply a protective transparent layer on almost any paintwork material. However, it must match the paint. For example, it is advisable to use acrylic paint for acrylic paint.

The correct selection of varnish will ensure the most high-quality and durable coating.

Conclusion

The process of painting on top of varnish is a perfectly acceptable phenomenon. However, in order for the new finish to be durable, you need to make sure that there is good adhesion between the base and the old coating. In addition, it is imperative to comply with the technology that we reviewed above.

Additional information on this topic can be obtained from the video in this article.

Varnish is a very popular finishing material. And it’s understandable why. After all, it looks beautiful, lasts a long time, and has good layer strength. However, there are many other finishing materials on the market.

And for this reason, a lot of questions arise about the compatibility of certain materials with varnish. For example, it is not clear whether acrylic paint can be varnished? If so, which one? Lucky, after all, are also different ...

Applying varnish

In addition, there are many repair projects in which the surface is not made of standard and familiar wood, but of completely different components. It can be metal, fabric or, for example. Does varnish stick to such planes?

Let's try to figure it all out. Consider relatively simple questions (about this type - what varnish should be applied to water-based paint, acrylic paint, etc.) and more complex ones.

Complex ones are, for example, questions about metal surfaces. They, as a rule, want to make them durable and shiny (varnished), but this is not always possible.

Acrylic paints

We begin the review of incomprehensible moments.

If we talk about whether it is possible to paint the wallpaper with varnish, then there will be a very simple answer - yes, it is possible, but you just need to understand that there are different wallpapers.

If this is ordinary paper wallpaper, then most likely, after applying varnish (however, like paint), they simply simply get wet and deformed. Although if the paper is of high quality, then you can try.

And very often there are wallpaper for painting - here they can be painted. Moreover, if acrylic or water-based paint has already been applied to them, you can still work with varnish. Only here you need to understand what varnish to cover acrylic paints - water-based material is best.

Tip: if you have the opportunity to get a sample of those that you have on the wall, then first try varnishing a small piece and see what happened after drying. If the result suits you, then you can begin to varnish the main plane.

Well, the second version of the old wallpaper coating - is it possible to varnish paint? Yes you can. Here the situation is the same as with acrylic paints - it is desirable to work with water-based varnishes.

Photo of acrylic painted wallpaper

Just consider such moments:

  • the varnished wall will gain shine, because of which all the bumps will be visible;
  • varnishing a wallpaper is difficult, because you need to achieve maximum uniformity in applying the layer;
  • if the varnish is applied colorless, then without a trial piece of wallpaper, it is difficult to predict how the color, the shade of the old paint will change.

There are obvious advantages of the technology:

  • the surface of the wallpaper will become very durable;
  • walls will be easy to clean;
  • wallpaper will no longer be afraid of moisture.

So, we figured out how to varnish the acrylic paint and water-based paint on the wallpaper. Now let's talk about processing floor coverings.

Laminate - is it possible to varnish

Laminate painting with varnish

Despite the fact that the laminate is initially varnished in the factory, very often everything is required to paint the floor with varnish. As a rule, because over time, the surface of the material loses its luster and, accordingly, beauty.

Well, of course, a logical question arises - is it possible to paint the laminate with varnish?

This is permissible, but only in no case can you use a standard parquet varnish for this task. It simply corrodes the surface of the laminate and, accordingly, the beauty of the floor can be forgotten.

When varnishing an old laminate, it is necessary to take into account what its surface is made of, and select a varnish of approximately the same type.

The principle here is simple - for acrylic film you need acrylic varnish, for polyurethane, respectively, polyurethane.

Please note that there are special varnishes for the laminate, but they are not intended to radically change the appearance of the floor and increase its strength characteristics. Rather, they are made to hide minor defects, scratches and in order to give the plane a moisture effect, a little gloss.

And briefly consider how to paint the floor of the laminate with varnish - a brief instruction and tips.

  1. The surface should be as dry and clean as possible. Otherwise, the adhesion of the varnish to the plane will be fragile.
  2. If some areas are completely worn out and there are hollows on them, due to which the woody basis of the material is visible, then such places need to be puttyed with PVA glue. Due to this approach, these areas will not absorb the varnish so intensively and, accordingly, it will turn out to be applied with a more or less uniform layer.
  3. Remember that the laminate can not be processed with sandpaper and loop. It is better to gloss over defects with a special paste for a laminate - this is the maximum.

Puttying the floor

  1. If all cracks, chips and large abrasions are processed, then varnish. The laminate is painted in several layers with a roller or brush. At the same time, remember that each new layer can be applied only when the previous one is 100% dry.

