The wooden stuff inside and outside of your house needs special care since they are vulnerable to scratches. If not pampered well, wooden doors, cabinets or decors usually start to look dull after a few years.
That’s why concerned users use varathane for their wooden furniture, door, floor, décor, and other items.
Varathane is a wood sealer as well as wood stain largely used around the world. It’s one of the best finishes used for wooden things. Varathane when applied over a surface makes it look smooth, and shiny and adds durability. It also enhances the natural color of the wood.
But since varathane is a transparent coating many wishes to paint over their varathane-coated wood piece for a change. We know varathane can be applied over paint but can you paint over varathane without ruining the surface? You will get your answer below!
Can you paint over varathane?
You can paint over varathane. It’s a wood sealer that doesn’t need to be removed before painting. You’ll only have to prepare the surface for the paint to stick. For a better outcome, you can use latex paint, acrylic paint, chalk paint, water or oil-based paint, etc. over a varathane finish.
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Varathane is a popular coating used for wooden surfaces specially. It’s also known as wood stain. Varathane protects wood from abrasion and scratch. It adds a clear layer over the wooden surface while giving it a shiny and natural finish.
Varathane can be used over bare wood, stained wood even over the painted wooden surface. Though many don’t have the clue you can paint over varathane too.
Let’s know now if you can paint over these variants of varathane:
Varathane Polyurethane:
Varathane polyurethane allows any type of paint over it if the surface is properly ready to hold the paint. It’s transparent so painting over it will not lessen the charm.
Varathane wood putty:
It’s a non-hardening sealer to fill up pores and holes of a wooden surface. Varathane wood putty comes in color as well as transparent. You can paint over this wood putty by applying the non-colored one.
Varathane wood stain:
You can easily paint over Varathane wood stain without ruining the base. The paint will finely stick over the surface if you slightly sand the varathane surface.
Varathane wood hardener:
Varathane wood hardener is used for durability purposes. It can go through the deep layers of wooden items and protect them from rotting soon. Since it’s a fast-drying and light product, you can paint over it.
Water-based varathane:
If you prepare the surface well and make it grainy, you can easily put any paint over water based varathane applied surface. It will not soak or move the paint.
What paint will stick to varathane?
While planning to apply paint over varathane coating, you should pause and take some time to know what colors are suitable for this surface.
Since you’ll be applying paint over a sealer layer, any paint will not bring you the best result. That’s why you must know what paint will stick to varathane and last long.
To assist you, here’s a list is given below:
Latex paint:
Latex paint is considered one of the best and easy options if you want to paint over a varathane surface. No matter if you’re using a water-based or oil-based varathane coating, latex paint will stick to it. But make sure you sand the surface before.
Chalk paint:
Chalk paint works best if you use a primer and a varathane surface is no less than a good primer that holds the paint. Even if the varathane is glossy or semi-shiny, you can paint over it with chalk paint. The paint will stay for a good time.
Acrylic paint:
Another most used paint to coat over varathane is acrylic paint. It’s durable yet easy to take off when needed. If the surface is well polished, acrylic paint sits nicely on it.
Three reasons why you can paint over varathane
Varathane is used more or less in every house. If you too have used it or seen it being coated, you know how it works.
Most of you have been using varathane as the final or topcoat to date. But it can be used before the paint as well. You can paint over a varathane surface if you want to add color.
Not convinced yet why varathane can be painted over?
Here are three reasons why you can paint over varathane explained:
Varathane does its job after painting:
If you think painting over a varathane layer will weaken the sealer’s power to protect and strengthen the surface, you may relax.
Since some varathane products can go deep into the surface layer, the coatings of varathane will still protect your surface if you put the layer of paint over it.
Varathane doesn’t collide with paint:
varathane is mostly transparent. Some varathane products come with tint or color, but they always keep a colorless option. So if you paint over varathane, there will be no collision between the two-layers.
Varathane is crystal clear and lets the paint coating stick, so the paint will look bright and as you want it.
Paint over varathane is easy to apply:
Applying paint over varathane is easier than painting over other sealing. It’s fast-drying, can hide spots, and doesn’t leave any marks or uneven texture. So the paint over it looks smooth and clean.
Can you paint over varathane without sanding?
You cannot paint over varathane without sanding the surface. Thus it will not be able to hold the paint in that particular place.
Varathane is a popular wood stain and sealer. It comes as wood stains, wood hardener, wood putty, polyurethane, etc. all of these work to make a wooden surface smooth, durable, and naturally shiny. Varathane protects a surface from dust, scratch, and stains.
Usually, varathane is used as the final step for any surface. It’s coated over a surface after it’s sanded, polished, and colored. But since it’s most of the time transparent, it can be painted over too to add some color.
But to paint over varathane you must sand the surface first to make it suitable for the paint coat. Since varathane smoothens any surface, you have to make it rough so that the paint can stick to it.
Do varathane need to be removed before painting?
Varathane doesn’t need to be removed before putting paint. You can paint directly over the varathane layer but only after preparing the surface for paint.
Varathane is a wood sealer usually used as the topcoat. It hardens the surface while saving it from stains, scratches and dust. Varathane depending on its type comes as a transparent element that can be applied over paint.
But if someone wants they can use varathane under the paint as well. In such a case, many assume they will have to remove the layer of varathane to make the paint sit on the surface perfectly. However, that’s not necessary.
Varathane coating doesn’t interrupt the painting, neither it makes the painted layer delicate if not removed.
So, for painting over varathane you don’t have to remove the coating. A properly sanded surface is all that’s important.
How to paint over varathane?
Since many of the products of varathane are crystal clear in appearance, the coating of it doesn’t add any color or tint. But if you want to paint over your varathane-coated wooden piece that’s very possible.
To paint over varathane and have a great result a few steps must be followed. Here is a short guide to making this task easy:
Make the wooden piece ready:
Whether it’s a desk or cabinet before you start working, make the furniture ready by detaching its screws and parts (if needed). Take off any extra thing like desktop stuff from the piece you’ll be working on.
Place everything accordingly:
Place the wooden piece on a large paper sheet, old newspaper or drop cloth to avoid stains and spills all over the area. Keep grease removers, sponge, sandpaper, primer, paintbrush, paint, and roller handy.
Clean the surface:
Using a grease remover, such as grease removing cleaner or grease-cutting soap, cut off all the grease. Clean every corner and side properly and rinse with water.
Let it dry completely before going to the next step.
Sand it:
Using 200-grit sandpaper sand the varathane surface. Make the surface rough by rubbing the sandpaper in the same direction.
Prepare the surface:
Use a pre-paint primer over the rough surface. Let the coating dry for 24 hours.
Paint the surface:
Choose suitable paint, such as latex or acrylic and paint over the prepared surface using a brush and roller.
Final Thoughts
The varathane-coated surface can be painted over if the surface is well prepared. Acrylic, latex, chalk, or any oil and water-based paint can be layered over a varathane surface by sanding the surface properly. You don’t have to remove the varathane coat to paint over it.