PAINTING WOOD FURNITURE: HOW TO PERMANENTLY COVER KNOTS AND STAIN
Painting wood furniture has its difficulties! Learn to permanently block tannin bleed-through from wood stains and knot holes with these two tried-and-tested options.
I’ve had painted wood furniture projects that looked great to begin with then, especially ith white or light paints, the tannins started to bleed through. Frustrating
Tannins are naturally-occurring compounds found in wood and other plants, including those in coffee, tea and grapes/wine. They help prevent disease and regulate the plant’s growth.
More than once, I’ve gone through the recommended steps for painting wood furniture: sanding, applying primer, two coats of paint AND 2-3 coats of clear finish, just to see little pink spots coming to the surface.
I’ve tried just about every kind of primer you can buy, even “stain blocking” primers and the only product that has yet to fail me is my old standby shellac.
I first used shellac to get a smooth finish when painting MDF, but it also makes an amazing tannin-blocking primer as well. It comes in a brush-on formula or in an aerosol can.