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.
Tip: Latex paint is recommended for laminate surface painting projects because of its durability and smooth finish.
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.
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.
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.
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.
For painting laminate furniture, you want to do at least 2 coats of primer and let them cure completely (overnight if you can!) in between coats. You can even sand in between coats for maximum adhesion. (Fancy words eh?) I used a smooth roller and rolled on 2 coats of primer and let it dry overnight.
If you want to make a big impact in your kitchen without a big investment, consider priming and painting your laminate countertops. Your local paint store can supply you with the best type of paint to use in this project. Many recommend a water-based acrylic primer, paint and top coat.
The BIN shellac-based primer, Cover Stain primer, and clear shellac primer mentioned above all come in aerosol spray paint cans and are SO good at getting paint to stick to laminate cabinets or furniture.
I know sanding isn't all that fun, but it really is necessary for this project. Light sanding makes sure the paint can adhere to the smooth laminate surface properly. It also knocks out any little imperfections before painting, ensuring that damage won't show through the paint.
Latex or water-based paint works well on laminate cabinets if you use a good primer. But before it fully cures, the paint remains sticky and may peel off easily if two painted surfaces bump against each other. With a water-based primer underneath. latex paints may take one to four weeks to cure.
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.
Allow the furniture to dry for at least two hours between each coat. Let the newly-painted furniture cure for a week. You can re-attach any handles or knobs to the furniture once the final coat is dry, but avoid setting anything on the furniture until it's cured for a week to prevent peeling.
Using 120-grit sandpaper, lightly sand the laminate surface in a circular motion. Don't worry if the furniture starts to look a little dull and less glossy, this is what you want to happen. Avoid sanding too much or you might tear up the laminate from the surface, or even make a hole.
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. We recommend using 120 grit sandpaper for this.
Ideal Uses: Metal, Wicker, Concrete, Wood, Vinyl, Laminate, Plastic and, Glass.
Laminate is not absorbent as wood, so using a normal wood stain will not work. Using a finish to stain laminate flooring is less drastic than painting it, but the finish will need to be reapplied once the colour dulls. You also won't get the look of scratched paint.
Prime the surface using a bonding primer to ensure that your paint will stick to the laminate. Paint on at least two coats of chalk paint evenly over the entire piece of furniture; lighter colors may need more coats for full coverage.
BONDING PRIMER
The highest quality bonding primers will often state 'no sanding is necessary' and will adhere to almost any shiny surface, such as glass, metal, tile etc. Primers like Kilz, Fuse, and Zinnser are good for bonding very strongly.