You should know THIS when painting over laminate!
We’ve all been there; we’re standing at the thrift store and see a piece of furniture that’s totally amazing, but isn’t real wood. You think: “what can I do with laminate? won’t paint just chip right off?” Well, it’s time to rethink that notion because YES, there is something you can do to revive that dated laminate piece!
When dealing with laminate, it’s important to ensure that the piece is thoroughly clean before we begin. Dirt will negatively affect the adhesion of the primer and paint onto the surface. So, take a clean rag and some denatured alcohol or a good degreasing spray, and wipe down the entire piece (after you’ve vacuumed out the spiderwebs and crumbs and dusted the piece).
Now that it’s clean, we want to fill in any flaws and imperfections that might be in the laminate. I like to use a simple wood filler on my projects and use a razor blade to smooth out the filler after I apply it. Make sure not to over-fill the holes and cracks, otherwise you’ll have to do a lot of sanding later.
Once the gaps are filled in, take a 180-grit sanding block or piece of sandpaper and get to work! Be sure to get into all the crevices, and make sure you’ve flattened the areas that you filled with wood filler. Remove your sanding dust with a good microfiber cloth, then progress to 220 grit and repeat this process. Remove sanding dust.
Now it’s time for the fun part: priming. This is the most ESSENTIAL key to working with laminate: you have to prime your piece! Primer is made to be incredibly sticky and stick to surfaces like wood, stone, brick, and even glass. Therefore, you have to prime to create a surface that your paint will actually adhere to. My favorite primers to use are mentioned in another blog post, but I’ll reiterate here: Zissner BIN primer is totally amazing! The shellac-based version is the best. You can buy it in spray can form here: https://amzn.to/2RTgDAd (for single or smaller projects), or in a quart or gallon (https://amzn.to/2Ef8Lks) that you can brush or spray on. Whether you’re spraying with the spray can or with a paint sprayer or brushing it on, make sure to do at least 2 light coats. Wipe up drips immediately.
After you’ve primed, scuff the surface with an abrasive scotch-bite pad or 220 grit sandpaper one final time to make sure the surface is level. If you see any thick areas, sand those with 150 grit, then 200 grit, then prime again.
And, that's it! You’re ready to paint as usual :) See, it isn’t that hard to deal with laminate!
As always, thanks for reading! Be sure to check back here for a new blog post each and every Friday! Stay tuned into fun updates, resource guides, the blog, and more by subscribing to my email list! Also, make sure you’ve joined the REAL party on Instagram, because I post even more beautiful transformations, tips, behind the scenes, and fun vintage finds almost every day! I’d love to see you over there ❤️
-Austin
