An Overview of APC’s All Natural Sealers

An Overview of APC's All Natural Sealers

An Overview of APC’s All Natural Sealers

Are you wondering which American Paint Company sealer will work best for your furniture painting project? In this post, you’ll discover the three different types of All-Natural sealers offered by American Paint Company to help you protect your furniture and give it a nice professional finish.  But not only will you learn which APC sealers will work best for your specific project, but how it will hold up over the long term. Here is an overview of APC’s all natural sealers.

Choosing Your Sealer: Infographic

Each of the American Paint Company sealers have a unique purpose. Review the infographic below to discover which all natural sealer you will choose for your next furniture paint project.

Summary of American Paint Company’s Sealers

If you’re painting fine furniture such as a china cabinet, hutch, or other furniture show pieces, then it’s recommended to use American Paint Company’s popular Antiquing Wax.  Alternatively, APC offers a durable liquid sealer for projects that will get heavier traffic such as your dining room table, bar stools, or kitchen cupboards.

There are several advantages and differences to all of the sealers offered from American Paint Company. Read on to discover the benefits and advantages to using each one.

Clear Vintage Antiquing Wax

An Overview of APC's All Natural Sealers

Vintage Antiquing Wax Comes in 4 Colors

Clear Vintage Antiquing Wax can be used on furniture with fine finishes, like end tables, china cabinets, or other furniture that doesn’t get a lot of ‘high traffic’.

The Vintage Antiquing Wax is a completely All-Natural sealer. Unlike other sealers, it doesn’t contain any toxic chemicals and is not a petroleum based sealer. Which means, there is no smell and it won’t leave you with a headache.

You’ll find that the Wax leaves more of a professional matte finish, rather than a shiny finish. If you are just beginning to paint furniture and don’t have a lot of experience, we don’t recommend using wax on your first project. Applying the wax takes a few extra steps, including applying the wax, taking off the excess wax, and buffing out the surface evenly.

Once you seal your project with wax, it will need a good 2-3 weeks to completely cure. Don’t worry, even though it goes on sticky like wax, it will harden over time.

Don’t forget that applying the wax should always be your final step. We don’t recommend adding any paint, applying any other type of sealer, or trying to distress your project after the wax has been applied.

If you want to continue to paint or distress your piece after using the wax, you should lightly sand it off first.

Tinted Colors Available in White, Dark or Black Vintage Antiquing Wax

If you’re looking for a darker finish on your project, we recommend trying the White, Dark or Black Vintage Antiquing Wax as a technique. Keep in mind that the Darker Waxes should be applied sparingly with a soft brush or lint free cloth.

The Darker Waxes are another product that isn’t recommended if you’re just starting your first project. However, if you haven’t used it yet, we recommend giving it a try.

You can cover your entire piece using the Dark or Black Wax and it will act as a sealer. Or, if you only want to add the Darker Waxes in the detailed areas or corners of your piece, then we recommend sealing your project with the liquid Top Coat first, prior to applying the Dark Wax.

Make sure to take off the excess wax and buff out your project with the Buffing Brush or a lint free cloth.

If you use the tinted wax (white, dark, black) and you have used too much or the finish is too pigmented and not the look you are going for, you can use the clear antiquing wax as an eraser. Just lightly go over the surface with the clear wax and wipe back to get the desired look.

Top Coat – Clear

Top coat

American Paint Company’s Top Coat is a durable sealer that goes on clear and leaves your piece with a professional shiny finish.

Recommended for ‘high traffic’ furniture like dining room tables, kitchen bar stools, kitchen cupboards, or other projects that need a more durable finish, the Top Coat is your best bet.

It’s easy to apply, goes on thin, and leaves a nice looking finish to your piece. One of our most popular All Natural sealers, it’s also recommended for beginners and can easily be applied with a foam brush on smaller decor projects such as a wood picture frame, glass mason jar, or terracotta pot.

The best part about Top Coat? You can also repaint over the sealer, and even add Dark Wax or Glaze over the Top Coat after it has dried.

