Questions about paint on a barn quilt
 

Good Morning All,
I'm in the beginning steps of making a barn quilt. (24" x 24")I read several articles on line. First primer coat is exterior latex house paint. :) Any suggestions getting paint in the small cans for the colors of the block and kind of paint.

Once it is all painted, what do you use for a sealer? My block will be facing west and will get the hot afternoon sun and it may fade after time. Any and all suggestions are welcome. Do you use the primer on the back of the wood?

Thank you,
Donna
Michgian

I used two coats of primer, 2 coats of each colored paint, and followed when thourghly dry with two coats of clear exterior sealer.

With the sealer, it doesn't matter which type of paint you use. I've made a lot of them so have always gotten my paints in the 'sample' size at paint stores, I think they are pints. If i were only going to make one I'd buy the colors in the small craft paints, other wise you'll have leftovers for the primer and sealer I used real paint brushes, but the smaller blocks I used the small foam brushes. and stored them in snack baggies until I was finished with them.

If using raw wood you have to prime it first or if the wood has been painted but the original paint is in bad shape. Exterior latex will just soak in and won't be stabilized enough to hold the next layers of paint. I tried to tell my husband this about 20 years ago. We were painting some cedar siding. After putting 4 coats of exterior paint on the building, he gave in and primed it. Then it only needed one coat of primer to finish the process. That was a very expensive paint job. "smile" There are some paints now that have the primer and final finish in a one coat paint. I haven't tried it so don't know how good it is.

Kalamaquilts…..that is beautiful. You are sew talented.

Thank you for your input. So very cool as those are also my colors. Looking forward to getting started.
Donna from Michigan

Kalamaquilts, your block is so beautiful. Did you design it yourself? I want a barn quilt but can't decide on the pattern, yours is outstanding.

Great barn quilt. I've got to make one of those!

I'm planning on making one this winter, so thanks for the suggestions! Awesome barn quilt, Kalamaquilts!

We made one at a retreat.we did not retreat the wood, but used acrylic paint in a tube. No watering colors. We did not deal them however.

Sorry about the spelling. We did not prime the wood or seal the painted ones. Colors were bright.

What a beautiful barn quilt. Here in E. TN. these decorations are very popular and there was, at one time, maps to find them.

don't forget that reds fade faster than most other colors...you might check with a paint store to find out which other colors are better for reducing fading and use them.

Sunflowers have deep meaning for me, so I chose a sunflower block, and did it in my colors.
I looked at 1000s of blocks before I decided. I have a file full of good possibilities. And a massive failute. I found it was nearly impossible to mask of curves. I spent nearly 2 weeks mapping out this stylized sunflower block and finally splash painted the darn thing in about 10 minutes :) It lives on the goat barn.

If you are thinking of getting the sample cans of paints used for determining color, I would like to share the advise I received from our Sherwin-Williams store. They said the base for the sample paints is recycled (old paint, refused colors and returns). The color is removed and the remains used as a base for the samples. The paint is not durable.

Were they telling me this so I would buy a lot of much more expensive paint? Didn't take the chance, purchased the better paint.

That's a scary thought (the paint being recycled) as my grandson just made me a flag barn quilt to hang on my porch and that is the paint we used. I hope it holds up as he put so much work and love into it.

Were they telling me this so I would buy a lot of much more expensive paint? Didn't take the chance, purchased the better paint.[/QUOTE]

Interesting! We were just told something similar by a salesperson regarding small cans of Minwax stain. They said the stain would not be the same color as the larger cans, or the "sample". We bought the small cans anyway, and our project turned out exactly as I wanted. I have used the small sample cans of paint and had no durability problem.

I think the salesperson was pulling your leg. Or your pocketbook
https://www.google.com/search?q=is+r...hrome&ie=UTF-8

that is the point of the sealer anyway, preserving the color

To help with fading try a finish with UV protection.

Definitely agree - spectacular barn quilt!

Home Depot has the best in small cans. tell them your need and they will help. my son used Kurdy Board, foam board for tiles.[ATTACH=CONFIG]601218[/ATTACH]

I used small cans of exterior Rustoleum for mine. I got them very cheap at the dollar store so I was happy. I bought one can of purple and one of white which I used to make the different shades of purple. Then I bought one green for the leaves. I used a sealer on the wood first, but not after as the paint was meant to be outdoors.[ATTACH=CONFIG]601250[/ATTACH]

The one man on pinterest said the outdoor paint does not need sealed. Some of the clear finishes turns darker over time. I have made 6 in the past 2 weeks and taught ladies and kids (2 -7 yr olds) and all turned out great. The one I liked the best is Tumbling Blocks in pastels, and Stars and Checkers. I plan to sell mine but I have a small barn outback that needs one. Using the initial in the middle or the corners really helps some of them. I go to estate sales and buy up the left over house paint. I got 3 gallons and 2 quarts for $3 yesterday. Check it out. Good luck to all.

Two coats of primer... two coats if you brush it on & one coat if you mask and spray.... two coats of sealer .... with all that like anything that is outside exposed to the weather (in Michigan) it won’t last forever .... this one has been on my front porch for 6 years

What an interesting and informative thread. Thank you, I've learned something new. I love the barn quilts you all shared.

I see a couple of barn quilts mounted on point onto brick. How is that done?

Drill into the mortar joint with a mason bit.... use a plastic sheetrock anchor into the hole & for outdoor use use a stainless steel screw into the anchor..... if mounted in a windy location use a faster at top & bottom.... mine is just attached at the top
https://www.amazon.com/Sheetrock-Ass...ds=molly+screw

or use concrete screws , add a washer under the screw head and paint.

or use concrete screws, washer under screw head and paint to blend in

Ok everyone talked about what paint and what sealer to use on a barn quilt, but nothing was said about the wood, what kind do you use? Thanks

I pulled up this thread because I needed a photo of mine to show someone.

My experience only... all my small ones were made from exterior plywood, cut to 24" square, (porch patch size where normally they'd be protected) all primed and sealed as noted in post #2. Not one has survived being hung in the weather (gates/fences) for four years, all separated. To my mind this shouldn't have happened but it did.

The one noted above on the barn, I used this wood product from either Lowe's or Home Depot. They are thick and round, mine is 36" across. Lovely. Not big enough for a 'real' huge barn, but perfect for my small one and the rounds do come in smaller sizes. I have two more I'm going to paint this winter, one for my big entry gate and one to gift my neighbor who is pet sitting my little hens while we are gone playing for three months.