Faux Finishing - Painting furniture

I'd like to paint over the furniure that is already painted. I recognize that I should strip the existing paint to get the best result but I just want to paint over. Any suggestions?
What type of paint should I use, oil base, glossy, etc.?

Usually there is no need to strip the existing paint prior to repainting although it should have a thorough scuff sanding.

It is always best to use an enamel. Oil base dries harder than latex but white oil base will yellow over time. It would be nice to know what type of paint is on the furniture now. That way you can determine what's the best type of paint to recoat with. When changing the type of paint a primer may be needed.

Thank you Marksr.
Is there any type of brush do you recommnend? Do you recommend sponge type? Also, I was told that it is better to paint several coats by thinning the paint? What do you recommend for eanmel paint? Thank you.

Kevin

If you use oil base enamel, use a chineese natural bristle brush. If you use latex use a purdy [brand name] nylon or nylon polyester blend. Personally I wouldn't use a sponge brush but understand they work well for some diyers.

2 thin coats is almost always better than 1 heavy coat. Sanding lightly between coats will help eliminate brush marks for a nicer finish.

Don't buy your paint at a big box paint dept. They tend to only sell the cheaper coatings and their advice isn't much better :eek: Most any paint store can advise you which of their products will be best for whatever job you have. They can also sell/advise you on the best tools to do the job.

Here's some info tell help you determine what type of paint is currently on your furniture;

http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?t=230633

Agreed. Always go to a paint store for paint, you'll get better advice and products. If you do a lot of painting, ask about getting a contractor's discount.

A couple of tips--

Clean the furniture, as there will be wax, etc. You can use TSP, Amonia, dish detergent, or mineral spirits--just make sure you rinse well before painting. Depending on the furniture, you may have a substantial amount of wax, and no coating will stick regardless of your primer. Clean first, sand, then clean again to remove thesanding residue. Any coating will stick, but it there is dust or gunk the paint will stick to that, not the substrate--your chair--and you will have issues with peeling later.

After sanding and cleaning, the paint you use is up to you. While pros prefer oil, as a diy'er, I'm a convert and have found some excellent waterbased products that provide sufficient adhesion and don't have the residual stickiness that some latex paints have. Use a good brush--and more money does usually mean better. Tipping off with a sponge brush works well for lots of diy'ers. Tipping off is a method of drawing out the brush marks from the initial application by lightly dragging a dry brush through the newly applied paint after the initial application.

Have fun--its only paint and can be redone if you don't like it