If you’ve decided to decorate your living spaces with bamboo items, this article is for you. Bamboo can be used in its natural state or dyed with various colors. Our guide on how to paint bamboo, the best methods for painting it, and tips for painting bamboo furniture will interest you.
Painting Bamboo Furniture
Before you start painting bamboo furniture, think about what color you want to paint the bamboo. Do you want to paint the bamboo in wood colors such as pine, oak, chestnut, and mahogany, or do you want to paint it in solid colors such as cream, black, white, and beige?
It is necessary to use a different type of paint to paint bamboo in tree colors and another for solid colors. The round structure of bamboo can cause marks when painting. Before you start painting bamboo, you can read the article on “painting without leaving marks.” Before going into details, let’s answer some questions about bamboo painting.
Can You Paint over Bamboo Furniture?
Yes, it is possible to dye bamboo. Bamboo furniture is made from bamboo wood, a hardwood. Although bamboo wood is a hardwood, it still absorbs paint. For this reason, you need to paint or prime it in several coats, paying attention to the drying time of each coat. Or it would be best if you primed the bamboo. (We explained the drying times further in the article titled What kind of paint do you use on bamboo furniture?)
What Kind of Paint Do You Use on Bamboo Furniture?
There are many types of paint you can use to dye bamboo. But some are suitable for small bamboo decors. Some are more suitable for brightening the colors of bamboo furniture. Others, as mentioned above, give the appearance of natural wood. Now, let’s look at the types of paints for painting bamboo. So you can choose the most suitable paint for your bamboo furniture.
1-Painting Bamboo with Spray Paint
You can spray paint bamboo furniture. However, bamboo’s porous and woven structure causes a large amount of spray to be wasted before it can adhere to the bamboo surface. This increases the amount of spray paint used. For this reason, spray paint is more suitable for painting small bamboo decors.
Nevertheless, if you plan to spray paint your bamboo furniture, you should paint in various directions. Otherwise, the painting will not be homogeneous. Spray paints suit you if you want to paint your bamboo furniture quickly. By waiting only 15 minutes between coats, you can finish painting all your bamboo furniture in half an hour.
2-Painting Bamboo with Acrylic Paint
You can paint your bamboo furniture with general-purpose acrylic paints. However, you will get more solid colors instead of the natural wood texture of bamboo. Acrylic paints are an excellent option to create colorful bamboo chairs.
You can paint bamboo furniture with red, blue, beige, and black acrylic paints. Remember to apply acrylic varnish to ensure long-lasting protection. (At the bottom of the page, we have explained in more detail how to paint bamboo with acrylic paint.)
3-Painting Bamboo with Wood Preservative Paints
The most significant advantage of wood preservative paints is that they can change the color of bamboo furniture to many wood colors. You can turn your bamboo furniture into pine, oak, chestnut, or mahogany colors with wood preservatives. This way, you will preserve the natural look of the bamboo.
4-Painting Bamboo with Teak Oil
Teak oils are an excellent way to protect bamboo furniture and revive its color. It is usually sold transparently. But there are also wood-colored ones.
You can use teak oil to protect both teak and wood, such as bamboo. Teak oil is an excellent way to preserve and color your bamboo furniture (The bamboo absorbs the teak oil, and the wood preservatives remain on the surface of the bamboo.)
How do You Prepare Bamboo for Painting?
Before you start painting bamboo furniture, you should determine what condition the surface of the bamboo furniture is in. You should check whether the bamboo furniture has been painted before, whether it is dirty, or whether pores have formed.
If there is paint on it, you may need to sand it. But if you paint with the same type of paint, there is no need to grind the bamboo. If there are holes in the bamboo furniture, you should fill the pores with wood putty and wait for the putty to dry before you start painting.
Can Bamboo be Sanded?
You can sand bamboo. However, most of the time, primer and sanding are optional for bamboo furniture. Only if there is a layer of dirt or encrusted paint on the bamboo do you need to sand it.