Hard Coat – Clear

hard coat

Hard Coat creates a strong durable transparent surface. If you need maximum durability for projects such as your kitchen cupboards, front door or other outdoor furniture, then this is the sealer for you.

This sealer dries fast and can be a little more difficult to apply and work with than the Top Coat sealer, so it may take some practice on a smaller project to get used to working with it first. However, if applied correctly it can act as a good sealer and leave a great looking shiny finish to your piece.

Keep in mind that although it’s a durable finish, you’ll still need to look after your furniture and take care of it just as you normally would. For example, use coasters before setting a hot cup of coffee on the sealed piece, and make sure to use place-mats if you plan on serving spaghetti for dinner!

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If you have any questions about the sealers, be sure and leave a comment below or follow us on social media for images that are shared with us using these products. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest 

Check out our instructions on how to use each of the sealers here.

Comments

  1. Denise Bingham says

    I would like to purchase wax, can I order online?

  2. Can you use the top coat over a fresh coat wax? It’s on the flat surface of a dresser and the wax has turned out streaky. I’d like to go over it with the top coat.

    • mm American Paint Company says

      No, we don’t recommend applying anything on top of wax. Wax is a repellent, and it also needs 3-4 weeks to completely cure. For that reason, Wax should always be the last step. However, you can use Top Coat to seal your project first, and then apply Wax over the top of the Top Coat sealer.

  3. Found this website through Pinterest. The picture was a rusted garden tool and a way to keep the rusted look. I’ve read through the tutorials, blog, and products. Haven’t seen anything that refers to the Pinterest picture. Where is the information?
    Thanks.

    • mm American Paint Company says

      Is it possible for you to locate that image on Pinterest and share it with us and then we could help you out? Thank you.

  4. Libby Harrington says

    Which sealer should I use for an outside product. The top coat or the hard coat?

    • mm American Paint Company says

      We recommend the Hard Coat sealer (blue bottle) for outdoor projects such as your Front Door, Garden Bench or Patio Furniture.

  5. Can the Hard Coat-Clear be applied over the wax surface? Or does it have to be applied directly to the chalk paint surface.

    • mm American Paint Company says

      No, we don’t recommend applying anything on top of wax. Wax is a repellent, and it also needs 3-4 weeks to completely cure. For that reason, Wax should always be the last step. However, you can use Hard Coat to seal your project first, and then apply Wax over the top of the Hard Coat sealer.

  6. LINDA BIGGS says

    Looking for a source to buy online,redoing kitchen cupboards so need quite alot

  7. Looking to seal a cypress ceiling on our lanai. We prefer a clear with no yellowing effect. Most every sealer we see is yellow after application. Do you have a satin or matte finish in “clear” ?
    Thanks

  8. Serena Elhard says

    Can you use the hardcoat on for example, Sherwin Williams Pro Industrial Waterbased Alkyd Urethane paint? Its a,semigloss finish. Ingredients include water titanium dioxide, urethane modified alkyd polymer, and nepheline syenite.

  9. Hello, is it ok to add a little water to hard coat? On some projects I feel hard coat is a little thick and shiny while I want more protection than top coat.
    Thanks!

  10. How should you clean wax brush after using mixture of clear & dark wax?

  11. Kristy Davis says

    I am looking for a matte finish over chalk/clay paint on bottom and table legs of a bench and dining table…any reccomendations? Want it durable, but not shiny.

  12. Can the hard coat be used on tin or metal? Looking to paint a tin back splash.

  13. Ron Williams says

    We purchased the chalk/clay paint several years ago and did our entire kitchen.
    It was beautiful,however,any grease or oil from normal kitchen activities would
    darken areas on the paint.Just did not work out for a kitchen.
    We love the look it gave our kitchen.Would like a suggestion on removing the
    wax so we can us a different application for our kitchen.
    Does mineral spirits and sanding seem like the correct steps to prepare for Killz
    before applying a new paint product?

    Thanks,
    Ron

  14. Shannon sterner says

    Can the dark wax.be used over raw wood and act almost as a stain?

  15. I have already used the chalk paint and wax can I apply a sealer as this piece is used outsdoors and the paint is now disappearing …

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