Country Creations - How To Whitewash An Old Table

If you live in a home with a country decor from places like Americancountryhomestore, then you likely have a great deal of white and antiqued furniture. If you want to add to the style of your home, then you can whitewash some of the older pieces of wood furniture that you have in your residence. Whitewashed tables are beautiful, and this is especially true if you have an old and scratched dining room table that you want to restore. Keep reading to find out how you can successfully paint your wood table for a country chic look.

Strip the Table

Before you can start adding any paint to your wood table, you need to strip off the sealant and stain that covers the wood. Go to your local home store and purchase paint stripper or remover. These products come in liquid and paste varieties, and they contain either strong chemical solvents or safer biochemical agents. Strong chemical strippers usually contain methylene chloride and they can remove paint within about 15 minutes. Safer products will take four or more hours to release paint, sealers, and varnish. Choose the stripper that you think is best, and make sure to purchase rubber gloves as well, so you do not burn your skin. You will also need a paint scraper tool.

Once you have purchased the stripper, put on your gloves and use a paintbrush to spread the material over the surface of your table. Read the stripper instructions to find out how long you need to wait for the product to work.  Use your scraper to remove the sealer and stain.  Use a clean cloth or newspaper to wipe your scraper clean as you go.  

Clean the Wood

After you strip the paint, you need to clean away the stripper residue and leftover stain.  Fill a bucket with hot water and squirt a small amount of dish soap in your bucket.  Wet a sponge in the soapy water and scrub the outside of your table.  Wet a cloth with water afterwards and run it across the table to remove soapy water.  At this time, check to see if there are deep scratches, leftover stain, or stains across the wood.

If your table is scratched, then use a piece of medium grit sandpaper to sand the wood to remove the damage. A piece of 180 grit sandpaper is a good option for this. Sand the surface of your table with a piece of fine grit sandpaper once you remove scrapes and stains. A piece of 800 or 1,000 grit paper will work best. Use a wet cloth to remove sawdust when you are done.  

Mix one cup of vinegar in about four cups of water afterwards and use a sponge to clean the outer surface of the table again. This will clean dirt and debris from the grain of the wood so your paint will soak into the table better.

Paint the Table

After you have removed the sealant from the table, purchase your painting supplies from your local home store. Buy a can of white latex paint, a small plastic bucket, and a wide paintbrush. When you purchase your paint, look for a product with a flat finish. Flat paints are not shiny and this will help you to create a country feel. This type of paint will also soak into rough surfaces better, and this will help to highlight the grain of the wood.

Once you purchase your supplies, place about two cups of the paint in your plastic bucket. Add two cups of water and use a paint mixer to stir the paint. Dip your paintbrush into the mixture and quickly cover the top of your table with the paint. The water in the mixture will cause the paint to dry quickly. As soon as you apply the first coat of the paint, use a clean cotton cloth to wipe off some of it. Use a scrubbing motion around knots and places where the grain is deep. This will force the paint into the wood.

Continue painting the sides and legs of the table and allow the paint to dry for about an hour. Add another coat of paint afterwards and wipe it away the same way that you did with the first coat.  

If you have decorated your home so that it has a country feel, then most of your furniture is likely white, distressed, or antiqued. If you have been using a wood table in your home that is scratched of damaged, then consider transforming it into a whitewashed country masterpiece. The directions above show you how you can do this easily.