Do I need to sand the old varnish off a head board and foot board before I paint them or can I just paint over

it?Do I need to sand the old varnish off a head board and foot board before I paint them or can I just paint over
I just did this with a dresser of mine. And honestly, sanding wasn't so bad. My recommendation is to sand first.





At the very least, though, you need to ';degloss'; the varnish. Use something like TSP or a deglossing product. This will microscopically scuff up the varnish to allow the primer to stick better.





And regardless of whether you sand or degloss or both, you should prime the wood before you paint.





Good luck.Do I need to sand the old varnish off a head board and foot board before I paint them or can I just paint over
sorry you will have to, otherwise paint will peel off and if you use gloss it could bubble
There is both a liquid paintable ';sander'; and a spray form.


I would try both on another item ( if I value the headboard). Give yourself time to hand sand between coats for a much better finish.


good luck
maybe you could try a stylish hat
Strictly speaking once wood has been varnished there is no painting it. That is because varnish soaks deep into the wood and even if you strip the surface the varnish will have soaked further into the wood and your new primer won't be able to soak in and take a grip. Varnish is a hard inflexible coating and when you paint over it the new paint can chip easily when knocked. So if you are happy to compromise on the soundness of the job then you can either strip the varnish or rub it down, but at least key (scratch) every centimetre to help primer adhesion. As new primer cannot soak in I would use a specialist water-based primer like one that claims to adhere to ceramic tiles or an MDF. If you want to rub down minimally you want to try a P120 grit paper.
Best to sand it down first, then use a primer and THEN paint it.


It sounds like a lot of work but, you will get the best results that way.

how to cut hair