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Decoupage Pictures on Bar

How to Adhere and Seal Photos

Hello!

I've enjoyed reading your advice on decoupage, but need a little help in connecting all the dots.

My husband and I have built a bar in our basement and have decided to put family photos sparingly on the countertop - we don't want a collage of photos, just a few to be conversational pieces.

I stained the bar with an oil-based stain; this was before we decided to add photos to the countertop so there's no turning back now.

I know we should stick with oil-based varnish or lacquer, but how should I proceed with the photos?

Should I make color copies with our inkjet printer or laminate the photos prior to putting them on the counter?

Is there a special glue I should use to adhere the photos to the wood?

We have thought about using the pour-on polyurethane counter top mix or lacquer, but will that work too?

We need to finish our project in the next week, too, which adds to the problems.

Any advice you could give would be much appreciated!

Thank you,

Lynsey

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Finished in the next week? This is a tough one. I assume you mean you will be entertaining and people will actually be using the bar.Yikes!

The problem will be the cure time needed for a hard cure. Here’s what I suggest ...

Sealer

Floor sealers can also be used for bars. They dry faster and are easier to apply than two-part epoxies.

Look for McClosky Gymseal. Read more about using it here.

You will probably want three coats for a bar top and you need to allow a day between coats.

Why don’t you plan to get just two coats down before the gathering to be sure you have a hard cure before the bar is used. After all the guests have gone, you can apply the third coat and really let it rest a bit before being used again.

As a point of reference, floor refinishers and dealers will tell you a floor can be walked on in stocking feet a day after refinishing, but you should wait three or four days before walking in hard-soled shoes.

So, apply just two coats before the party and be sure your guests use napkins and/or coasters.

Or if anyone is inclined to hop up and dance on the bar, make sure they remove their shoes first.

Photo Copies

Decoupage experts, like Durwin Rice, always use copies on plain copier paper. It’s the prefect weight and thickness for decoupage.

I use an inkjet printer and preseal to prevent ink bleed.

Glue

You can use any archival glue. My suggestions would be Mod Podge or Crafter’s Pick Decoupage Gel.

The gel is nice because it allows you to slide the photo copies around a bit until you are happy with the placement.

I put a rush on this question just for you ;-)

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Thank you so much for responding so fast!

We started "finishing" our basement about 2 weeks ago and it's been non-stop after work since. We're just about there - only the bar countertop and ceiling to go!

My family will begin coming home for the holidays next Wednesday and we wanted to have everything finished prior to their arrival - luckily the bar will have very light usage until Dec 20th when we've planned a surprise 30th for my brother.

After that the next big bash is on New Years. As you probably imagine, I love to entertain!

I will look into the floor sealer. I read that on your website for a commercial bar question, but wasn't sure if that could apply to us as well.

Again, I appreciate your help! It was very nice of you to help me out!!!

Have a great holiday season!

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