Painting - Painting over paneling

Bedroom has dark paneling. We want to just paint over vs replacing. Since it's a teenagers room, we are going for a beach'y look. I'ts been suggested to sand it, prime it and then paint over. Is this enough? I don't care if some of the dark comes through a little, hence the beach look. Any ideas or suggestions?

Sounds like a plan, be sure to use a solvent based primer which will insure adhesion to the paneling. Paneling usually takes 3 coats to cover [1 primer, 2 finish] You will see a little of the dark paneling after 2 coats.

Yup
Sand
Solvent-based primer
Two coats quality latex

Thank you for the advise.
:)

I have a similar situation, but it's a 1954 home with wood paneling and a wood ceiling with exposed beams. I really don't want to have to sand all this wood if I can avoid it.

Would something like "Sand-Ban" be an acceptable alternative? What about some of the other cleaners?

I expect to use a really good primer to ensure adhesion.

Thanks, Joe

I'm not familiar with San-ban, if it is a deglosser it will work inplace of [or with] sanding. Be sure to use precautions when using deglossers - they're pretty potent.

BIN will stick pretty well also
But it is a bit whiffy
Proper precautions are needed

Still, I'd recommend sanding it
A simple quick skuff sanding will be fine
It's not to sand off the finish, it's to allow the primer some tooth

I want to paint over some panelling in my kitchen, but I have the real old kind with the grooves. Is there some way to fill in the grooves to make a flat surface?

I want to paint over some panelling in my kitchen, but I have the real old kind with the grooves. Is there some way to fill in the grooves to make a flat surface?
Yes
After priming, you can fill them in with joint compound using a putty knife
Then it's best to prime your "repairs", but you can use a regular primer for drywall at that point

After priming, you can fill them in with joint compound using a putty knife
Then it's best to prime your "repairs", but you can use a regular primer for drywall at that point

Thanks! :)

Slickshift, will the joint compound work on places where the panelling has peeled?

You can see pictures of it here: http://redecoratingkitchen.blogspot.com/2006/06/and-cabinets.html

I started a blog so I wouldn't have to keep uploading and linking to picures.

You can patch the peeling paneling also. You will need to remove all the loose - it may be best to take an utility knife and cut just past the loose so it doesn't peel forever.

With the j/c you will be using you may find it necesarry to apply 2 coats as the first may shrink enough to be noticable.

You can patch the peeling paneling also. You will need to remove all the loose - it may be best to take an utility knife and cut just past the loose so it doesn't peel forever.

Okay; under the peeled sections there's a lot of splinters and small shards. I might be able to get them by running the vaccuum cleaner over them & getting all the loose stuff at once, but I don't want to cause more damage. Should I just sand them down instead?

With the j/c you will be using you may find it necesarry to apply 2 coats as the first may shrink enough to be noticable.

I can buy the joint compound at an auto parts store, right? Or is this something special I have to order? Also, what should I put it on with, a putty knife?

Dragon Lady,

You can buy joint compound at Home Depot or Lowes or most hardware stores or paint stores. It's also known as wall board compound. It comes in quarts, gallons, and bags of dry material you can mix yourself. For your projects buy the general purpose compund not the topping or setting compounds.

You can apply it with a putty knife but it should be as wide a blade as you can handle, say 6 inches wide. With practice you can step up to a wall board knife which is just like a putty knife but it's 10 or 12 inches wide. While you're in the wall board aisle take a look at a pole sander. It's a flat plate that holds a piece of sand paper with a swivel on its backside with threads for a handle. A threaded broom handle will work if you don't want to buy another handle. Pole sanders are the ticket for sanding joint compound.

Take a look in your local library for books on home remodeling, wallboard, or painting. They usually have something on using joint compound. It's easy to say but harder to do;use three thin coats feathering each out a little more widely than the last. It's a matter of patience and if you have it you wont be using that pole sander much at all.

Jan

Thanks! I'll add joint compound, putty knife and pole sander to my list of supplies.

Let me make sure I understand what needs to be done:

1) Clean and degrease panelling (we are in the kitchen ;))

2) Strip existing finish. Make sure the gas is turned off to the stove and the window is open, use chemical-resistant gloves. Soak rags in water when I'm finished.

3) Prime the panelling with stain stopping primer.

4) Use putty knife to fill the grooves with joint compound.

5) Sand the panels and the compound for an even surface (or...should I do that before I prime the panels?).

6) Prime again, over the joint compound.

7) Put on base coat of paint

Have I missed anything? And what's the best type of primer to use?

As long as you clean and sand well you shouldn't need to remove the existing finish. It should be primed with a shellac or oil base primer.

On the splintered areas you need to remove everything that is loose. If there are any splinters under the veneer, that part needs to be removed also unless you can glue it back tight. Anything that is loose may cause problems with the finish.

On the paneling grooves you will need to use atleast a 3" knife to smooth them out. On the damaged area you will need a 6" broad knife [or larger] You can always use a knife that is wider than needed, just not smaller unless you like to do a lot of extra sanding :eek:

Okay, sand paper, shellac or oil-based primer, and two knives -3 and 6 inches.

Will I need anything else to get started?

I can't think of anything else that's not mentioned here

Dragon Lady,

There's one little thing I forgot to mention: joint compound shrinks as it dries. That's why you over fill slightly and feather the fill out to the sides. Build up with 2 or 3 thin coats feathering out each a little wider and you wont need much sanding. It'll be easier to see any problems after you prime the compound. You can still sand and fill over your first primer coat. Before you prime it joint compound has such a dull finish you wont be able to see much. You can run your hand over it and feel highs and lows though.

Good Luck

Jan

Thanks, Jan2. Hopefully I'll understand that better once I actually get started. I've used spackle (to hide holes in rental walls), but never even knew what joint compound was before. :)

Spackling will also work.

Spackle will work? It won't come loose or chip off or slide down the wall or fall out?

I have some experience working with it; so that would probably be a better choice for me if it's durable and reliable -I don't want to have to redo everything in a few years. I might want to repaint, but I don't want to have to start over from scratch.

Since the the areas to patch are neither deep or wide spackling should do fine. I prefer j/c but mostly because I aways have some and IMO it spreads a little easier.

Don't forget to use a solvent based primer first so there won't be any issues with the spackling or j/c adhering. Latex primer is fine for priming afterwards [but solvent will work also]

I have to strip the cabinets anyway, so it might be easier and faster just to strip everything? Or is it easier to prime over the panelling instead?

I just want to be able to do the whole job in a reasonable time, because we have to be able to use the kitchen while I'm working on sections of it.

Also, we have a gas stove with pilot lights that are always on; and I'm not sure I can even turn the gas off to it (I assume I can, but dont' really know) so I'm kinda scared of too many flammable things in here?

Or is that really not a risk? I'm not sure if the warnings are completely serious, or just "moron alerts". :)

I wouldn't strip the paneling - the stripper might cause the veneer to delaminate. A quick rough sand and solvent based primer should be sufficent.

Some strippers are more user friendly than others - it is a good idea to heed the warnings.

Some strippers are more user friendly than others - it is a good idea to heed the warnings.

Surfing around a bit, I found a stripper called "Safest Stripper" by 3M. I called my local lumberyard, and they have it in stock. It's supposed to be non-flammable and non-toxic!

Has anyone used this? This might be the best bet for my cabinets, considering the kids and having to use the kitchen and all. And, this way I could take my time instead of trying to get it all done in one day.