Giving your furniture or home a fresh coat of paint can be a great way to revive it. Most paints require priming which can make them a pain to work with. Luckily, chalk paint doesn’t require any such prep work, making it a popular choice for DIY projects. Suitable for virtually any surface material save perhaps for smooth metal or laminate, chalk paint brings a whole host of advantages to the table. Does that include being waterproof?
Unfortunately, chalk paint is not waterproof. Most experts would advise against using it outdoors because it is susceptible to rain damage, and avoiding it in humid areas such as bathrooms and kitchens is also recommended. It is, however, water resistant, and it can be sealed to render it fully waterproof and suitable for all purposes.
Water resistance is a good place to start, and there are a few ways to make chalk paint entirely water tight. In this article, we will be diving deep into how chalk paint reacts to water. You will also learn how to seal the paint, what to seal it with and how long you should expect it to last!
Does Chalk Paint Wash Off With Water?
If you want to know if your chalk paint will come right off when it is doused with a little water, the answer is a bit complicated. From a home improvement context, just a bit of water can change its appearance for the worse. However, it can still be a challenge to clean if you want to strip it off the surface entirely. Much like with everything else, the answer depends on the context!
One thing to consider is whether you’re buying chalk paint from a store or making some yourself. Store bought chalk paint usually has more water resistance which may make it harder to clean. If you make chalk paint at home, you can thin it out with water to make it easier to clean. Try not to make the mixture too dry, though, because that might make the paint chunky and difficult to spread out in an even coating.
As for store bought paint, try to see if it’s advertised as mold resistant. That is basically synonymous with water resistance, because mold can’t grow unless it has water.
Mold proof chalk paint tends to put up more of a fight when you’re washing it off, but adding some soap to the water might help move matters along. A stiff bristled brush can also be helpful here, especially if you put in some elbow grease while scrubbing!
Another factor at play here is how long it’s been since you applied the paint. Chalk paint is usually easier to wash off right after it is applied when it is still wet. If your strokes are visible or if the layer is uneven, you should wash it off within the first half hour to make your adjustments.
It dries completely after thirty minutes, after which it will be considerably more difficult to wash. When all else fails, you can add a power washer to the equation to really get the chalk paint off quickly. The added pressure can disintegrate the chalk paint by forcing moisture past its water resistant outer layer and into its more susceptible innards.
Remember, just because chalk paint isn’t waterproof doesn’t mean it will slough off in an instant. Chalk paint can take a lot of moisture, it’s just that this moisture will ruin how it looks and break it down over time. Despite its lack of waterproof qualities, chalk paint can be surprisingly stubborn from a cleaning point of view.
Can You Make Chalk Paint Waterproof?
Chalk paint in its natural form can impart a rustic feel to your furniture or walls. However, it is also a bit of a risk to use it like that, because there is a strong likelihood that moisture could cause significant degradation over time. The good news is that you can definitely make your chalk paint waterproof by following some basic steps. You can even maintain the matte finish if you use the right type of sealant, though some sealants can provide a glossier finish if that’s more your bag
While there are a few different ways to render chalk paint waterproof, not all of them are created equal. The basic idea here is that you need to secure the paint with some kind of lacquer or sealant. Some options are more expensive whereas others might be better suited to particular aesthetics, so there’s a lot that you need to decide on before you get started.
Another way to make chalk paint waterproof is by taking some precautionary measures during the mixing stage. This method is only applicable for those that are making the paint themselves, which just goes to show that homemade chalk paint gives you more leeway in terms of water resistance.
Leaving the mixture relatively on the drier side of things can maximize its resistance to water. You’d still need to add some varnish or wax to seal the deal, but a proper chalk paint formula can go a long way towards boosting water resistance by a large margin.
What is the Best Sealer for Chalk Paint?
Chalk paint can be sealed with a variety of different substances, each of which come with their own pros or cons. It’s hard to point out any single sealant given the diverse needs that each of them cater to. We will instead be giving you a full rundown of what the top three sealants have to offer, and offer a verdict as to which one is the best after providing all the facts.
- Clear Wax
Clear wax is perhaps the most popular sealant used to waterproof chalk paint. That’s thanks in no small part to its supple yet firm texture which can be quite forgiving to newbies. Using clear wax also helps to maintain the look and feel of the paint coating underneath, especially if you smooth it over with a cloth once you’re done. Alternatively, you could buff the wax to a shine with any cloth that you have lying around.
One thing to keep in mind while using clear wax is that it takes a while to cure. While it might dry in under an hour, the curing time is also important otherwise you might find indentations or fingerprints setting into the wax while it is soft.
It’s also well worth remembering that clear wax is best used in low traffic areas. If the object you coated with chalk paint followed by the wax is used frequently, you might need to reapply the sealant from time to time. However, the chalk paint will remain intact as long as you keep retouching the outer wax layer!
