As with all your DIY projects, proper planning and knowledge is crucial.
If your furniture, cabinet doors or cupboards require some sprucing up, adding a fresh coat of paint may be just the thing you need. It is important to know if your furniture is solid wood, veneer, or laminate as this will affect the painting process. Laminate furniture is one that has a thin layer of plastic covering a substrate of particle board or plywood. It is not real wood though many have different wood grain patterns printed on the surface to mimic the wood look. This is slightly different from wood veneer furniture where the layer on top is not plastic but a thin layer of real wood. Laminate furniture is they easy to clean and resistant to staining. To have your paint stick to laminate, cleaning, sanding and priming is required before adding the first coat of paint.
Here are a few tips on how to paint laminate cabinets successfully.
This is an excellent way to prepare your laminate kitchen cabinets and cupboard doors for painting. This helps to roughen the slick surface of your countertops and will ensure that your paint job lasts.
Adding thin coats of an appropriate primer will provide the adhesive layer you need to have your paint stick. You need to choose a primer specifically made for laminate. An oil-based primer that has bonded features will be the best option for priming. Work with undamaged surfaces - For the best results, work with laminate surfaces that are not cracked, peeling or are damaged as this can influence the appearance of your final product. If you have extra laminate and a patch, you could use wood glue to re-attach the extra at the point of the patch and then fill any gap with the wood filler and smooth it over before you start painting. Best results are on a smooth surface as this attempt at repair may not work great in every situation.
Due to the glossy nature of laminate, proper preparation of the furniture that you want to paint is required for success.
Chalk paint will stick to the laminate surface, even when added directly and works great as a primer. If you were to use it as both the primer and for painting, many coats would be required.
The best option for painting laminate furniture is acrylic paint or oil-based paint. Satin or semi-gloss enamel paint is another type of paint that will yield good results and provide you with that satin finish. Even water-based latex paint can be used once the surface has been properly prepared. Do bear in mind that when painting, a second coat may be required or multiple coats depending on what is used.For painting, paint brushes, paint tray, foam rollers or paint sprayer, drop cloth or cardboard will be necessary. The foam roller or sprayer will help to prevent brush strokes, thus giving your DIY project a clean factory finish.
Laminate furniture can be successfully painted without sanding. However, to have the paint sticking to the furniture without the bubbles, peeling and scratches, you will need to use a primer. This is best applied using a foam roller. For your cabinet door or glass doors with laminate frames, a soft paint brush should be used to get the primer into the creases and crevices. There are many different types of primers available but it is important to choose a primer that was made for smooth surfaces. The best type of primer in this situation would be a bonding primer as this will tightly grip the laminate and promote adhesion of the paint you want to add. With this type of primer, sanding will not be necessary. Chalk paint will stick to anything and so can also be used as a primer for your DIY. Inspect your work in between coats regardless of the primer used and gently sand any raised brush marks before the top coat is added for a smooth finish.
When sanding your base cabinets, protect yourself by wearing safety glasses. Begin with a clean surface by using a damp cloth to help you. This should be a soft, lint-free microfibre cloth that has been dampened in warm water. Use a solution of water and vinegar or a TSP solution or sugar soap if there is any grease or stains on the surface. During packaging and manufacturing, oil is sometimes used and so some amount of oil may be present. Next, allow the surface to dry completely being sure to remove any residue of chemical cleaner you may have used. Use 150-220 grit sandpaper or an electric sander to lightly sand the furniture in a circular motion. This process requires light sanding as the thin piece of laminate can be torn off if you were to over sand or be too aggressive in the process. If this were to happen, the engineered wood or MDF layer beneath the laminate top would be exposed and you would see the difference when you are finish painting. So use a light sand process to just remove the glossy finish of the surface. When you have totally sanded the surface it will appear dull, but this is what you want to form the perfect foundation for a durable finish.