I recently repainted some night stands using benjamin moore advanced paint. They look great, except that I noticed some debris on the top and removed it with tweezers. I attempted to smooth over it with a brush, but the paint had already started to dry. So, there's a slight mar to my finish in a few places. Can I lightly sand that area, and just put a very light coat on top? Or, am I stuck with a light sand and repainting the entire top?
How to touch up a marred furniture paint job
furniturepainting
Related Solutions
I would not ever use pressure-treated wood for any internal application - framing or furniture. Go buy non-pressure treated 4x4s, or sister together two 2x4s to build 4x4s.
Otherwise, I sand pine down to 180 grit, prime, and paint.
Disassemble
It will be easier to work with if you can take the furniture apart, or at least break it down in to smaller pieces. If you can't take it apart, you'll still want to remove any doors or drawers.
Sand
You'll want to sand the surfaces that will be painted, with 220 grit sand paper. Be careful not to sand too much, you don't want to sand completely through the veneer. You're just looking to remove the protective coating, and scuff up the surface a bit.
Wipe away the dust
Wipe the surfaces down with a Tack cloth to remove all the dust.
Prime
Prime the surfaces with a primer designed for laminate, or "glossy surfaces". Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer/Sealer is one such primer, though somebody in the paint department at your local hardware store may be able recommend a better/different one.
Wait
You'll want to wait the full cure time specified in the instructions on the primer, before you start painting.
Paint
Apply 2 coats of paint (waiting the specified time between coats), with a foam brush and/or roller. You can use any type of brush you want, but a regular brush might leave streaks while a regular roller may leave an undesired texture.
Seal
Once the paint has fully dried, you can apply a polyurethane to help protect the finish. Apply 2-3 coats with a foam or soft bristle brush, sanding between coats with 220 or 320 grit sand paper (See What grit sandpaper should I use between coats of poly?).
Put it back together
Reassemble the furniture, and touch up any spots damaged during assembly.
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Best Answer
You didn't say how large the entire top was. Over brush snagging looks terrible, unfortunately. If you really want a smooth consistant finish, don't attempt to just touch up the flaw areas. I would sand the top again, making sure the snags are very smooth, then put a thin coat on the entire top. Dust control is the key to doing furniture. If there is minor dust on the finish, leave it alone until the piece is cured completely. You can then buff if with a polish compound or ultra fine automotive finishing paper that won't scratch the gloss, but will remove minor dust flaws.