Wicker furniture is lovely and timeless. However, due to the intricate weaves, I’ve found that the furniture’s finish can flake and fade. This can be for many reasons, but the type of paint used is often an unfortunate contributor.
Naturally, you want to use some elbow grease to fix the situation. But what is the right type of paint for wicker patio furniture?
You’re looking for two things when picking out paint for your wicker furniture — durability and a deep finish. Rustoleum’s 2X Ultra Color meets both of these criteria and is the first paint I reach for when doing this kind of work.
Of course, buying a racecar doesn’t make you Jeff Gordon — you must learn how to drive the thing first! I’ve found that the same is true when painting my wicker furniture.
As I’ve gone through this ordeal myself, I’ll help guide you through the process and caveats.
Let’s start by going over a quick review of the principles of good paint for wicker furniture. First, there is no magic wicker paint. There’s nothing
The issues arise in the delivery of the paint. You see, wicker is a peculiar surface. While the unique weaves give the furniture character, it also proves somewhat challenging to paint.
Spray paint like the one above is a perfect solution for this situation.
Why Spray Paint?
Trying to paint wicker with a brush is like trying to floss a shark’s teeth – hard! Spray the paint onto the wicker allows you to get a clean coat of paint in all those nooks and crannies.
Also, if you use spray paint appropriately, it provides a smooth finish without ugly drip marks.
Spray Paint Hits Every Angle
When you finish painting wicker furniture, you immediately need to add another coat.
Why? Well, it’s that wicker weave. Almost like a mirage, the furniture will look finished. However, you’re far from finished.
When you walk around and view the furniture from another angle, you will immediately notice that the coat did not achieve complete coverage.
The spray paints I listed let you easily coat your wicker furniture from every angle, ensuring you get a full coat.
Spray Paint Works Fast
As I stated before, painting wicker furniture with a brush would take a long time. Not to mention, you’d be prone to miss spots that you would overlook until later.
With the spray can, you take a few minutes and give it a coat of paint, then you wait until it dries and give it another coat. It’s simple and efficient.
Combine the three traits we mentioned with the quality and reputation Rustoleum, Krylon, and KILZ have, and you’ve got yourself about the best paint you can use for your wicker patio furniture.
The Approach
Even with the best product, if you don’t know how to paint to wicker properly, then you’re asking for turmoil.
So, here are a few things to lock in your brain before painting wicker:
- Prepare and prepare
- Apply multiple thin coats of paint
- Start at the bottom first
Let’s unpack what all this means.
Preparation
The most important thing (I don’t say that lightly) you can do to ensure a great paint job is to prepare your project.
Painting something isn’t a complicated task; however, it can become a long and much more grueling war if you rush things.
When preparing your wicker patio furniture for paint, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Be careful with the power washer.
- Sand and clean.
- Consider a primer.
- Let the furniture dry completely.
Using a Power Washer
Some say the power washer is okay for wicker. Others say no. What’s the answer? Like most things, the truth is in the middle.
Some wicker furniture has less quality and is constructed of paper-based material. Other wicker furniture is made of a strong, synthetic weave. The former will handle a pressure washer poorly; the latter will handle one well.
Sand and Clean Before Applying Paint
Whether you use a power washer or not, you must remove all loose paint from the furniture before painting. Scrape it, scrub it, and wipe it clean – if you don’t, your new paint won’t hold up.
If the furniture you are painting already has a smooth coat of paint that won’t easily flake off, then you’ll want to rough it up with some sandpaper before painting over it.
Primer for Wicker Patio Furniture
Many paints claim a combination of primer and paint. While this usually works great, you have to be a bit cautious with wicker.
It all depends on the color you’re going for and the preexisting color of the wood. If you want to paint red chairs blue, you’ll probably want to use some primer on your wicker.
Use Multiple Thin Coats
If you aren’t careful, your spray paint will begin to drip and form ripples. The ripples form for a few reasons.
First, you get drips if you don’t keep the spray can moving in a light, even motion.
Second, if you apply too much paint at once, you’ll get drips. Some people are exceedingly eager to complete the project, so they spray on all their paint coats at once.
As a result, your paint will drip and smudge. Not to mention, the paint takes longer to dry.
You want to apply even thin coats, building your way up to a finished job. I know it’s tempting to rush, but make sure you allow enough time to pass between coats.
If you slather paint on too fast, the inner coats won’t dry. Referred to as “blocking,” this act makes paint tacky and weak.
Start at the Bottom
Finally, for the best-finished project, flip your furniture upside down and spray the wicker’s bottom first. If you started with the top, then when you flip the chair over, you risk disturbing the fresh paint — the part people will see!
Hopefully, these tips have been helpful. Pairing the best wicker paint with the best techniques will ensure you get the best-finished product.