Faux Finishing – An Overview of Glazing Mediums

There are so many techniques out in the faux finishing world how are you able to decide what technique is good for you. Should you choose a multi-layer glaze over a single layer glaze? How about a translucent glaze over an opaque glaze, or a texture with a glaze added on top of it. Do you even know what a glaze is? I have been learning this business for over 15 years now and I still feel like I have only scratched the tip of the surface. If your someone who is interested in faux finishing but needs a little refresher course, or if you have little knowledge and want to learn here you go. In the first of this series I’ll explain the difference between translucent and opaque glazing mediums.

When I’m at a clients home viewing a room that is to be glazed I’ll ask them what color glaze their leaning towards and many respond with a blank stare. I know instantly their lacking the  knowledge of what a glaze really is, I also know their thinking that it’s something shiny. I reply “A glaze is nothing more than a bucket full of clear white stuff that you add color too. The glaze becomes  the color that’s applied to the wall.” Normally I stop there, I don’t get into the translucent versus opaque glazing mediums, but lets do.

If your a faux finisher or a homeowner trying to decide what type of glazing medium to purchase than you need to ask yourself  whether  or not you want  an old world or a traditional finish. Not to say that if you have one you can’t have the other, it’s just easier to get where you want to be by using the appropriate glazing medium. There are also price differences to consider  but if your going to tackle the color glazing of a room then the price difference should not affect your choice.

There are “normally” two types of glazing mediums to choose from. The first type is the translucent medium resulting in a more traditional effect. It’s normally a bit more expensive than the opaque glazing medium but it’s a beautiful choice for an elegant finish. Depending on your color choice  the translucency of the color glaze involves only a couple squirts of pigment to the medium and has characteristics of being soft and lightweight after being applied to the wall. The second type of glazing medium allows you to add house paint, say from a quart of paint that you can get mixed from your local hardware store.

As in the first type, add the pigment or in this case house paint to the glaze, stir but add a small amount of water to thin out a bit, not to much or you will degrade the integrity of the glaze when it is dry. After you apply it to the wall  it will dry resulting in an effect that  will be more opaque than translucent. The look is still extremely beautiful but depending how you execute the project the results lean closer to an old world look than it does a formal traditional look. Of course there are many factors that can change every degree of the finished product  but, if your looking for an old world charm it’s easier to get it by using a glazing medium that requires an opaque mixture of glaze and house paint. If your searching for a more sophisticated traditional look than a translucent glazing medium might be better suited for you.





If I were to advise a homeowner that wanted to test their creative side by glazing a room I would say go for an opaque glazing medium. The reasoning is, it’s much easier  achieving the color you want since your picking it out from the color swatch and getting it mixed at the paint store rather than creating your own color and chance ruining all of your expensive glazing medium. I  personally can use both types to get some of the same great looks because I have been experimenting for many years, but again it’s easier using the correct glazing medium to achieve the desired effect. . Living in Florida often requires me to use  opaque glazes to get the old world charm of a Tuscan villa, while living in New York required me to use translucent glazing mediums to achieve sophisticated traditional effects.

Now, if your starting to freak out and your thinking forget it, don’t worry, relax. If your going to attempt glazing on your own  pick a small room and just try it out.  The most important advice I will give you is, use a professional quality glaze and  you will achieve a much MUCH better result and it will be ten times easier to execute. Trust me on that, don’t even bother buying  glazing mediums at your  local hardware store. It’s a waste of money!  You’ll be spending a few dollars more if you purchase a professional quality glaze but It’s worth it. It may cost you approximately $100.00 to glaze an average size room but to hire a professional faux finisher it may cost you $600.00 to $1,000.00, or more.

My name is Daniel S. Peterson, the name of my company is In Style Finishes LLC. 407-902-3494. I have been a faux finisher for about 15 years working in both New York and Florida. I’m certified at The Finishing School New York and work primarily in high end residential homes creating an array of textures and color glazes for interior walls. I have restructured my prices to include clients of all economic classes while still using the highest grade of faux finishing products in the world.

If you have any questions about faux finishing you would like to ask me please do, my e-mail is instylefinishes@yahoo.com

Faux Finishing – An Overview of Glazing Mediums
By Daniel S Peterson