FAQs

Yes. Our paint is VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) free. This means that our paint is free of harmful chemicals, has minimal odor, and does not off gas any vapors that may cause respitory issues. Our paint is safe for pregnant women to use, and is safe to use on baby furniture.

No. Blackberry House Paint is a chalk FREE paint. Our paint is a water based acrylic blend paint.

BHP is a thinner paint, and therefore, is easier to use than thicker, powdered paints. It flows more smoothly on your piece, creating a cleaner finish. Because it is thinner, we pigment our paints more heavily so that you do not have to build up multiple coats. Also, it is much easier to sand and distress, and leaves very little airborne residue.

Yes. We have tested our paint on multiple surfaces, including glass and plastics, and found it to bind very well with no problems.

Not typically. There is no need to sand your surface in order for our paint to stick. However, if your piece has indentations or built up layers of torn paint, and you prefer it to be smooth, then you would need to sand the surface flat for that purpose. Our paint has self priming features in it, so there is no need to prime your piece.

You will find that our paint covers very thoroughly, but to give you a visual idea, you can follow this guideline. A 6 oz jar will cover an average desk, small dresser, chest of drawers, 2-3 chairs, or a basic dining table. A 16oz can will cover 1 of the following: A 9 drawer dresser, a set of 4-6 standard chairs, a bookcase, a small china cabinet or cupboard, or an average dining table. A 32oz can will cover 1 of the following: A china cabinet, a table and 4-6 standard chairs, or a dresser, chest, and two end tables. Paint coverage also depends heavily on how you paint. If you find it takes more paint than what we have listed to complete your project, you are most likely painting thicker coats that what is necessary.

Right on the can! We have basic instruction on both the 16oz and 32oz cans. For a full set of detailed instructions, click here, https://www.blackberryhousepaint.com/inspiration/tutorials/ AND, our friend Stacey Collins with Wilshire Collections has a full visual how-to paint tutorial on her blog, right here: https://www.wilshirecollections.com/beginners-tutorial-painting-furniture/.

We recommend using a brush that does not have thick polyester bristles. Our dealers choose and carry Zibra brushes. We have found this brand to work very well with our paint for excellent coverage on your project. The softer and thinner the bristle, the more professional finish you will have.

Absolutely. Our paint is graded for exterior use. You do not have to seal your project as long as you give it time to fully cure. We have customers that paint their lawn furniture, garage doors, and even golf carts with Blackberry House Paint!

Yes. Since our various colors have varying degrees of viscosity, you will need to use the tester that comes with your sprayer to gauge how much water you need to add to the color you are using. Since our paint is water based it does not take much water to thin it out, so be careful not to over saturate it or you will hinder the color. Some of the lighter colors do not require thinning. If you are using an automotive sprayer, you will need more water than with a standard sprayer because the jets are much thinner .

A warm damp rag will do the trick. There is no need to use chemical cleaners on your piece. Many chemicals will break down your top coat so it is recommended that you do not use those or furniture polish.

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It is important to clean your piece to remove surface residues you may not see, such as airborne grease and oils. This will ensure that you are painting the actual surface of your project and not what may be stuck to it.

Absolutely. You can create many new colors with our paint palette, or you can choose a color from our Color Recipes, located under the Tutorials section in the INFO tab on this website.

Most of our paints cover in one coat. However, if you find you need a second coat, wait on the first coat to dry thoroughly before applying the second coat. In normal weather and humidity conditions you can expect our paint to dry in less than 15 minutes.

Yes. Be sure to allow each color to dry completely before adding the next color. For more specific information on how to get a chippy layered look with our paint, return to the FAQ page.

Layering colors and distressing them makes a great chippy look. We make that SUPER EASY for you with our Layering Wax Bar. You simply paint your piece the first color, wait for it to dry, then wipe our Layering Wax Bar across your whole surface. Next, paint your second color. Once that is dry, run a dry coarse sanding sponge across your surface. The paint will come off like magic, revealing the colored layer below. If you want more than 2 colors, just follow this process between each color coat, distressing after each color. Using our Layering Wax Bar will ensure that your colors do not blend together when sanding, and remain separated as intended.

No. We are the first company to develop a wax bar like this, and still the only one. Our Layering Wax Bar can be applied to your entire surface, even if you only intend to distress part of it. This way you do not have to remember where you applied it once you’ve applied your other layers of paint. Wherever you do not sand, our wax bar will marry with our paint, and therefore, will not continue to chip away once you have completed your project. Our wax bar is made with a blend of waxes, essential oils, and wood conditioners, making it much cleaner to use than bulky candles or yellow beeswax. Hey, you can even use our Layering Wax Bar as a skin conditioner on your hands!

Drying time is the time it takes to dry to the touch. Curing time is the time it takes to go through the hardening process that makes the paint permanent.

Absolutely. Since these cabinets are in high moisture areas, it is best to use a sealer on them. Paint them the same way you would paint a piece of furniture.

If you are going to be using your project piece right away, it is best to seal it with a proper sealer. If you have a bit more patience and prefer not to wax your piece, then you should wait the full curing time of 7 days to use your piece before you place heat or water on it.

Yes, you can color our Natural Wax. To do this, start by adding 1 teaspoon of our paint to the wax and mix. Add a teaspoon at a time until you achieve the color you want.

Yes, our clear coats are non yellowing and are safe to use over white paints.

Our Clear Coat Sealers are water based, and are extremely versatile. You can add our paint to them to create a colored stain, or a colored wash. You can add our Shimmers to them to create a pearlescent finish on your projects. You can even add our paint AND our Shimmer to it at the same time to get a pearlescent sheen with your color wash! And, you can add our Dirts and our Magic Metals to it to create your own water based wood stains in beautiful rich browns and black. They are super easy to use. Once you start playing around with the combinations you can mix into them, you’ll be surprised at how many things you’re going to want to paint!

Absolutely! In fact, we encourage you to experiment with them. You can add our Pearl Shimmer to any of the wax colors to create a pearlized effect to your finish. Adding DIRT to our Natural Wax will create a wood tone color!

You bet! IN fact, we use it as a stain all the time around here. You can easily stain raw wood with our wax, and the bonus is, once it’s on, it’s dry! That fast! And it’s permanent!

If it’s a water borne urethane you can. Obviously we prefer you use our topcoats since they are developed to go with our products. If you must use urethane, please do not use oil based unless you have waited the full cure time of 7 days after painting. Oil based products are formulated with harsher chemicals and can remove water based paint if the paint isn’t fully cured. We have our own line of oil based stains that can be used with our products. All of our Clear Coats are 100% pure acrylic resins and are water based.

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