How to Paint Wood Paneling Successfully
I bet I have something in the garage of my new-to-me older home that most homeowners can’t claim they have in theirs. Can you guess what it is?
As I was trying to create a more welcoming entry to the house from the garage. I didn’t realize the room had it until I started to take photos in the corner of the garage last week for this post on how to paint wood paneling.
There is brown wood paneling on all the walls in the garage. The wood paneling is not what surprised me though.
Did you see it?
What surprised me was that my garage… has crown molding! How cool is that? It is stained brown, but it is crown molding… in the garage. :-)
When Ed and I were removing a desk that was in an upstairs closet we found out that 3 men built our house. We found their names written on the wall and the date, 1974. The fact that they took the time to add crown molding to the garage tells me that they really put a lot of thought into every detail when they built the house.
Brown was a decor trend back in the 70’s and this house must have been “trennn….dy” back in the day, not so much now though.
I am trying to turn that around by painting all the brown paneling and wood in the house, with white paint. So far I have painted my studioffice and now this corner of the garage. Just so you don’t think I am crazy, I am not painting the entire garage, only this corner where we enter the house.
Learning how to paint wood paneling, 1970’s fake or real takes a little more effort than just painting a wall since you need to prime with a stain blocking primer first. It needs to be used since the stain in the wood tends to discolor paint, that is why you need to use a “stain blocking primer”. It is worth the extra effort, as the wood paneling will resemble much nicer tongue and groove “cottage style” paneling once it is painted white.
How to Paint Wood Paneling from the 1970’s
supplies needed:
- Kilx Max Primer
- Valspar Interior semi-gloss: Bistro White 7006-4
- 2″ angled Purdy paint brush
- Smooth nap paint roller and roller cage and tray
- Drop cloths, ladder, painter’s tape
- Detergent or TSP and water
- Spackle, putty knife,
- Sanding block with 100 – 160 grit sandpaper
- Optional: Caulk – I like DAP Alex Plus Easy Caulk
- Go over walls with 100 – 160 grit sandpaper on a sanding block. A quick going over is all that is needed. I use the motion like I was cleaning the walls with a sponge when I sand. You don’t have to do much.
- Fill holes with Spackle, let dry, then sand smooth.
- Clean walls of all dust and dirt with detergent and water or a TSP mixture. Rinse and let dry.
- Tape off areas you don’t want to paint with Painter’s tape.
- Stir primer well.
5. Using a 2″ angled brush, start brushing primer into the vertical grooves in the paneling and around the floor and ceiling line.
6. Roll on one light coat of primer on the rest of the wall, let dry.
7. Repeat steps to add a second coat. Let this dry overnight. In the morning check to make sure the primer stayed white. If any area of the primed wall looks brown or orange, roll on another light coat of primer. (If you have a lot of stain coming through the paint you may need to use the shellac based Original Kilz. It is oil- based but does dry in 30 minutes). It will block any stubborn staining.
8. Once primer shows no signs of stain seeping through you can successfully paint the wall.
9. Optional: I find when I paint around door jams the white paint shows where the joints don’t meet. I fill these gaps with caulk and then smooth the caulk with an ice cube or a wet finger. Once dry, I can paint right over it. Now the wood will look seamless.
10. Roll on 2 light coats of paint, letting the first one dry before applying the second.
Doesn’t it look so much better? I may paint the door, but I want to wait until we decide what color to repaint the exterior trim on the house. I would like the door to coordinate with what ever color we choose.
Since taking this photo, Ed changed out the antique white light switch and plate on the wall so everything in the entry corner looks fresh and new without a major makeover. I can’t imagine life without paint. It is the best and most economical way to change just about anything.
I am still not quite done with this corner, stay tuned to see what I added.
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