DIY Advice for Priming a Wooden Kitchen Table

Priming a wooden kitchen table is very much like priming any other wooden surface. It seals all of the wood pores and allows the top coat to be smooth, even and beautiful. Care must be used to give a good base for the primer to adhere to. The higher the quality of the primer and paint, the better the finished product will look. Does this Spark an idea?

Preparation

To make a perfect medium for the primer to work on, all of the old finish needs to be stripped off the table. There are many consumer types of strippers, and they will have step-by-step instructions on how to use them.

After stripping is completed, lightly sand the surface to make it smooth. If you use a damp rag to remove dust after sanding, always make sure the surface is completely dry before applying primer.

Why You Need to Prime First

Because of its organic nature, wood is porous and thirsty. Porous means there are all sorts of little indentations and thirsty means it likes to soak up liquids.

Paint is designed for the liquid carrier to evaporate, leaving the paint particles on top. Wood traps paint particles in pores and then drinks in the liquid, which will create a dull and listless top coat if there hasn't been a primer.

Priming will also block water and other natural stains from bleeding onto the top coat, thereby keeping the finished color true.

Priming also seals the wood grain, which can play havoc on a finish. Many times the grain will absorb the finish coat, showing the original grain and ruining the finish. Priming seals this grain and allows only the finish coat to be seen. And because it has sealed off the wood grain, it allows the top coat to adhere solidly to the primer, which will make it last for years to come.

Doing the Job

Always use the highest quality primer and materials. The better the primer and the materials used to put it on, the better the finish will look when you are done.

Lighter colored finishes benefit more from being applied to a primed surface. Although a bit more tedious, you may want to use two coats of primer if you have a lighter colored finish coat.

Once the primer is applied, follow manufacturer's directions for drying time before either adding another coat of primer or applying the finishing coat.