One of the most frequently asked questions we get here at Sian Zeng is, “How can I make sure my wallpaper lasts?”

your Wallpaper Last with Decorators Varnish – Sian Zeng Make your Wallpaper Last with Decorators Varnish – Sian Zeng

The charm of chalky paints is the battered patina which comes with normal use. You can get a small measure of durability by waxing and varnishing, but then it will look like a shiny paint. In this case, my advice is to get rid of the chalky paint and paint two coats of a genuinely hard wearing oil-based satin.I only use Polyvine paints to create my Antique Gold and Antique Silver finishes, and I have tried out various other varnishes and found them all to be easy to apply with a nice finish. Most products come in Gloss, Satin or Flat option. The Polyvine wax varnish doesn’t seem to be the right product for chalk paint. It isn’t the decorators varnish referred to. Dead Flat decorator varnish is colourless, but it does make a colour look water wet, if that makes sense.

Interior Varnish | Varnish | Screwfix Interior Varnish | Varnish | Screwfix

In practice, I painted a patch in the middle of a wall of acrylic matt (3% sheen). The dead flat varnished section dried in a few minutes – discernibly darker, and with a sheen. Apply the Dead Flat finish sparingly and brush out well, as over-application could result in misting, especially when applied over darker colours Could I simply add say 10% to my mat paint to give it extra durability? I used to do this with a similar sounding product I found in Costa Rica and it worked a treat You can also use Polyvine’s clear varnishes to make your own DIY metal powder paint which is a great way to create a patina. Full instructions here. Polyvine Dead Flat Matt Decorators Finish

The long and short of it is, painting something with a soft chalky paint, then painting a varnish over it, and expecting it to look soft and chalky, is working against the paint – not with it. Just apply with a paintbrush or small roller when the paint on your project is thoroughly dry. And the best part, your brushes will just wash out in water! Like Colin, using either of these varnishes over chalky paints isn’t something I would recommend. Not only do you loose the natural chalky look of the paint but they also seem to darken the colour by at lease a shade or two. Word to the wise – if you’ve created an ‘antiquing’ effect over darker coloured chalky paints then the effect may be lost when the colour changes as the glaze doesn’t darken in equal measure. I am looking for a product to provide a clear varnished effect over wooden surfaces painted in white. Ideally I want to provide extra sheen on my stair rails, stair banister and interior doors that have been painted using white gloss paint, a water based gloss paint. Can I sand and paint over decorators varnish? I am worried that once applied reprinting might be very difficult maybe needing paint stripper to remove it.