Fusion Mineral Paint Review – DIY Loft Bed

I’ve painted tons of furniture in the last several years and used pretty much every kind of paint out there. Milk paint, chalk paint, latex, oil based paint, and now I can add Fusion to the list. I always like to do a little research when I’m trying something new. So I’ve got a Fusion mineral paint review for you today!

I’ve heard lots of rave reviews from others about this paint and it’s been on my list to try. I’m happy I got the chance. Thanks to Fusion for providing me with the paint and supplies for this project. So what is Fusion Mineral Paint?  Here’s a snippet from their website describing the paint:

“Using natural rather than synthetic pigments allows for greater depth in colour and better durability to UV light and time. Once cured, a surface painted with Fusion™ is both water and stain proof. No primer or top coat is required, making it more of a one-step kind of paint.”

It’s not chalk paint – it’s 100% acrylic, water based paint. Zero VOCs and it’s not porous which is why you don’t need a top coat.

Fusion Mineral Paint Review

My original plan was to write a post about the bed we painted and review the paint in the post. However, it turns out it would just be too long. So, I decided to break it up. I like to read about real people’s experiences with products, which is helpful when you’re starting a project. So that’s why I gave the paint its own post.

The short answer for this review is I love it.  It’s amazing and the coverage is incredible. I was painting a loft bed for my daughter and it had old wood and new wood mixed in. It was a big project with lots of surface to cover.

Colors Used:

Raw Silk – A white that’s not too yellow, not too gray – pretty much perfect!

Laurentien – A beautiful blue/green shade

Prep

Since my project had both old and new wood, I did sand the old wood a bit to ensure a good surface for the paint to adhere properly. The old wood had what seemed to be a very light coat of stain, but it sanded easily. I didn’t prep the new wood at all. So prep was pretty easy for this project. Fusion does recommend light prep for all your pieces to ensure proper adhesion. This is what we started with once we got everything assembled:

Primer

I didn’t prime any of my surfaces. One – I was overwhelmed with this project anyway. Two – I really wanted to test out the paint since it claims to not need a primer. And I was using two different colors for this piece – Raw Silk which is a white shade that’s not too yellow or too bright white, and Laurentien, which is a gorgeous light blue/green. Here’s what I found without using primer:

• It truly isn’t necessary to use primer. Even the white covered beautifully over the old and new wood.
• If I had used primer, I would’ve used less paint. Since the paint is on the more expensive side compared to plain latex paint, this would be nice if you are doing a larger project.
• The old wood did great without primer –  until I added a topcoat. I used the Clear Tough Coat, Wipe on Poly. I’ll explain why I used it in a bit. Once I added the top coat to the white paint that was used on the older wood, it immediately had a yellowing/brown effect and the previous stain color bled through. It was noticeable enough that I had to repaint the white. However, it covered beautifully again. The top coat did not do this on the areas that had new wood only.

So what I learned is this was my error – I know better than to paint white over stain without priming first. So lesson learned. If you are painting a light color over any amount of the previous stain and plan to use the top coat, use a primer.

Painting With Fusion Paint

So how much do you need?

Per Fusion’s website, a pint covers about 75 square feet. Since I was painting a full-size loft bed with steps and drawers, I used almost two pints of white and about 3/4 of a pint of blue. If you’re doing a dresser or another smaller project, one pint will be more than plenty.

How many coats of paint do you need?

This paint covers exceptionally well. I was very surprised. There were pieces of my wood that had black markings and words on them since it was raw lumber and the paint covered it completely with one coat. I used two coats of paint on nearly every surface for added durability since this is going to be a high traffic area.

Drying Time for Fusion Mineral Paint

According to the instructions on the bottle, wait 2 hours before applying a second coat of paint. I found it dries very quickly. If you use their Ultra Grip to increase adhesion to certain surfaces, you need to wait 12 hours. But since I wasn’t using that, I painted after 2 hours. It actually felt dry to the touch after about 30 minutes. So this is a win in my book. 

However, like most paints, it takes about 21 days to fully cure and give you durability. But, I tested it out after a few days and tried to push my fingernail into it and it’s pretty darn tough after only a few days.

And here you can see the difference in wet vs dry for the Laurentien – it dries much darker than it goes on.

Smell 

Fusion has zero VOCs (which are volatile organic compounds) so the smell is minimal. I could smell paint for sure, but nothing like oil-based paints or even latex paint. I feel good about using this in a kid’s room or a nursery.

Finish

So according to Fusion, it doesn’t require a top coat of any kind. You can certainly use one – wax, the Tough Coat they offer, or one of their oils. The main reason I chose to add the Tough Coat is for added durability. This loft bed, especially the stairs and ladder,  will get tons of use several times a day. Fusion dries to a matte finish which felt chalky. My daughter didn’t like the feel of it. Once I added two coats of the Tough Coat, it felt smooth and not chalky at all. That’s all personal preference. I don’t care for a chalky, matte finish either so I’d definitely recommend a top coat.

I used Tough Coat Wipe-On Poly and it’s my first experience with that as well. Equally amazing like the paint. I didn’t quite understand the instructions at first though. The name says “wipe on”. The website says best with a damp lint-free rag, the bottle says to apply with a damp applicator sponge or spray application. 

First, I tried a damp rag and it wasn’t doing it for me. And I couldn’t tell where I was applying since my rag was damp – was my surface wet with the product or from the water? I ended up using a quality 2-inch brush and just brushed it on the wood. I didn’t have any issues with bubbles or streaking. It dries beautifully and feels amazing. I used about 2/3 of the bottle and applied it over most surfaces.

Cons with the Top Coat:

I did have the issue of applying the top coat over white paint and bleed through. The white parts of the bed that were old wood didn’t love the top coat. I immediately got a yellow/brown effect, likely from the old stain coming through that didn’t get sanded. (You can see the pic below – sorry – it was late and the lighting was awful). It was noticeable enough that I had to repaint the white on two small sections. 

I didn’t reapply a top coat after that. However, the top coat over the blue/green color on either old or new wood was perfect. No issues at all. So, if you’re painting white over old or stained wood and plan to use a top coat, I’d recommend priming first. The makers do not recommend using the top coat over medium to dark colors due to streaking.

Durability

So far, Fusion is holding up like a champ. No chips, scrapes, or peeling. None. And we’ve been done with the bed for about two weeks now. We’ve climbed up the stairs and ladder numerous times and no issues at all.

And my daughter is 8 – she and her friends are not gentle with the bed. Nothing like spending hours painting just to see it chip off or flake. This makes Fusion worth the price in my book.

Cost

Fusion is a bit pricier than plain latex paint you can get from any home improvement store. However, since it’s 100% acrylic, it’s not exactly like comparing apples to apples.

I can get a quart of latex paint for between $15 and $40 depending on which retailer and how good the quality is. A pint of Fusion is around $23 plus shipping. Definitely worth the cost in my opinion and it’s less than some of the popular brands of chalk paint or milk paint.

Would I Use Fusion Mineral Paint Again?

Absolutely, positively. And I would never recommend anything just because I was provided the product in return for a review. This paint has exceptional coverage and durability. Two things that are pretty important when you are spending time and money on a project. And the color choices are amazing too. Pastels, bright, muted, vintage style – you name it, they’ve got it.

Thanks so much to Fusion Mineral Paint for providing me with this amazing paint!

Pin for Later: