What is the very best way to paint over existing wood laminate panelling?

I need to know the details: covering the 'lines', latex or oil base primer and paint.What is the very best way to paint over existing wood laminate panelling?
First and foremost: clean the surface of wax and oils. Use TSP (can be got in a paint store or hardware store. Wash it down with a decent concentration of the stuff. Let it dry.


Can you scratch it with sandpaper? If it is floor laminate type stuff this alone is a job. Hand sand it';use 80 grit'; While that sounds harsh, l don't like to put a lot of muscle energy into it and the surface is hard so you are hardly gonna make a dent in it with that grit. Get it scratched similar to the concentration of the hairs on your dads arm. That is sufficiently sanding.. This is especially important if it is glossy laminate. If you are speaking of ';fake wood paneling'; still it must be cleaned first(ALWAYS) and then use 100 grit same sanding technique. Get it scratched up all over.


The lines are there, I am assuming you mean the cracks or the grooves? Filling it is a bloody pain '; I would not bother. A sow's ear is a sow's ear. Never gonna be a silk purse.


Now paint. I never believe in the the primer and paint in one can stuff. They are weak in one area. And I don't need weak.


Use ';Alkyd primer';, yes it is oil based, yes it is a pain to clean up.


';but you were concerned with painting it, not cleaning up';


So you need a natural bristle brush for oil(a cheapy will do, and a roller of 1/4'; pile on the ';roller sleeve'; and a roller tray.


First brush in the edges (ceiling,walls floor and inside corners where the roller won't reach, also small ledges or edges). And probably, just to be safe, brush a thin coat down the lines(as most of the time they are black grooves, also take off the outlet plate covers and as many nails that stick out as you can....so the roller has a smooth surface with no interruptions. So do all the brushing work first. Then wrap some plastic wrap around the wet paint bristles so it does not dry out and put the brush on the side(you might need it later on, so just unwrap it and use it then rewrap so it does not dry hard.


. If this is a wall, find a screw in broom handle which fits the screw in in the handle of the roller. Now no ladder is needed and you can stand on the floor and rock and roll. Sometimes the broomhandle may have to come off when you are doing tight areas like in closets(oh, yeah- I paint everything.)


Half a job is half a job. Then leave the window open for the rest of the day and a small crack in the door so the stink will dissipate and close window that evening. and give the painted surfaces a day, 2 is better,3 even better'er. to dry. Toss the brush and roller sleeve in the garbage. You won't be using them anymore on this job(that is why I said a cheapy will do). Let the roller frame dry. (Paint does dry) It will be used again..


Then go in after at least 24 hours, and scratch the wall ';like you were at school and doing it on the blackboard.';with the old fingernails. Not super hard, just a quick swipe down the wall.


Paint should not come off(or even half of the paint into your nails) If it does, it is not dry yet. A little heat(like regular room temperature will help).


. Once it is fully dry you have a solid surface to put on what you wish - be it latex or oil or wallpaper.. With a latex topcoat - that paint goes on thicker so will fill the lines better, hiding them in paint as you can use a fuzzier roller(1/2';) than you do with oil paint. And if the lines did not hide on the first coat of latex; wait a day and paint it again(and maybe a 3rd time if you feel inclined with a day wait again in-between coats). But you should put on 2 coats of latex so the color is even and all the primer is protected. I say a day because I am figuring a house with no heat. Never apply too soon otherwise it just rips off the coat underneath and it looks like dog poo. When in doubt read the can.


Oh, when using latex - 100% acrylic is a must.What is the very best way to paint over existing wood laminate panelling?
If you don't care about the lines, use a primer first then apply the paint. If the lines are an issue, I would replace the paneling with drywall. Filling the lines with putty and sanding is a lot of work.


Either latex or oil base paint will work. Make sure if it's interior you use interior paint and the same with exterior. If it is exterior, oil base paints works best, but oil base paints are harder to clean up. If you check with Consumer Reports, they give you the ratings on the best products to use. Good luck painting...
lightly sand the paneling with a fine grade sand paper. Sand it just enough to dull the existing finish. This will make the paint stick much better.





Paint with latex primer and latex paint.





I would just paint over the lines and leave them exposed. Thats what I did in my house and I think it looks great. If the lines really bother you then you can fill them with drywall mud, but some extra skill level is required for that. If you don't do it just perfect then the patched lines will show through after you paint them.
I didn't cover the lines of our wood paneling, although hypothetically you could fill them and sand, etc. Sounds like a whole lotta work for that.





However, I did use a premium ';one coat/primer included'; paint. It covered nicely, the paint adhered without problems. I also used a very dark color though, deep brown on brown paneling. There is no trace of the ';wood grain'; coloring showing through.