- Water Based Polycrylic
Polycrylic is a water based sealant that’s also known as lacquer, and it has been picking up a lot of steam as of late. It’s a bit less strict in terms of what you can use to apply it. Unlike clear wax, you don’t necessarily need a paint brush. A roller can also work fine in a pinch.
Lacquers made of polycrylic usually have high water content, which can make them more resistant to external moisture. It’s important to mix the lacquer together thoroughly before using, otherwise the sealant on top might be thinner than the chunkier bits that sink to the bottom. Give it a good stir and only start applying it once it has reached the right consistency. A 1:9 ratio of water to lacquer should do the trick.
Compared to wax, polycrylic takes a bit longer to dry. It also requires two coats, and you’d have the sand down the initial layer before applying the second one. Accounting for about one to two hours for each layer, you’d have to wait about three to four hours for drying in total.
However, polycrylic has the advantage of curing much faster than wax. It might take up to two weeks, but most professionally applied lacquer coatings can cure in as little as twenty four hours. Matte finish lovers might be disappointed by the glossiness of the finishing, but others might prefer it due to the more modern look it provides.
- Oil Based Polyurethane
If you want to use a sealant that acts as a middle road between polycrylic and wax, polyurethane will be right up your alley. It is an oil based sealant which makes it stickier and harder to manage than water based polycrylic, but it’s not as toxic and it offers a matte finish similar to that of clear wax.
Polyurethane can be sprayed on which is a huge advantage because it saves you the trouble of applying brush strokes. The lack of physical labor has a lot of appeal, but you may still need to smooth it out to get an even layer and prevent dripping. Some would recommend avoiding going down the spray can route, since painting the substance on can provide superior waterproofing.
One major disadvantage of polyurethane is that it can experience a bit of yellowing if exposed to sunlight. This yellowing will indicate a degradation of the polyurethane coating. While that won’t reduce its watertightness, it might spoil the colors of the chalk paint so users should proceed with caution.
As for drying time, polyurethane needs at least two hours to purge all moisture. The curing time is relatively short at seventy two hours, but you need to apply two to three coats with two hour waits in between.
Based on all the aforementioned factors, we’d have to admit that clear wax seems like the best option. Polycrylic and polyurethane have their own unique benefits, but apart from an extended curing time wax is generally easier to use and less toxic to work with. You’ll also only need to apply a single layer which is a huge plus.
Will Chalk Paint Last Outdoors?
Paint quality and performance can differ dramatically based on whether you are using it indoors or outdoors. Even the best of paints can fall short of the mark when exposed to the harsh elements. There are three main factors that can harm the paint on exterior walls or outdoor furniture.
Sunshine can be a huge nuisance, but luckily chalk paint is largely resilient to it. In fact, a bit of sunshine might bake the chalk paint into a more durable layer. Chalk paint is quite effective at maintaining its natural hue despite the heat and the damage that UV radiation can cause.
Chalk paint is also more than a match for colder weather. It might not perform quite as well as it would in sunny conditions, but cold weather does not seem to have much of an impact on chalk paint either way.
The only outdoor factor that might harm your chalk paint is rain or high levels of ambient humidity. If you haven’t waterproofed the paint with one of the sealants we have described above, outdoor conditions can do a real number on it.
That said, coating the paint with sealant and allowing enough time for curing will certainly make it last outdoors. If you used wax you might need to reapply it, and that goes double for chairs whose sealant coating might get rubbed off through frequent use. Try to seal the paint during the drier months, otherwise a surprise rain storm might ruin your hard work and force you to start all over again.
FAQs
Q. Will chalk paint wash off in the rain?
A. Though it may hold its own for a while, chalk paint will eventually get washed off during an extended rain shower. This may only seem like a dulling of the colors at first, but eventually the whole coat will get removed if you don’t apply a layer of sealant. Make sure it’s not raining when you seal the paint, otherwise the lacquer might get washed off as well!
Q. What happens if chalk paint gets wet?
A. Chalk paint that gets exposed to water can get a chipped, blistered or swollen look. Eventually, the paint will start to crumble or peel off because water dissolves its adhesive properties. Excess ambient humidity can also cause this effect, even if no water directly touches the surface.
Q. Do I need to put a top coat on chalk paint?
A. Chalk paint does not need a top coat, but it will be more prone to weathering and water damage without it. Applying a coat of sealant on top can preserve the paint and help it keep its vibrant matte finish intact.
Verdict
Though it’s not inherently water proof, we have shown you how chalk paint can be made so with just a few simple tricks. It’s best to use chalk paint with caution. If you plan on using it on outdoor furniture or exterior walls, considering priming it with wax, acrylic or an oil based polyurethane to make it more durable. Chalk paints versatility lets you use it for furniture renewal, home redesigning and really anything else you can use regular wall paint for, and now you’re free to make the most of it!