Although a huge number of people have started to use chalk paint on various surfaces both inside and outside of their home, many beginners are now starting to realise just how fragile chalk paint can actually be. Unlike other paint formulas such as gloss paint, chalk paint is less durable and much harder to take care of in many situations.
This has resulted in a number of questions from the community going over how they are able to best protect their chalk paint. In our opinion, using a wax based product is always the best route to take when looking to seal or protect your wax paint and we have noticed a bunch of people asking how many coats of wax they should use on chalk paint too.
Due to this, we have decided to dedicate todays article to how many coats of was you should be looking to use on your chalk paint to offer it optimal protection. Although the logic would be that the more wax you add to your chalk paint the better, this is not the case as too much wax can cause your chalk paint to yellow quickly amongst other issues.
How Many Coats Of Wax Should You Apply To Chalk Paint?
Many of the wax products designed for use with chalk paint only require a single coat of wax to be applied and have been designed to offer optimal protecting with a single coat. There are a number of popular products on the market that do require two or three coats though so always check the label of your wax prior to applying it.
In addition to this, we have noticed a number of people using cheap chalk paint that will usually under perform even if you do apply wax on top of it. In our opinion, you should always be trying to use a high quality chalk paint to get the best possible performance with or without wax being applied on top of it.
Just like you should go with a high quality chalk paint, you should also be using a decent chalk paint wax too as it will offer better protection and performance than the cheaper options. The majority of the decent chalk paint wax products only require a single coat to be applied to your chalk paint in most cases too reducing the amount of time and effort you have to invest in coating your chalk paint too.
The Best Wax To Use On Chalk Paint!
There really are a number of excellent wax products on the market right now that all work well with chalk paint. Some work better than others for indoor use where as others work better for outdoor use but the Soft Southern Strokes range of wax tends to be the best general chalk paint wax on the market for most people.
Not only does the Soft Southern Strokes wax cover most use cases for applying wax to chalk paint, it usually only needs a single coat to be applied to get the job done too. The wax is quick and easy to apply your protective coat too and offers excellent protection to your chalk paint so it will last you for as long as possible.
The Soft Southern Strokes wax has a nice middle of the road price tag too meaning that the majority of our readers should be able to purchase it without having problems with their budget. Even a single coat of the wax can last you for years offering great protection for your chalk paint but ideally, if you are applying a coat of wax to a chalk paint surface outdoors, you should be reapplying the wax at least once per year.
Applying Wax To Chalk Paint Indoors!
More and more people are starting to use chalk paint to cover surfaces inside of their home and thankfully, in many cases, you won’t even need to apply a wax coat for a surface that is in doors. Something like a book case or shelf that has been painted in chalk paint will have minimal wear and tear and should not have problems.
If you are painting something like a table or wooden chair with chalk paint then applying at least one coat of wax if usually recommended to protect the surface from wear and tear. The wax can also help to protect your clothes from the chalk like substance that chalk paint is made from while also making the surface easier to wash too. We go into more detail on this in our article going over if chalk paint is washable or not though.
We would recommend that you check the label for your specific wax product for guidance on how to apply a coat of the wax to your chalk paint. Different products use different application methods as well as require different numbers of coats to be applied in slightly different ways. It is always better to be safe than sorry though as you can usually read the label of your chalk paint wax in under a minute and understand exactly what you need to do.
Applying Wax To Chalk Paint Outdoors!
We would highly recommend that you apply at least one wax coat to your chalk paint surfaces that are kept outdoors at least once per year. Depending on the wear and tear on the surface as well as the weather in your local area, you may have to apply two chalk paint wax coats or even re-apply the wax to the surface multiple times per year.
We have a full article going over how you can seal chalk paint for outdoor use that goes into more detail on the subject though. The majority of people often forget the toll that ultraviolet light from the sun can take on chalk paint as well as the effects of wind, rain, and snow too.
This is why if you live in an area with extreme weather (both hot or cold) it is highly recommended to apply a wax coat to your chalk paint at least once per year. Read the label on your specific brand of chalk paint for application instruction though as the process does change from brand to brand slightly.
How Long Should You Wait Between Coats Of Wax On Chalk Paint?
In most cases, you should be waiting around 24 hours between applying coats of wax on chalk paint. If you are in a hotter location with a higher temperature and the surface with the chalk paint on being in direct sunlight then waiting 48 hours may be a better option.
As you probably know, wax is effected by the ambient temperature of your location so it will be able to set quicker than 24 hours in cold areas but may take considerably longer in warmer areas. Thankfully, you can often just run your finger over the wax surface and you will be able to tell if you can apply your next coat or not.
A wet, runny, easy to move coat of wax needs more time before you apply your next coat of wax to the surface. If the wax has solidified and feels almost like candle wax that is slightly easier to move around with your finger then you should be able to apply your next coat without issue though.
The Benefits Of Applying Wax To Chalk Paint!
Applying a protective coat of wax over your chalk paint helps to protect it from ultra violet light from the sun, wind, rain, snow, extreme heat, cold, as well as wear and tear too. Not only does the wax help to protect the chalk paint but it can also help to protect the surface too.
It is not uncommon for correctly applied wax coats over surfaces painted in chalk paint to help extend the life time of the paint considerably. Although too much wax may cause your chalk paint to yellow early, this tends to be rarer when using a high quality paint and wax so should not be an issue for most people.
On the flip side of this, the only real disadvantages of using wax on your chalk paint is that it can change the look and feel of your chalk paint slightly. Although most people rather have their chalk paint looking the best it can for as long as possible, we just wanted to make our readers aware of this too.
Conclusion
That brings our article going over how many coats of wax you should apply to chalk paint to a close. We hope that you have found it helpful but in most cases, the easiest route it to just follow the instructions on the label of your wax product. Never presume you know how to apply your wax as different products do have different application methods when using it with your chalk paint with different types of wax needing different numbers of coat to protect your paint.
