Annie Sloan Lacquer is a great topcoat choice for floors, dining room table tops, furniture or cabinetry with glazed finishes. It is very durable, non-yellowing and scuff resistant. It is also resistant to alcohol spills and is very ring resistant; meaning it can tolerate hot cups.
This topcoat is by far the easiest we have ever used. It lays down beautifully, leaving your surface with a smooth, soft, slight sat finish that resembles your Clear Soft Wax finishes. The Lacquer will also slightly darken your paint colour, as does the wax.
You can spray the lacquer, but we prefer to apply it with a soft brush like Annie’s Small Flat Brush and a low nap velour roller. Annie often recommends using a high-quality sponge roller and foam brush. I encourage you to test the product and try each method to see which works best for you!
The night before I am going to use Lacquer, I leave the container to sit upside down to allow all the good stuff that has settled at the bottom to mix back in. Also, I stir the product well. Do not shake it because this will create tiny bubbles in your Lacquer. You may dilute the topcoat with water 10% to help it to lay down.
Lightly sand your surface with fine sandpaper to insure it is smooth.
Use a tack cloth to remove any dust from the surface of your piece.
Use Annie’s Soft Flat Brush or a foam brush to apply a thin coat of Lacquer to cut in the edges .
You can use a high-quality sponge roller or low nap velour roller to roll the Lacquer on the surface. Make sure you apply thin coats. Applying the Lacquer too thick or re-coating to quickly can cause a foggy-looking effect.
Between coats, you may repeat lightly sanding your piece and wiping it with your tack cloth. Two coats is usually preferred. We usually apply the first coat in one direction, and the second coat in the opposite direction. Allow the Lacquer 1-2 hours to dry between coats. If applied to a floor, try to leave it overnight before walking on it.
Each litre of Lacquer will cover approximately 110 square feet.
Remember! Apply only thin coats of Lacquer and do not apply Lacquer over Soft Wax. You can, however apply some Dark Soft Wax over Lacquer if you want to add some highlights to your piece.
No fuss, no muss!
Happy Painting,
Melissa