The Best Garden Furniture Paint - The Ultimate Guide
A question we are asked by customers a lot here at Painters World is what is the best paint to use on garden furniture. That is why we have put together this handy guide, so you are armed with all the information you need to getting painting your garden furniture!
Why Paint Garden Furniture?
When we get some warm weather in the UK, we want to make the most of it and enjoy our outdoor spaces. There is no better way to do that then to enjoy your own garden, which is one of the main parts of the home that we want to look beautiful no matter the time of year. That is why every year one of the first jobs to tick of the DIY jobs list is to give the garden a refresh, transforming it to a little haven for you to enjoy some al-fresco dining, or some sunbathing!
Painting garden furniture has a range of benefits, that include:
- Offers a much cheaper alternative to buying new outdoor furniture, which can be extremely costly and hard to come by in the peak summer months.
- No matter the finish you want to achieve, it is possible with painting garden furniture. You can literally pick any colour to express your personality.
- It is a fantastic way to brighten up an outdoor space.
- By painting garden furniture, you are providing it with added durability and protection from the elements, helping to keep it looking fantastic for years to come.
The Best Garden Furniture Paints
Garden furniture can come in a range of forms, from dining tables to seating areas. These also come in a range of materials, such as wood, metal & plastic, meaning that there is not always a one paint fits all when it comes to finding the best garden furniture paint for you. We are going to run through our expert's picks for the best garden furniture paints for a range of surfaces, allowing you to find a specific paint that matches what you are looking for.
The Best Paint For Wooden Garden Furniture
A very common material for garden furniture in the UK, wood is a surface that many of us a familiar with painting, although finding the best paint for exterior wood is not a simple task. Being a popular exterior surface to paint, wood has a wide range of options available. While other exterior surfaces only come in solid colour paints, wood treatments come in a range of forms, including wood stains, varnishes or paints.
- Wood varnish - a varnish remains on the outside of wood, forming a protective and usually clear barrier on the wood
- Wood stain - Stains penetrate the wood, allowing the natural grain of the wood to be seen through the treatment, often available in a range of colours.
- Wood paint - refers to opaque solid clear finishes, which completely cover the grain of the wood
There a number of excellent options no matter what finish you want to achieve. If you are looking for a clear varnish to protect wooden garden furniture, we would recommend using Sadolin Outdoor Varnish or Sadolin Yacht Varnish that both offer excellent clear protection for exterior wooden surfaces.
Wood Stain
When it comes to wood stain, there are plenty of options, plus the introduction of colours to factor in. Luckily with the extremely popular Sadolin Classic Woodstain that can be applied to all exterior wood and has been developed to absorb deep into the wood to provide superb, long-lasting protection from weathering.
The other big advantage of Sadolin Classic is that it can be mixed in a huge range of colours, so no matter what shade you would like, you can get a wood stain in that exact colour. While both neutral and bold colours are both available, as a transparent stain, these colours offer a much more natural colour element to an outdoor space, maintaining some of the natural beauty of the wood while enhancing it with a colour of your choice. That is why Sadolin Classic also comes in a range of popular neutral and earthy shades that are popular choices for exterior wood, such as Light Oak & Ebony.
Wood Paint
There are a number of options when it comes to wood paint, which is the most common choice of wood treatment. Both Sadolin Superdec Satin & Zinsser Allcoat Exterior are very popular exterior wood paints that offer an opaque coloured finish. While Sadolin Superdec is a dedicated wood paint for all wooden surfaces except decking, Zinsser Allcoat is a multi-purpose exterior paint that can be applied to almost any exterior surface.
They are both self-priming and offer excellent durability, with Superdec having a 10-year performance and Zinsser Allcoat having a 15-year performance. While Allcoat is a fantastic option, we would highly recommend Superdec when it comes to wooden garden furniture as it erodes naturally by weathering which means that the coating remains flexible and resists cracking, peeling and flaking, which is a common occurrence with exterior wood paint. Not only this but it can be applied to new and previously painted or stained surfaces, which is why it is perfect for refreshing your tired furniture.
