Chalk Paint vs. Regular Latex Paint for Furniture | Battle of the Paints!

What’s the deal with Chalk Paint? Why not just use regular latex? Have you ever wondered? I decided to do a side by side comparison of chalk paint, latex paint, acrylic paint and alkyd paint to figure it out!

————— Video Chapters —————

00:00 intro
01:30 set up
05:53 scorecard #1
06:52 stick test
07:36 sanding test
09:51 scratch test
14:31 final thoughts
15:37 scorecard #2

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Paints Used in this video:
+ Country Chic Paint in Nightfall
+ House & Canvas Chalk Paint in Morning Mist
+ Fusion Mineral Paint in Inglenook
+ Benjamin Moore, Ben Semi Gloss Latex in Castle Walls 1573
+ Benjamin Moore, Advance in Quiet Moments 1563

TSP Alternative Cleaner
220 Grit Sandpaper
Zinsser BIN Shellac Based Primer
1" Frog Tape
Varathane Diamond Wood Finish in Satin
(Varathane Ultimate Water Based Polyurathane in the US)
All Paints and Topcoat were applied with Zibra Paint Brushes

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Music by Epidemic Sound

#chalkvslatex #paintingfurniture #salvagedbykscott

[dusbus]

My experience is doing two coats of primer sanding just like you did can cut down on the amount of paint needed to get good coverage on the work piece. I'd rather apply an extra coat of primer @ $.40/oz vs an extra coat of paint @ $1.00+/oz. This is especially true with the latex paint with built in gloss. I'd also say that the traditional paint doesn't need a top coat. IMHO after just finishing a couple of projects for my daughters room with chalk paint I'll never use it again bc it's expensive and so is the poly top coat and takes just as long to do a job at twice the cost. Again just my $.02.

[amandabilderback]

It's so interesting to me that it all boils down, more or less, to how well you prep your piece. Thank you for the experiment, Katie!

[lisafreebairn]

Thanks for the discussion. I used Benjamin Moore Advance to paint my kitchen cabinets and it is an amazing paint. You have to know how to handle it. It needs 16 hours to dry and it needs like a month to cure.You also really need the primer as well. But it dries hard and protective and does not require a top coat. I did 4 coats and my cabinets look professionally finished. You can customize your colors. I didn't think it did as well with a sprayer, but works amazing with a synthetic brush. You get NO brush strokes. When you use semi gloss you do not need a top coat! I hand sanded every cabinets, every coat going from 220 grit to 400 and eventually 600 at the end and honestly the finish is smooth as glass. I think people are scared to use it, but I loved working with it.

[christinesews]

Absolutely amazed over how much time and effort went into this video!!! Thank you!

[Moldy_Lemon]

The amount of effort you put in to test the stickiness of the product after it was dry was amazing and so helpful

[natalierichardsonrn]

Thank you so VERY MUCH For doing such a thorough BUT no unnecessarily long drawn out video of watching you paint for 10-20 minutes or more! Both this video and your top coat video has helped me tremendously with improving the outcomes of my attempts to paint some “ inherited” and some thrift store furniture items that I have always wanted to restore / redo in my personal style!

[jennlizzy]

I LOVE product comparisons. Your experiment was great and fair. Thank you for doing this 'battle' for all of us.

[lynnsamons]

Thank you! For a new furniture painter it's nice to see all the comparisons on not only durability but how time consuming some types of paints are vs others!

[kellyevans]

Such a great comparison. Clearly base coat/primer and sealer really matters in the latex world.

[anncastaneda]

I just love your channel.. the most helpful videos I’ve watched. You truly love to share your knowledge and it shows. You have tremendous talent and so authentic. Thank you!

[lisaroth]

i have watched comparison videos before, but you're the first person to follow the manufacturer's recommendations as far as re-coating and curing. I am impressed and very appreciative. I did wonder why you chose semi-gloss latex paint, since the finish would be different from a matte chalk type paint. I may need to watch again, as I could have missed something. Excellent information. Thanks so much!

[diysbydar]

Wow. That's enlightening. You really put them to the test. Makes me realize that the purpose of the piece can dictate what paint you use for its over all durability.

[lollylolly]

I’ve always heard that latex paint doesn’t have the longevity of chalk paint and that chalk/clay paint has the most stick to it-ness and is most protective of the wood below. Fumes are a huge factor for me so chalk/clay paint suits me. It’s much easier to repaint over a chalk based paint or to strip off chalk based paint for restoration. I tend to use a primer too if I suspect bleeding, am not sure the environment it came out of or it’s going to be a solid colour with no distressing. I was using Bin Zinsser but it would not cover a piece that was bleeding, after several coats I turned to Salvation Solution in clear by Debi’s Design Diary. It’s much runnier than your usual base paint but much less stinky and quick drying. Plus it leaves a lovely smooth finish for your paint, any distressing is easy since it’s clear. I found it to be more effective than Bin but much more expensive even though you didn’t need as much.
It was surprising how many coats your two non furniture paint required. That equals a lot more work on big pieces, time is money. Plus the dry time is a turn off. I’m guessing you would also have more trouble blending.
Summary, I’m sticking to my chalk/clay paint for durability, ease of use, blendability, odor free and easy clean up. Plus it’s non toxic and I adore the company. Very interesting results though. Thx Katie! ❤️❤️👏👏

[JustMe-tkrp]

I’ve been studying up on paints as I have 3 commission pieces and 6 of my own pieces to do in the next few months. Thx so much for the side by side comparisons.

[pattydonovan]

I am so glad to see this video. I kept thinking Benjamin Moore Advance paint would be great on furniture. It’s what I used on my kitchen & bathroom cabinets.

[Paint_Ward]

Every video I’ve seen from you has been so helpful to me, and is always full of good, unbiased information.
In the past, I’ve always leaned towards the idea of restoring the original wood/veneer of a piece of furniture, rather than painting over it. To be fair, I think I’ll always be a bit peeved to see a chalk paint finish over certain antique wooden furniture, bc I know how much effort goes into specific finishes in woodworking (especially when it was done prior to power tools and mass-produced/supplied materials).
You and your channel, however, have definitely helped opened my eyes! I can appreciate the benefits of painting a piece, and now I see a lot of it comes down to the piece itself, and not just preference. I also love the business aspects of your channel, it’s all very helpful to those trying to work their way into furniture flipping & restoration, too.
Thank you so much! I look forward to seeing more from you :)

[debrap]

I have always used whatever wall paints I have left over since it is within the budget. You nailed it though...prep is key(clean, sand and prime!) for any furniture painting. My style is a Cottage style so a few nicks and wear is my happy place. This was a great demo...thanks for sharing Katie!

[kellyhowell]

This was an incredibly well thought out and useful experiment. Thanks for undergoing all the leg work for us!

[sulysaldana]

Great video. Loved how detailed and fair you where when testing these out. I’ve always used latex paint because I’ve never heard of furniture paint. So this really makes me want to try chalk paint now. Thank you for doing these test.

[scgauth]

Those videos are SO useful! Thank you for taking the time to do thorough tests and sharing it with your community. You make furniture salvaging so much more accessible for everybody!