Frequently Asked Questions
How much paint do I need?
Each project is different depending on the type of material being painted and existing surfaces. Below are coverage guidelines for the General Finishes Milk Paint, although these are only estimates.
What kind of materials can be painted?
General Finishes Milk Paint are suitable for wood, metals, ceramics, fiberglass, PVC, primed steel, vinyl and most composite materials. We recommend stirring your paint with a paint stick. Never shake your jar of paint because this will cause bubbles in your finish.
How much prep work is required?
General Finishes requires simple prep work, depending on the surface you are working on. Most wood finishes can be painted with a good cleaning and light sanding. Just simply apply the super adhering paint right to a clean dry surface. ** To achieve superior results, General Finishes recommends prepping wood or painted surfaces by cleaning with Blue Dawn and water and a Scotchbrite pad. Then thoroughly rinse any soap residue with clean water. Clean again with a 50-50 solution of Denatured Alcohol and Water. A light sanding can be done after you thoroughly clean your piece. Sanding before cleaning will cause any oil and furniture polishes to imbed in the wood and this will make adhesion of paint or stain questionable. General Finishes recommends painting a base coat of Stain Blocker when painting light colors over dark surfaces.
What about distressing and wet sanding?
General Finishes Paint is formulated to allow ease of distressing during the first 30 minutes to an hour after painting. This will allow you to distress and age your project without the use of sanding paper. For those areas for which you want to expose the layer beneath, simply scrub with a scrubbing pad or a soft grit sand paper. The paint will cure in 24 hours and the wet sand process will not work as easily.
What kind of cleanup is required?
General Finishes Milk Paint is water-based, so cleanup is easy with water (and perhaps a little de-greasing soap such as blue Dawn).
Do I always need to use High Performance Top Coat, Arm R Seal or Gel Top Coat to finish my project?
No. Here are our general recommendations for using these products:
For other indoor items that likely won't encounter a lot of contact (e.g. picture frames, wall mountings, etc.), you can just protect the painted surface with General Finishes High Performance Top Coat.
You can expect a longer lasting, superior coating if you also apply General Finishes Arm R Seal or Gel Top Coat, but you can decide if you need the extra protection.
What is the basic 1-2-3-4 process?
Note that this is the basic process for the traditional painting of a piece with GF Milk Paint. General Finishes and Painted Treasures of Denver offer an expanding line of products that increase your creativity and ability to produce unique heirloom items. Now you can paint furniture, transfer images to hard surfaces or fabrics, use metallic finishes, etc. All of the products are designed to be easy to use (and easy to cleanup), and have clear instructions for use and applications.
What is Wood Gel Stain?
General Finishes Wood Gel Stains are wood stains for all wood surfaces. Existing surfaces can be stained after de-glossing the existing stain. New wood surfaces can be stained after applying a wood conditioner of 50-50 denatured alcohol and shellac. General Finishes also manufactures a pre-stain prep. This conditioner allows the gel stain to go on smoother and more even. We recommend protecting the wood-stained surface with one of GF Top Coats for best protection. Recommended wait time between wood staining and Top Coat is 12 to 24 hours for Arm R Seal and Gel Top Coat and 72 hours for High Performance Top Coat. Two coats of stain are not required unless you are wanting to achieve a darker stained look.
What is Stain Blocker and when should I use it?
General Finishes Stain Blocker is a water-based primer that blocks most stains including water, smoke, tannin, chemical reaction bleed, ink, pencil, felt marker and grease and seals pet and smoke odors. It can be used on both interior and exterior surfaces including wood, drywall, plaster, paneling, wallpaper, masonry, brick, painted metal, and properly prepared glossy surfaces.
If you don’t know the history of your antique or cabinet project, it’s better to be safe than sorry and use General Finishes Stain Blocker prior to applying Milk Paint. We highly recommend using Stain Blocker when using white or light-colored paints over dark stained pieces.
Each project is different depending on the type of material being painted and existing surfaces. Below are coverage guidelines for the General Finishes Milk Paint, although these are only estimates.
- 16 oz. pint – up to 75 square feet
- 32 oz. quart – up to 150 square feet
What kind of materials can be painted?
General Finishes Milk Paint are suitable for wood, metals, ceramics, fiberglass, PVC, primed steel, vinyl and most composite materials. We recommend stirring your paint with a paint stick. Never shake your jar of paint because this will cause bubbles in your finish.
How much prep work is required?
General Finishes requires simple prep work, depending on the surface you are working on. Most wood finishes can be painted with a good cleaning and light sanding. Just simply apply the super adhering paint right to a clean dry surface. ** To achieve superior results, General Finishes recommends prepping wood or painted surfaces by cleaning with Blue Dawn and water and a Scotchbrite pad. Then thoroughly rinse any soap residue with clean water. Clean again with a 50-50 solution of Denatured Alcohol and Water. A light sanding can be done after you thoroughly clean your piece. Sanding before cleaning will cause any oil and furniture polishes to imbed in the wood and this will make adhesion of paint or stain questionable. General Finishes recommends painting a base coat of Stain Blocker when painting light colors over dark surfaces.
- Please see the specific instructions for each product that are described on our website and/or on the General Finishes website at www.generalfinishes.com including tutorials.
What about distressing and wet sanding?
General Finishes Paint is formulated to allow ease of distressing during the first 30 minutes to an hour after painting. This will allow you to distress and age your project without the use of sanding paper. For those areas for which you want to expose the layer beneath, simply scrub with a scrubbing pad or a soft grit sand paper. The paint will cure in 24 hours and the wet sand process will not work as easily.
What kind of cleanup is required?
General Finishes Milk Paint is water-based, so cleanup is easy with water (and perhaps a little de-greasing soap such as blue Dawn).
