Can You Paint Laminate Wood Shelves

Several specialty companies make primer.

Can you paint laminate wood shelves.

Primer is important especially when painting over laminate. Avoid the pitfalls of. When attempting to paint laminate bookshelves often the paint peels from the surface or moving even a light object across the bookshelves creates unsightly scratches. And here s how to paint laminate wood shelves.

With a high grit sandpaper and an oil based primer you ll be ready to paint over the laminate on your furniture so it looks updated and new. Rinse thoroughly with water and allow to dry. The primer you choose will affect the final quality of the paint job. Laminate is a man made shiny smooth non porous material that is like a print or photo of wood grain.

With wood exposing the grain is vital for the paint to adhere to. Applying in a well ventilated area begin painting at the top of the shelving unit holding the can of satin ivory 6 8 inches from the surface and paint using a sweeping side to side motion with slight overlap. After scuffing the surface prime the laminate just like you would a wood surface. You ll just need to do some extra preparation before you get started.

Laminate and melamine are designed to repel kitchen spills like food oil and water so they naturally repel paint also. Unlike wood laminate is a smooth non porous material so it really needs something to grab onto primer will do the trick. Using an all purpose cleaner degreaser wipe down the shelves to remove all dirt and grime. Unlike wood laminate and melamine cannot be sanded down to a natural grain because they have no natural grain.

Follow the directions and warnings from your particular brand step 1. Manufacturers use this product to cover less expensive wood composite furniture to give the appearance of higher quality wood. It was important not to sand too much because otherwise the surface would get ruined since it s essentially paper but at the same time it was important to get them roughed up so the paint would absorb into the surface. Remember to wear an appropriate mask while working with paints stains and finishes.

If you re painting straight on the laminate as in the furniture doesn t have a coat of paint on it in need of removal then you don t need to do as much sanding. Laminate can be painted but it can not be stained. These bookcases are made of a particle board like composite with a faux wood laminate exterior.