Crackle Finishes

Crackle Finish can be used with EF Wood Stains, Country Colors and kids Colors or any latex paint to produce the weathered, aged look of a crackle finish! The Crackle medium is made to contract when a water base water-based stain or paint is applied over it. As the Crackle contracts, it fractures the top stain coat and exposes the base coat beneath.

Learn to transform quality unfinished furniture into treasured heirlooms using General Finishes water base finishes step-by-step instruction video!

For crackle effects, you will need two colors, EF crackle medium and EF topcoat.
Begin with a base coat of either EF Wood Stain or Country Colors. This will be the color that shows through the cracks. Let this base coat dry for 2 hours. It is not necessary to sand this coat.
Apply EF Crackle with a foam brush or handipainter pad. A thin application produces thin cracks and thicker applications produce wider cracks. Let the EF crackle dry for 2 to 48 hours.
Then brush on a relatively thick coat of your chosen second color (EF stain or Country Color). Do not over brush by brushing back and forth repeatedly. The cracking effect will begin within minutes.
Let the piece dry overnight and then finish with 3 coats of EF PolyAcrylic.