Painting Paneling
- Thread starter Agee
- Start date
somdfunguy
not impressed
http://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/skills-and-know-how/painting/how-to-paint-over-paneling
Inspect and Prepare the Paneling
In some instances you may be able to remove the paneling and paint the walls directly. But often paneling was installed with both nails and adhesive, and you could damage your walls if you try to remove the paneling. Also, in some cases the paneling was placed directly on the wall studs with nothing behind it.
When you're ready to start painting, make sure that your paneling is made of solid wood. Some paneling actually consists of a vinyl print that simulates the look of wood. To check, sand a small area on the wall. Vinyl coatings come off quickly, revealing the pressboard underneath. If your walls have a vinyl or thin veneer finish, you'll need to take extra care when painting them.
Another point to consider is the texture you want your walls to have. If you want a smooth finish, you can fill the paneling grooves with wood filler, a time-consuming job, or hang a liner over the paneling and paint the liner. Otherwise, you can simply paint the paneling for a look of added depth and texture.
Step 1
Place the Drop Cloth
After gathering materials together, move any furniture out of the way and place a drop cloth on the floor near the wall.
Step 2
Washing Wood Paneling
Blake Brinkman
Wash the Paneling
Wash the paneling with trisodium phosphate, also known as TSP, to remove grease from the walls.
Step 3
Filling Wall Holes With Spackling
Fill Holes With Spackling
Fill any damaged areas with spackling compound and then sand them smooth.
Step 4
Place Masking Tape
Remove any outlet covers and switchplates and place masking tape over any areas that you don't want painted.
Step 5
Prime and Paint the Paneling
Apply a coat of primer to the wall. The primer is important because it helps to cover the wall's imperfections, provides a better surface for the paint to stick to and keeps fresh paint from soaking into patched areas. If you have your primer tinted the same color as your paint, you may be able to get the job done with just one coat of paint.
Step 6
Use a sash brush to paint the walls near the corners, ceiling and base molding. Image: This process, known as "cutting in," will make the job easier because these areas are hard to reach with paint rollers.
Blake Brinkman
Tips to Speed Up the Painting Process
Use a sash brush to paint the walls near the corners, ceiling and base molding. Image: This process, known as "cutting in," will make the job easier because these areas are hard to reach with paint rollers.
In some instances you may be able to remove the paneling and paint the walls directly. But often paneling was installed with both nails and adhesive, and you could damage your walls if you try to remove the paneling. Also, in some cases the paneling was placed directly on the wall studs with nothing behind it.
When you're ready to start painting, make sure that your paneling is made of solid wood. Some paneling actually consists of a vinyl print that simulates the look of wood. To check, sand a small area on the wall. Vinyl coatings come off quickly, revealing the pressboard underneath. If your walls have a vinyl or thin veneer finish, you'll need to take extra care when painting them.
Another point to consider is the texture you want your walls to have. If you want a smooth finish, you can fill the paneling grooves with wood filler, a time-consuming job, or hang a liner over the paneling and paint the liner. Otherwise, you can simply paint the paneling for a look of added depth and texture.
Step 1
Place the Drop Cloth
After gathering materials together, move any furniture out of the way and place a drop cloth on the floor near the wall.
Step 2
Washing Wood Paneling
Blake Brinkman
Wash the Paneling
Wash the paneling with trisodium phosphate, also known as TSP, to remove grease from the walls.
Step 3
Filling Wall Holes With Spackling
Fill Holes With Spackling
Fill any damaged areas with spackling compound and then sand them smooth.
Step 4
Place Masking Tape
Remove any outlet covers and switchplates and place masking tape over any areas that you don't want painted.
Step 5
Prime and Paint the Paneling
Apply a coat of primer to the wall. The primer is important because it helps to cover the wall's imperfections, provides a better surface for the paint to stick to and keeps fresh paint from soaking into patched areas. If you have your primer tinted the same color as your paint, you may be able to get the job done with just one coat of paint.
Step 6
Use a sash brush to paint the walls near the corners, ceiling and base molding. Image: This process, known as "cutting in," will make the job easier because these areas are hard to reach with paint rollers.
Blake Brinkman
Tips to Speed Up the Painting Process
Use a sash brush to paint the walls near the corners, ceiling and base molding. Image: This process, known as "cutting in," will make the job easier because these areas are hard to reach with paint rollers.
Last edited:
wharf rat
Smilin on a cloudy day
We did this in our current house. It was time consuming but well worth it.
Is their a bunch of surface prep?
Yes. Wipe it down really well. You'll want to sink any nail pops, fill and sand if necessary. Don't sink them to deep. Also, if there's a clear coat on the paneling you'll need to sand it off. Even if there's no clear coat, you'll still need to scuff/sand the surface for the new paint to adhere properly. The more time you spend on this step, the better your results will be.