Well, of course, you need to understand that lacquering such a material with your own hands is very inferior in quality to factory painting. Even if the price of the varnish you have chosen is very high and it is quite high-quality, it will still have to be painted once every 1.5 to 2 years to maintain the external gloss.

Tip: if the beautiful appearance of the laminate is really important to you, then it may make sense not to varnish it every half year, but simply replace it once. On a more wear-resistant laminate. Moreover, this is a maximum of a couple of days of work.

Now consider a combination of surfaces of a slightly different type and varnish.

Custom projects

Before you begin, we will give one important and at the same time simple advice.

Read the instructions in the supermarket that are on each container with one or another type of varnish. As a rule, there is always information about the compatibility of a given material with different types of planes. Reading will take a few minutes, but you definitely won’t buy something that in principle does not suit you.

So, the most common non-standard surfaces.

Metal protection with varnish

Painting a metal wall

Usually, if it is necessary to process metal with varnish, there are such tasks:

  1. Shine the material. And in this case, piano varnish is constantly mentioned. What it is? In fact, this is not even called a varnish, but rather a gloss effect. It is achieved easily - just choose a varnish with a glossy shade.
  2. Apply the varnish as firmly as possible so that it lasts longer. Zinga electrically conductive paint is perfect for these purposes - this material combines the best properties of hot-dip galvanizing technology and all the positive qualities of paint coatings. Simply put - a metal coated with such a paint will stay on the surface for a very long time and also sparkle.

Zinga Paint Can

  1. Protect the metal surface from fire. And then fire retardant paints for metal Polistil come to the rescue. This is a very good material that will look beautiful, and the level of fire resistance of the structure will increase.

Fabric surfaces

Here, of course, you need to look at what kind of fabric in question and what effect you need to achieve.

Almost all dense and coarse fabrics, such as burlap, for example, are suitable for painting. It is often used to create original interiors, which is why we will consider burlap exactly as a clear example.

Can it be varnished? Perhaps the question can be slightly changed - does it make sense to varnish the fabric?

Lacquer, as a rule, is used to obtain a gloss effect, but fabrics are such a material that they won’t shine much anyway. No matter what varnish will be used.

Therefore, it is much simpler and cheaper to use not varnish, but ordinary alkyd or acrylic paint with gloss. The result will be approximately the same, both with paint and with varnish. But you will overpay for the last option.

As for the application technology, it is very simple. Burlap is treated with drying oil, completely dried, and then paint is applied to its surface. Nothing complicated, as you can see.

Inscription paint on burlap

On this review is completed - to summarize.

Conclusion

We have examined whether it is possible to cover acrylic paint with varnish, water-based, figured out whether it will be able to stay on the laminate, and also touched on several more difficult issues.

We hope that all the information provided is useful to you, and now you will better understand what can be painted and what is not. If you want to know more about this material and work with it, we recommend that you also watch the video in this article.

I continue to equip my room and in this post I wanted to talk about how I repainted furniture. If you remember, I started by deciding on the general mood of the room, the color palette, and created the moodboard. I wrote about this stage in detail.

The second stage was painting the furniture. The furniture in my room is very old. She's probably as old as me (yes, she's also thirty-flirty-and-fabulous). Of course, there was an option to sell it for a penny on Avito, or even just take it to the trash. But I thought that I had a great chance to experiment with painting furniture. In the end, if all else fails, then I will always have time to throw it away.

For painting lacquered furniture I used:

  • the cheapest brushes (a set of three pieces);
  • two liter cans of Dulux Aqua paint (white and coral, the color I chose in the store by palette - about 1000 rubles per can);
  • white spirit and countless newspapers.

I had a bedside table, a wardrobe and a nightstand with a trellis. I chose a complicated method of painting (for starters, of course, it would be better to choose something simpler - paint everything in one kind of color). In my case, the main color was white, coral inserts on the facades and gold accents. So, here is my step-by-step instruction on repainting old laminated furniture.

Building varnish is used in many areas of applied craftsmanship. They cover furniture, wooden interior elements, yachts, works of art. Varnish is especially familiar and popular when flooring a new floor in the process of repairing or building a house. Also often during repair it is necessary to solve the problem of restoring old parquet. Then the question arises: can ordinary varnish be varnished? How to do it right?

Benefits of Varnish

Lacquer blends very well with wood. The wooden lacquered parquet floor is well-known among homeowners. What are the advantages of such coverage?

The advantages that varnish gives when processing a wooden floor are obvious:

  • increases the service life,
  • provides protection against damage,
  • preserves the original color of the tree,
  • guarantees environmental friendliness during operation.

In addition, the varnish coating looks very beautiful and emphasizes the status of the owner of the house.

Features of the restoration of varnish parquet

When carrying out repairs, it is often necessary to update the old parquet floor with varnish. Can varnish used previously be varnished? I guess, yes. It is important to clarify which varnish the floor was previously coated with. If water-based varnish was used, then this should be used. Polymer compositions, nitro-varnishes can be updated with any paints and varnishes, including water. But still, is it possible to varnish varnish, it should be clarified by a specialist in each case.

Application of a new coating - step by step

Having received an affirmative answer to the question: “Can ordinary varnish be varnished?” - you need to start the process itself.

Repair work will take place in several stages.

  • It is necessary to determine the type of varnish, depending on the previous coating, the desired result and the functional purpose of the room.
  • First you need to thoroughly clean the surface of dirt, debris and bumps.
  • Then the floor is polished using a special machine. This operation is aimed at ensuring the best adhesion of the old coating with the new. In this case, the previous layer of varnish is not completely removed.
  • The next step will be another cleaning, which will finally prepare the surface for the main action.
  • Further, the floor is directly varnished, always in several layers. Each layer is applied after the previous one has completely dried.

Thus, whether it is possible to varnish varnish, it is easy to see for yourself. To do this, it is recommended to go through all the necessary steps sequentially and accurately.

Laminate varnish - can it be coated?

Laminate is a modern coating that is very popular and is used everywhere. It already includes a special plastic layer that protects against damage and gives the surface a beautiful smooth look. But over time, and this layer can be damaged, lose its functional and decorative qualities.

Can laminate be varnished? The question is very controversial. For high-quality application of varnish you need to ensure its good adhesion to the surface. The structure of the laminate is such that its upper layer is very smooth, finely porous. Lacquering can be fragile and crack quickly. Another factor in the longevity of the varnish on the surface of the laminate is the technology of its installation. The panels have floating properties, responding to temperature and humidity. And when dried, the varnish forms a single specific moisture-proof film, which can crack when the laminate is deformed.

Nevertheless, there are specialists who answer the question “Can the laminate be varnished?” - answer in the affirmative. Compounds specifically designed for coatings such as laminate have appeared on the modern construction market. But they better protect the new surface. If the floor is already damaged, these varnishes will not give the desired effect. When coating a laminate surface with varnish, it is important to observe two conditions:

  • choose the composition depending on the material from which the top layer of the panels is made;
  • when preparing the floor surface, do not use abrasive tools, but use special pastes.

Application of varnish to paint

Traditionally, wood is varnished. However, often there is a need to protect and give additional shine and strength to surfaces of other materials. For example, can I paint varnish?

Speaking of applying varnish to a painted surface, it is usually a question of acrylic or water-based paint. In solving this problem, the main place is the choice of varnish. It must be water based. It is better to give preference to acrylic varnish, which prevents the paint from flowing, dries quickly, does not smell, does not harm health. The main thing is that before starting work, it is necessary to apply a primer to the painted surface, which will allow the varnish composition to lie smoothly and reliably.

Application of varnish on other surfaces

Varnishing, as the process of creating a protective layer, is applied on other surfaces. It can be metal, plywood, paper, self-adhesive film. Can the film be varnished?

It is possible, if necessary. The main thing is not to make a mistake with the varnish, so as not to damage the upper decorative layer of the film and to prevent cracking of the surface after drying. For example, nitrol varnish with all its advantages has significant limitations on the application, but acrylic varnish is a more versatile tool.

So is it possible to varnish varnish? Can. Can any other surfaces be varnished? Yes. But any process has its own characteristics, its pros and cons. What aspects do you need to know and consider when working with paints and varnishes? Professionals give a series of tips for this.

To get the desired result and avoid unwanted surprises, you need to carefully study the manufacturer's instructions for using varnish.

When deciding on varnishing of the floor, the functional purpose of the premises must be taken into account. For example, the corridor and the kitchen are subject to high traffic. In these rooms you need a more durable and durable coating.

Not all varnishes are safe for human health. For example, alkyd and acidic materials contain harmful substances and dry for a long time. Therefore, using such varnishes, you need to remember safety precautions.

The main role in the success of the varnishing process is played by the stage of surface preparation: grinding and cleaning before coating. Errors at this stage can lead to disastrous results.

Although the varnishing process cannot be called simple, with a responsible approach, it is available to everyone. Despite many modern innovative technologies and materials, varnishing does not lose its popularity.