Can you paint laminate? Yes—and it's actually quite simple. Follow our step-by-step guide on how to paint laminate furniture, including project-specific tips for painting laminate cabinets, desks, coffee tables, bookshelves and dressers.
Tip: Latex paint is recommended for laminate surface painting projects because of its durability and smooth finish.
Just play with colors until you get the general tone you want and then add more paint to your base as you go, if necessary. Don't fret about getting it right the first time. As long as you don't over saturate your laminate, you're not ruining your furniture. The tones can be changed.
A: Like most rules, there's always an exception, so YES, you can paint laminate furniture without sanding or priming IF you use the right kind of paint. You can skip the primer if you are painting laminate furniture with chalk paint.
You can stain laminate in two ways; use a gel stain or latex craft paint. Whatever you decide to choose to stain your laminate furniture, the most important thing is to prime the surface. Without proper primer, the laminate staining would be an utter failure.
Tips for Painting Different Types of Laminate Furniture. For best results, remove doors and lay them flat to paint, as opposed to painting upright. Remove the hinges before you start the painting process. Make sure to re-apply once the paint is completely dry.
And, with that final layer of topcoat dry, you've given a fresh new look to an old laminate countertop. The painted surface is durable, but not quite as resistant to water and scratches as the laminate, so be sure to wipe up spills quickly and avoid scratching the paint as much as possible.
Painting laminate wasn't difficult, but I did find it more time-consuming than painting wood. To sum it up, the most important steps are to sand and prime all the surfaces before painting. If you were to skip those two steps, your paint would have nothing to adhere to and would most likely peel right off.
I don't recommend painting or staining laminate furniture without sanding. Even with the best primer, by not priming you risk your paint peeling. Sanding is the first thing you want to do when prepping laminate furniture to paint and it's important when painting a non porous surface to help the paint stick.
Now, with the right tools and expertise, it is possible to sand off the glossy layer on laminate without scratching the underlying image. Once you've carefully sanded down the glossy finish, you can then apply a new layer of paint or sealer. That being said, the work is often tedious.
Since laminate isn't real wood and won't absorb anything, it's just what you need. Essentially you are painting a coat of “stain” over the top to make it look like darker wood and not completely cover the grain like paint does.
The best way to ensure paint on laminate lasts is to sand the surface and use a good bonding primer, followed by two layers of high-quality latex paint and a durable top coat – allowing each layer to dry thoroughly before adding the next.
Instead of committing to the expense of replacing rundown kitchen cabinets, consider the more cost-effective solution of repainting them. Repainting laminate cabinets is an affordable way to turn eyesore storage into eye-catching, modern cabinetry.
If it's going to be rarely used and it's a high quality chalk paint like the one I used for this chalk paint dresser project, I'd say give it a go without priming…but I will remind you that it is always the “right way” to prime your painting projects no matter what.
Go for a self-priming paint that's formulated for use on glossy, laminate surfaces. This cuts out the need for special primers, reducing both expense and time. Frenchic's Al Fresco range, Lazy Range and Trim Paint are the ideal solution.
| Hunker. You can remove laminate from cabinets and paint the pressed wood as long as it's MDF. If it's particleboard, you probably won't be happy with the results.
Use polyurethane as a top coat.
Even if this won't take care of the gaps between the planks, a polyurethane top coats will protect the floorboards. It is important to note that laminate flooring has a thin resin layer which the polyurethane might not adhere well with.
And although laminate is more expensive compared to paint, they are more resilient and long-lasting than paint. Thus, in the long run, they will equalize the expense. Laminates are quite durable because they provide several advantages including resistance to scuffs, dampness, and surface abrasion.
Yes – but it's not 100% advised by the experts. Carolina Hansson, Head of Design at Luxury Flooring & Furnishings, explained that whilst it's totally possible to paint your laminate floor, it's often not the best long-term option. She said, 'You can paint laminate flooring, but I wouldn't recommend doing so.
You can sand, prime and paint laminate as if it were a solid wood piece of furniture! It's easy to skip the sanding step, because sanding is a drag… but it's especially important with laminate. Because it's often somewhat glossy-looking, and important to sand it down until the finish is very dull before priming.
My easiest solution to create a weathered wood finish on a laminate surface or faux wood is to paint the entire surface with white chalk paint and then “distress” it with dark wax. I did a similar project on this Terracotta pot where I gave it a worn look with white paint and dark wax.
Clean the laminate furniture with Krud Kutter to remove all of the dust and any grease or oil from the surface. Repair any scratches or chips in the laminate. Prime with a shellac based primer. Let primer dry before painting.