You need to clean the dirty and oily layer accumulated over time on the bamboo furniture waiting outside by sanding it. In this way, the surface of the bamboo holds the paint much better.
What Grit Sandpaper for Bamboo?
You want to maintain the smooth structure of the bamboo with sandpaper. Therefore, you should use fine sandpaper whenever possible. Sandpaper grits 200-220-240 are suitable for bamboo. What sandpaper is best for bamboo? You can use general-purpose sandpaper or wood sandpaper. The sandpaper range should be between 200 and 240 grit.
How to Paint Bamboo Furniture with Acrylic Paint?
- Make sure the bamboo furniture is dry and clean. After following the preparation steps mentioned above, paint your bamboo furniture with a soft-tipped brush.
- Let the first coat dry for 5 hours. Then, paint the second coat.
- One day after the acrylic paint, you should apply acrylic varnish on the bamboo furniture. This way, the bamboo will withstand harsh weather conditions and will not be affected by water.
- Wait one day before using your bamboo furniture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Bamboo Dye Easily?
Is bamboo easy to dye? Bamboo furniture is easy to paint. However, the oval sticks of bamboo can make it challenging to paint. Painting bamboo furniture is more complex than painting a flat piece of furniture. The paint can run over the edges of the brush. Spray painting bamboo will increase the paint consumption.
What is the Best Way to Paint Bamboo Furniture?
The best way to paint bamboo furniture is with acrylic paint and teak oils. You can use acrylic paint and acrylic varnish if you want solid colors. You can use teak oil or wood preservative if wood colors and durability are essential.
How do You Get Paint to Stick to Bamboo?
You can apply all types of paint directly to the surface of the bamboo furniture. However, if the surface of the bamboo furniture is shiny and slippery, if it is varnished or polished, you should sand or use a glossy surface primer before painting.
Can You Color Bamboo Wood?
Yes, you can color bamboo wood. It would help to use acrylic paint for solid colors and wood preservatives or teak oil for wood colors.
Can You Change the Color of The Bamboo?
It is easy to change the color of unpainted bamboo. But if it has already been varnished, oiled, or painted, you should sand it.
How do You Waterproof Bamboo?
To make bamboo waterproof, you should apply varnish on it. If you paint it with spray paint, you should apply spray varnish. If you paint it with acrylic paint, you should apply acrylic varnish. If you paint it with wood preservative, you should use a varnish suitable for the type of wood preservative (water-based or synthetic.) Some wood preservatives are self-varnishing and do not require additional varnish. You do not need to apply varnish after using teak or similar oil for bamboo furniture.
How do You Make Bamboo Look Nice?
Teak oil is one of the best ways to paint and varnish bamboo furniture. Dip a sponge in colorless teak oil and rub it on the bamboo to absorb it. (The bamboo needs to be unpainted and unvarnished.)
What Varnish is Good for Bamboo?
Teak oil is often used for bamboo. Bamboo absorbs teak oil. The teak oil polishes the appearance of the bamboo. But you can also apply a superficial application to the bamboo using water-based or synthetic varnishes. (Water-based varnish dries faster.) You can apply matt semi-matte or glossy varnish according to your preference.
How do You Finish Bamboo Wood?
Remove accumulated oil and dust by sanding. Apply teak oil or varnish.
How do You Naturally Darken Bamboo?
Heat it a little with a blowtorch or use a dark matt varnished wood preservative to darken the bamboo.
Should You Oil or Varnish Bamboo?
You can oil bamboo with teak oil. Teak oil is suitable for hardwoods such as bamboo and teak. Painting after applying teak oil is risky. Because the paint does not hold well on the oil, you can sand and paint after one year.
Does Bamboo Furniture Need to be Oiled?
It would help if you cared for bamboo so that it retains its smooth and natural surface for many years. Bamboo has a genuine hardcover but will develop indentations and ridges if not cared for. For this reason, we recommend treating bamboo with an oil suitable for outdoor furniture, such as teak oil.