Having said this, Zinsser Allcoat is a fantastic option if you have multiple surfaces to treat, as we will discuss further!
Both of these paints can be mixed in almost any colour thanks to the paint mixing service at Painters World. This means that no matter the colour you want to transform your garden furniture to, it can be done. All you have to do is find the name of a shade you would like the paint mixing in, or search through our colour palettes on each product page and select the one you would like.
The Best Paint For Metal Garden Furniture
Not all garden furniture is wooden, with many of us having metal tables & chairs. Metal is a surface that many homeowners are sceptical of painting, but the reality is there is no difference to painting metal when compared to any other surface, it simply has to be prepared and painting with an appropriate paint. As we have mentioned, a superb multi-surface paint that can be applied to exterior metal surfaces is Zinsser Allcoat Exterior. It has a 15-year performance, is self-priming and has excellent resistance to all weather conditions. Not only this but it is the most versatile exterior paint there is, as it can not only be applied to any surface and is available in any colour, but it also comes in satin, gloss and matt finishes, that all provide a different look to your garden furniture. This gives you the ultimate flexibility as to how exactly you want to transform your metal furniture.
Our experts would also recommend it as the best paint to apply to plastic garden furniture also.
How To Paint Garden Furniture
Preparation is the single most important part of any decorating project, as any professional decorator will tell you. Before painting garden furniture, it is crucial to ensure that the surface is clean, dry, and free from anything that will impact the ability for the paint to adhere.
Here is our simple step-by-step guide to painting garden furniture:
- Using a scraper or stiff brush, remove all loose paint & dirt from the surface of the furniture, ensuring that nothing is left that could cause a problem once painted
- Using a light key sandpaper, sand the surface down to remove any deep dirt, and to create a key for the paint to adhere. This is the case no matter what surface you are painting, whether wood, metal or plastic
- Using a wet cloth, remove any dust caused by the sanding as painting over a chalky or dusty surface will cause the paint to peel
- If you are using a paint that requires a primer, this should then be applied next. If you are using a wood stain, or any of the paints we have recommended, this is not necessary as they are self-priming and undercoating
- Apply the paint or woodstain evenly to the surface. Sadolin Classic, Sadolin Superdec and Zinsser Allcoat are all two-coat systems, meaning the first coat should be applied evenly and not too thick to ensure a good base for the topcoat to be applied to.
- Allow to dry completely before applying the topcoat. This could take 1 hour with Zinsser Allcoat, or longer with other paints and stains.
Ideas For Painting Garden Furniture
Need some inspiration for painting garden furniture? Here are some of our favourite examples of garden furniture for you to take some ideas from.
Gentle Colour
Adding colour to your garden using paint does not need to be in your face. Mellow tones such as light blues and light pinks can bring a fantastic brightness to a space, matching perfectly with the flowers in the garden.
Creative Furniture
You don't just have just paint garden furniture that you already have, you can get creative and upcycle new furniture to be painted. You can create seating areas, planters and tables that can all be painted to have a fantastic impact on your garden.
Colour
Why not go full colour and transform your furniture in a your favourite colour. One of the most popular shades is RAL 3015 Light Pink, similar to the example below, that is a fantastic burst of colour that perfectly matches with green tones, which is why it is so effective when used in an outdoor space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. How do you repaint garden furniture?
A. As we have mentioned in our step-by-step guide, you can repaint garden furniture. You simply have to ensure all peeling paint is removed and use a paint or stain that can be used on top of previously painted surfaces such as the ones mentioned in this guide.
Q. Can you spray paint garden furniture?
A. Yes, you can spray paint garden furniture. Alternatively, you can use a brush or a roller depending on the furniture you are going to be painting. We have a range of high-quality paint rollers and paint brushes for you to find the best one for the job,
We hope this has answered any questions you may have had regarding the best paints to use on a range of garden furniture. If you require any more help, just send an email to hello@paintersworld.co.uk and our expert team will be on hand to give you any advice you require. At Painters World we have a wide range of paints available, so no matter the job, we've got the right tools for you.