- The notable exception is General Finishes Oil Based Wood Stains and Top Coats, which are polyurethane-based products, so they require mineral spirits clean up. (Alternative low-odor mineral spirits are available at most paint and hardware stores)
Do I always need to use High Performance Top Coat, Arm R Seal or Gel Top Coat to finish my project?
No. Here are our general recommendations for using these products:
- For "outdoor" items, use it to completely seal your piece (top, sides, legs, etc.)
- For "indoor items", use it to protect table tops or similar surfaces that probably will require long-wearing durability.
For other indoor items that likely won't encounter a lot of contact (e.g. picture frames, wall mountings, etc.), you can just protect the painted surface with General Finishes High Performance Top Coat.
You can expect a longer lasting, superior coating if you also apply General Finishes Arm R Seal or Gel Top Coat, but you can decide if you need the extra protection.
- Be sure to check specific instructions for each product to determine which potential top coats or finishes are suitable for the undercoat, or if your undercoat needs to be fully cured before applying the final/top coat.
What is the basic 1-2-3-4 process?
- Clean and prep your piece per the instructions on the product cans and in our Tips for Successful Project below. Clean before sanding to avoid product adhesion problems.
- Apply General Finishes Milk Paint to a clean & prepped piece. Sanding between coats with a high grit sand paper or sanding pad will result in an ultra-smooth finish. The first coat should by applied by gently pouncing your brush on your surface and not using a paint stroke. This method spreads the pigments of the paint and establishes your base coat of paint. It will look uneven and blotchy. Don't be alarmed. Let this first coat fully dry and do not overwork the paint. The paint is self-leveling and the 2nd coat of paint will be smooth.
- Apply General Finishes Top Coats, Glaze Effects or Pearl Effects for custom created looks.
- Apply the water based or oil based top coat to your surface depending upon the durability you want to achieve. We recommend applying 2 coats high gloss water based top coat followed by two coats matte based top coat if you want a matte finish on a highly used surface such as a desk. Scrap upholstery foam or foam brush are ideal for applying the top coats.
Note that this is the basic process for the traditional painting of a piece with GF Milk Paint. General Finishes and Painted Treasures of Denver offer an expanding line of products that increase your creativity and ability to produce unique heirloom items. Now you can paint furniture, transfer images to hard surfaces or fabrics, use metallic finishes, etc. All of the products are designed to be easy to use (and easy to cleanup), and have clear instructions for use and applications.
What is Wood Gel Stain?
General Finishes Wood Gel Stains are wood stains for all wood surfaces. Existing surfaces can be stained after de-glossing the existing stain. New wood surfaces can be stained after applying a wood conditioner of 50-50 denatured alcohol and shellac. General Finishes also manufactures a pre-stain prep. This conditioner allows the gel stain to go on smoother and more even. We recommend protecting the wood-stained surface with one of GF Top Coats for best protection. Recommended wait time between wood staining and Top Coat is 12 to 24 hours for Arm R Seal and Gel Top Coat and 72 hours for High Performance Top Coat. Two coats of stain are not required unless you are wanting to achieve a darker stained look.
What is Stain Blocker and when should I use it?
General Finishes Stain Blocker is a water-based primer that blocks most stains including water, smoke, tannin, chemical reaction bleed, ink, pencil, felt marker and grease and seals pet and smoke odors. It can be used on both interior and exterior surfaces including wood, drywall, plaster, paneling, wallpaper, masonry, brick, painted metal, and properly prepared glossy surfaces.
If you don’t know the history of your antique or cabinet project, it’s better to be safe than sorry and use General Finishes Stain Blocker prior to applying Milk Paint. We highly recommend using Stain Blocker when using white or light-colored paints over dark stained pieces.
Tips for a successful project
- Read product instructions before using! Stir the paint for 2 minutes with a paint stir stick. Do not shake any of the products. This will result in air bubbles and not mix the product to its full formula.
- You can find tutorial videos, instructions and helpful hints online on the General Finishes website at www.generalfinishes.com.
- Before painting, clean the surface and lightly sand the piece to remove wax build up and years of polish.
- Painted Treasures of Denver recommends light prepping wood or painted surfaces with cleaning your piece before a light sanding. General Finishes recommend Blue Dawn and soapy water, followed by a good rinse and then a 2nd cleaning with a 50-50 solution of Denatured Alcohol and water.
- Dip the tip of the brush in the can of paint to cover about 1/8 to 1/4 of an inch of the bristles.
- Paint your first coat of paint by pouncing your brush and spreading the pigments of the paint. Let the first coat of paint dry. Then apply your second coat of paint with a normal paint stroke. The paint is self- leveling and the second coat of paint will be smooth.
- Use the thick round paint brushes supplied by Painted Treasures Denver. A normal paint brush for household use will not deliver the same results.
- Start painting your piece upside down and paint the legs or bottom first. Place the piece (if possible) on a table-height work surface so that you do not have to bend down to paint. Place a beach towel (thrift stores are great places to buy towels) or other soft fabric between the table height work surface and your piece. This will protect the top of your piece from scratches.
- Clean your paint brushes under a faucet with running water and mild soap after each use. Blue Dawn is a good mild soap. Using Johnson Baby Shampoo every third or fourth cleaning will help keep the bristles soft. Using a fabric softener dryer sheet to wipe your brushes will also keep the soft.
- Use a damp clean cotton cloth to wipe and smooth Glaze Effects and Pearl Effects.
- Store your paint and waxes at room temperature. Do not store them in areas with large temperature variations such as a garage.
- Store your brushes hanging from a hook or nail.
- See special tips for using Cling On! brushes (on the "brushes" page -- Products > Brushes).
