can you paint laminate wood

Thanks for your help. ", "Very helpful, just the info I needed. To sum it up, the most important steps are to sand and prime all the surfaces before painting. This post shares all about how to paint laminate wood shelves. It’s important not to get flooring paint, mixed up with wall paint when you head out to pick your supplies. Use a 120-grit sandpaper and gently sand the surface of the cabinets in a circular motion. Don’t sand too much or you might … It can basically be any type of furniture, cabinets, or wood-like product that is made by attaching a thin layer of printed plastic (sometimes called Melamine or Thermofoil) to a substrate of plywood or particle board. This article has been viewed 636,973 times. If you were to skip those two steps, your paint would have nothing to adhere to and would most likely peel right off. When you're sanding laminate, ignore the "grain" entirely and instead sand with small circular motions. I was so happy to see how easily you can use chalk paint on laminate. Laminate is a man-made shiny, smooth, non-porous material that is like a ‘print’ or ‘photo’ of wood grain. If you add it between applying the primer and applying the first coat of paint, it won't really make a difference once you've applied all your coats of paint. There’s a better option out there! The bottom edge of my kitchen cupboards have water damage so part of the laminate has come off. First, laminate can be painted over. There is no way to do so. Use either matte, satin or gloss depending on the finish you want. Sealer is designed to protect paint, not just primer. You can paint anything, we suppose. And even after they were dry to the surface, I didn’t put anything on the shelves for at least a week. By using our site, you agree to our. Thank you! You can paint laminate flooring. Thinly coat the painted furniture with a polyurethane varnish if the furniture will see a lot of use and … Now I am ready to get started. It's true that first coats of paint are often rougher than subsequent coats, and that's fine. Can I use paint to cover up the damage? However, just because you can paint it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. If you consider the paint job a temporary solution until you can invest in new cabinetry, you'll probably be more satisfied with the results. A piece of laminate furniture that has already been painted is ready to go when it comes to giving it a distressed appearance, as you won't need to prime it or give it a base coat. Laminate and plastic can be worrisome to paint for some people because it seems like a surface that paint would not stick to. Let me just tell you that it’s totally doable and a dated pieces can look amazing again. Remember that using ordinary sandpaper in this process will be useless. 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. Priming. Why is the paint bubbling as I paint my primed laminate cabinets? "Very useful information. I decided to paint them with chalk paint because I was sure it would adhere really well to the laminate. It’s not difficult (at all), you just need to do it right. I have a g blue laminate sofa table, very modern but it is scratched and nicked up so would like to give it a fresh look in vintage or industrial like wrought iron but with some brown distressing. Even though laminate isn't real wood, it's still not the best idea to sand against its "grain." It was the furniture kept in my childhood bedroom since I … You'll just need to do some extra preparation before you get started. By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube. Therefore, you need to use a different tactic when sanding it. My bedroom suite was currently white and wood laminate. But, because of the laminate’s shiny and slick surface, extra care needs to be taken when painting laminate furniture. The only time a brush is your easiest option is if you're priming a curved surface. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. And remember not to sand too hard, or you could sand the laminate right off of the furniture. Brushing on a primer is totally doable, but it takes a long time and makes it more difficult to get a super-even coat of primer. It’s a good idea to sand any surface before painting it. Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWJIJM3qmyQ&feature=youtu.be&t=8, http://realitydaydream.com/the-difference-between-laminate-and/, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auW3ejK8GsQ&feature=youtu.be&t=154, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWJIJM3qmyQ&feature=youtu.be&t=76, http://vintagerevivals.com/2015/05/how-to-paint-a-laminate-dresser, http://www.thecreativityexchange.com/2015/11/how-to-paint-laminate-furniture-and-get-a-smooth-finish.html, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3qDfPhUQ5Y&feature=youtu.be&t=234, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3qDfPhUQ5Y&feature=youtu.be&t=254, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3qDfPhUQ5Y&feature=youtu.be&t=283, https://www.bobvila.com/articles/29772-dream-it-do-it-how-to-paint-laminate/, Please consider supporting our work with a contribution to wikiHow. Heritage Collection – all in one paint is a chalk … This way you can feel comfortable tipping the table to it's side or upside down so you can complete the bottom without scratching or marring the newly painted top. Ultra Grip has been formulated to act as a bonding primer for super slick surfaces, making the impossible to paint, possible. Both of these pieces are laminate, so they are not solid wood. Painting Specialist. Tip: If the surface isn’t sanded or not sanded enough, then the paint will “bubble” or spot, as shown on the right, because it’s not properly adhering. Even though it's not solid wood, you can still update your laminate furniture with a few coats of fresh paint. Allow the paint to dry for 2 hours, then repeat the process with two more coats of paint. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. The next key step was to prime all the surfaces. You should allow the paint to cure before placing anything on it. Laminate furniture can also be painted and restyled, just like veneer furniture; however, some points must be kept in kind. It’s easy to skip the sanding step, because sanding is a drag… but it’s especially important with laminate. Click on another answer to find the right one... {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/6\/67\/Paint-Laminate-Furniture-Step-9.jpg\/v4-460px-Paint-Laminate-Furniture-Step-9.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/6\/67\/Paint-Laminate-Furniture-Step-9.jpg\/aid2140538-v4-728px-Paint-Laminate-Furniture-Step-9.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"