Chalk Paint: Fast Drying Temporary Paint Solution That’s Easy to Use

Like many of 90s trends, chalk spray paint is making a comeback. Along with baggy jeans, crop tops and platforms, or reruns of Friends and Seinfeld, this water-based paint, that’s also easy to apply and even easier to remove, evokes the nostalgia of simpler times.  

Invented in 1990 as a furniture paint, chalk spray is versatile and an easy-to-use and fast-drying alternative to acrylic and oil-based paints. It can revive decades-old furniture pieces that have seen better days and has numerous commercial and industrial uses due to a long list of favourable properties.  

What It Is  

Available as either spray or regular paint, chalk paint is a water-based option derived from slaked lime and natural pigments. It’s void of solvents, making it an eco-friendly choice for all your creative needs. But besides safety for the whole family, the paint also boasts dozens of advantages, among which:  

• Fast drying times – chalk paint takes roughly 20 minutes to dry and can be recoated within an hour.  
• Removable with water – unlike acrylic and latex paint, chalk paints are easily removed by simply applying water. This makes it the ideal solution for temporary markings.  
• Excellent coverage – regardless if it’s sprayed or brushed on, chalk paint has excellent coverage and easily adheres to multiple surfaces, including wood, metals, glass, grass, cement and previously painted surfaces. 
• Smooth, matte finish – when fully dried, it leaves a velvety, soft-touch matte finish, ideal for bringing back the nostalgia of rustic furniture without penetrating or bonding with the surface material like most wood finishes. Another plus is that it doesn’t drip.  
• Quick and easy application – one of the main selling points is that there’s no need to sand or prime surfaces. The paint has strong adhesion and can be used with a brush or as spray paint.  
• Odourless – no nasty and irritating paint smells.  

Considerations and Comparisons with Other Paints  

While brush and chalk spray paint can be used as is, sealing it gets the best results. Since it’s water-based, chalk paint benefits from sealants and waxes to cover up pores, but this is offset by the limited prep work (no sanding for wood surfaces). There are a few areas though where you might prefer other options.  

While mostly durable, it’s not comparable to oil-based paints, and scratches and markings can be seen in furniture with prolonged heavy use. With that said, this distressed look is part of its appeal, especially in older or repurposed furniture pieces. Another consideration is that first coats need some time to settle, before applying a second coat for a thicker, cleaner look with full coverage. Acrylic paints also have better levelling and slightly superior adhesion.  

That’s not to say that chalk paint leaves an ungainly mess full of swirls or brush marks. It’s just that other options can get you cleaner and smoother results, but will require a lot more prep work. And this means tons of sandpaper and elbow grease, something chalk spray helps you skip. 

Common (and Not So Common) Uses

Versatility sells, and chalk paint is effective on old or new wooden furniture, stone, glass and metal. The paint is also good for asphalt, plastics, laminated flooring, cardboard, canvas, grass, clay and ceramics. With no binders or caustic solvents, it’s also ecologically harmless for humans, animals and the environment. And being rinsable with water and removed within seconds adds to its widespread appeal. 

Besides touching up and reviving older furniture, washable spray paint is extensively used in construction purposes. For instance, it’s great in temporary markings for drilling, attaching fasteners, or joining. It can also be useful in measurement technology when marking cracks, in marking accidents or crime scenes, for harmless marks on lawns and pitches (for instance in target practice), temporary markings for parking spots and pathways, in functions and events, and so much more. It’s also a clean and easy way to hone creative skills in kids of all ages without the usual mess at the end. One aspect to applaud is the huge range of colours. 

How It’s Applied 

Use chalk paint with brushes or spray cans. The fast drying can be an issue when brushing the paint on larger furniture pieces or areas. This, though, can be used to a creative effect, with different bristles leaving somewhat different looks. For instance, natural hair brushes can get a more natural or stronger brush structure. 

For smoother and faster results, use chalk spray paints. Bigger furniture items have numerous edges and corners, and spray cans can save you quite a bit of time. Ensure surfaces are clean of dust and contaminants for improved adhesion, give the can a good shake and spray from a distance of 20-25 cm in thin, slightly overlapping strokes. Let the first coat dry, and repeat. 

While waxes and polyurethane sealants are optional, they do add more protection and improved resistance to scratching. For complicated items and pieces, tape areas that you don’t want to be painted with painter’s tape. Once the paint has cured, remove the tape, step back and enjoy the results.