Special paint needed?
No. But it will take more than two coats most likely, especially the divider lines in the paneling.
Should you prime?
Yes. You'll notice the small holes and imperfections after the first primer coat. This is the time to correct them.
Good luck.
Is their a bunch of surface prep?
Yes. Wipe it down really well. You'll want to sink any nail pops, fill and sand if necessary. Don't sink them to deep. Also, if there's a clear coat on the paneling you'll need to sand it off. Even if there's no clear coat, you'll still need to scuff/sand the surface for the new paint to adhere properly. The more time you spend on this step, the better your results will be.
Special paint needed?
No. But it will take more than two coats most likely, especially the divider lines in the paneling.
Should you prime?
Yes. You'll notice the small holes and imperfections after the first primer coat. This is the time to correct them.
Good luck.
somdfunguy
not impressed
door number 1
We did this about two years ago. In terms of prep, it was the same as drywall (attention to nail holes, etc.). We didn't prime but I used two coats of paint. Not sure of brand/type but with the right type of paint, you may be able to do one coat. I would budget cost and time for two whether it's a primer and coat or two coats.
If you have a high sheen paneling, you can wipe it down with some deglosser agent (find it Lowes). We used that on our laundry room floor (linoleum) before we PAINTED it and it worked great.
If you have a high sheen paneling, you can wipe it down with some deglosser agent (find it Lowes). We used that on our laundry room floor (linoleum) before we PAINTED it and it worked great.
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
Clean it off good, if it is exceptionally glossy give it a light sanding, it is important to clean it before and after the sanding. I do not like the liquid de-glossers at all.
Then use a high adhesion primer, generally oil based primers have stronger adhesion, even stronger adhesion still is shellac based primers. Sherwin Williams has a nice synthetic shellac primer that is pretty decent. The you can paint over the primer with some decent quality latex paint. I have successfully painted a shiny fiberglass garage door with shellac based primer underneath with no sanding and the paint is holding up outside in the weather just fine. That shellac based primer will stick to anything.
I recommend cleaning the paneling with ammonia and water, then rinse with plain water.
Then use a high adhesion primer, generally oil based primers have stronger adhesion, even stronger adhesion still is shellac based primers. Sherwin Williams has a nice synthetic shellac primer that is pretty decent. The you can paint over the primer with some decent quality latex paint. I have successfully painted a shiny fiberglass garage door with shellac based primer underneath with no sanding and the paint is holding up outside in the weather just fine. That shellac based primer will stick to anything.
I recommend cleaning the paneling with ammonia and water, then rinse with plain water.
Agee
Well-Known Member
Unsure, had to cut a hole in it a while back to run a power feed for a new well pump. But, don't recall what I cut through... :CRS:
Agee
Well-Known Member
Thanks!
Paneling has more of a satin finish, appears to be high quality, not the budget stuff. So, not a fan of TSP?
GWguy
*
If it's a house from the 70's, and it's built anything like the houses in town creek, there is NOTHING behind the paneling. These builders put furring strips over cement walls and nailed up paneling. No sheetrock, no insulation, no nuthin'. Every room I've looked at with paneling has nothing under it.
Agee
Well-Known Member
Older, the 60's, but not in "town creek" proper. I think the original intent of the question was to find-out if it's drywall. If so, remove the paneling and paint?
GWguy
*
That's what I'd do. The drywall properly patched and prepped will look a lot better than painted paneling. New molding, it will look new.
In my house I pulled the paneling off and put up drywall whenever I was working in a room. In places where there was drywall, it was actually 3/8" drywall covered with 3/8-1/2" of plaster. The plaster was terrible to work with, breaks and crumbles so easily. When I gutted the kitchen I ripped out all the plaster and drywall right down to the studs, insulate, new wiring, and new drywall.
Agee
Well-Known Member
Thanks, you're much more industrious than I, I figured some cleaning, little sanding, slap on some paint, done!
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
A can of Zinnser I had said not to use TSP. I am guessing because it can leave a residue unless you rinse it off good and the paint might not stick well to that.
acommondisaster
Active Member
We painted paneling in our cabin in PA last year. Depends on the type of paneling. We had tongue and groove half-inch pine paneling on the interior walls and the outer walls were that cheap sheet paneling. We cleaned it all with a steamer. The outer walls were pretty easy to paint; we did prime with Killz first. The interior walls were a different story. That paneling soaked up primer and paint like a sponge. On steroids. I think we wound up spraying on primer, spraying the first coat, using a deep nap roller next and then going over it to catch all the nooks and crannies with a brush. Texture has a lot to do with how easy it is to paint. All in all, it looked great when it was done; really brightened the room. I like the look of painted paneling - it looks cottagey to me.