Chalky finish porch swing redo

Early this summer, we finally got around to hanging up the porch swing my sister and brother-in-law got us for Christmas, um, more than two years ago. When I shared that project, I also offered some tips on how to hang a porch swing.

Fast forward a few months. I started noticing some mold and age cracks appearing on the swing. I figured I’d better coat it with something weather-resistant.

I went back and forth on what to do. Should I strip it and stain it? Give it the same treatment as the porch posts? I finally decided that, rather than try to match everything, I’d go bold by adding a pop of color.

I started the project by spraying the whole swing with a cleaning solution of about 50 percent chlorine bleach and 50 percent water, in an attempt to kill any mold and mildew.

Bleaching-moldy-spots

Then I took the swing out in the yard and power-washed it. It is quite a Herculean feat to wield a power washer in one hand while simultaneously taking a photo of the process with the other hand. 😉

Powerwashing-swing

After the swing dried thoroughly, I set up a makeshift paint spray booth.

Outdoor-spray-paint-boothI stacked up two sets of three landscaping bricks, then tossed a large painter’s drop cloth over them and perched the swing on top.

The paint I chose for this project was Americana® Decor™ Chalky Finish paint from DecoArt®. It doesn’t require primer underneath it, which is a huge benefit, in my opinion.    

DecoArt-chalky-finish-paint

I mixed together two parts Inheritance (orange) with one part Delicate (yellow). Then the project got really fun.

Years ago, I bought a cheap paint sprayer at my local home improvement store. I used it on a few projects, but it tended to spit and sputter and gave me fits. I don’t know if it was because I didn’t clean it properly or because it was a cheap model. I suspect it was a combination of both.

After it completely quit working, I swore off paint sprayers for a long time … until recently. My outdoor copper light fixtures and bathroom cabinet project reminded me of how much I needed a sprayer. The swing project sealed the deal.

My friend, Gail, has been raving about the HomeRight® Finish Max Pro Fine Finish Sprayer. So I asked the folks at HomeRight if I could try one. This machine is a game changer, people.

Homeright-Finish-Max-ProI loaded the cup with paint, thinning it with about 15 percent water. Then I went to work.

Homeright-Finish-Max-Pro-spraying

This sprayer effortlessly covered every square inch of the swing – in between all the slats, everywhere – with no spitting or sputtering and very little overspray (i.e. waste). The finish ended up absolutely perfect, which is extremely rare considering I was involved with the project.

Here’s a look at the swing after two coats of the chalky finish paint.

Decoart-chalky-finish-painted-swing

After the paint dried, I sprayed on a coat of varnish (satin finish) to seal it.

Americana-varnish

Done!

Porch-swing-redo

Porch-swing-renovation

I tried to pick a color that would work well with any of my seasonal decor.

Fall-back-porch

Right now, the fall decorating is in full swing.

What do you think of my chalky finish porch swing? How do you feel about bold paint colors on outdoor furniture?

Special thanks to the folks at DecoArt and HomeRight for providing, at my request, the materials needed to complete this project. As always, all opinions and sweat equity are my own.  

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11 Responses

  1. Sharon Miller says:

    Love this!!!

  2. Margaret Varner says:

    I love this project and how it all turned out! The whole time I was wondering where in the world did you get the paint stains and satin finish. I have been wanting to do my wooden double porch seat with a little table in between for yrs., now. Mine has the mold and aged appearance, too. This is a must do for me. My prob. would def. be the color choice. My house is in a light sage green siding with mauve shutters. So I would prob. have to stick with the wooden look. Do you know if they have a color scheme for that? Also, did you buy all your products at the same place. This is very interesting and looks good on your porch. I love fall season, also. I laughed so hard when picturing you holding camera and power washing,, you nut :).. Love ya, my niece <3

  3. ISABEL ANDERSON says:

    I think it looks great! The color & finish are so polished. The color is very uplifting and will work in all seasons. Love your posts and your projects are so doable

  4. Peggy says:

    Your swing turned out gorgeous! I will be interested to know how well the chalk paint does in the weather. The color you mixed is the perfect accent.

  5. Big Mega says:

    Aw sis I love it! Great job on the swing, it looks SO much better, hope you and the hubby steal a moment or two to cozy up on it with a nice hot cup of cocoa this fall!

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