INSL-X STIX Waterborne Bonding Primer is one of the best primers for laminate furniture. This primer is made specifically to bond to surfaces that are hard to coat, and will give you a smooth, level finish.
However, like latex paint, 1-2-3 Primer is water-based, so it won't adhere as well to laminate furniture without first sanding, and a longer cure time is also recommended when painting laminate. Zinsser Cover-Stain Primer – This is an oil-based primer. Oil-based primers provide great adhesion.
Unlike wood, laminate is a smooth, non-porous material, so it really needs something to 'grab' onto—primer will do the trick! It's suggested that primer takes seven days to completely dry.
INSL-X STIX Waterborne Bonding Primer is a great option for laminate cabinets. This primer is designed to bond to hard-to-coat surfaces to ensure application is easy and that you get a beautiful finish. It works on a variety of other surfaces and dries in 30 minutes.
Priming is really important with laminate furniture, so don't jump straight to applying the paint as this will be wasted effort. If the laminate has never been painted before, you will need to apply two coats of primer. When the first coat of primer has dried, lightly sand it before applying the second coat.
I always use Kilz primer for laminate and have had great luck with it. 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.
Latex paint is recommended for laminate surface painting projects because of its durability and smooth finish. Try ProClassic Interior Acrylic Latex Enamel for lighter colors, and All Surface Latex Enamel Base for deeper hues.
Paint your formica countertops with epoxy-based paint. Due to its dry nature, it is harder to use and more durable than other regular paints, and it will last longer. Epoxy paints are also available in a variety of colors and styles, making them an excellent choice for painting.
Laminate doesn't play well with all primers and paints, only those specially formulated to adhere to its picky surface. If you opt for a primer, choose a bonding primer tenacious enough to stick to laminate (view example on Amazon), and then top it with an oil- or latex-based paint after the primer has cured.
KILZ 2® ALL-PURPOSE Primer (Previously KILZ 2 Latex) is a fast drying, water-based, multi-surface primer-sealer-stainblocker with excellent adhesion, mildew resistance, sealing properties and very mild odor.
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.
It sticks to the laminate and creates the perfect surface for your paint to adhere to. It will help prevent the paint from peeling or being scratched. Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 primer is generally my pick, but Kilz works well too.
INSL-X® STIX® Waterborne Bonding Primer is an acrylic primer-sealer engineered to bond to hard-to-coat surfaces, providing the ideal base for top coats. Its tenacious adhesion creates paint-ready substrates, saving you valuable time and money.
KILZ® ADHESION Primer is a water-base, modified-acrylic primer specifically formulated to bond to a variety of 'tough-to-paint' surfaces.
I recommend using Zinsser Oil Based Primer. This stuff sticks like glue! I love their water based primer too, but when painting laminate, just go for the oil based, I feel it adheres better. Apply 2 coats of your Zinsser Oil Based Primer with a smooth foam roller.
Do use a powerful bonding primer like INSL-X® STIX®, which offers powerful adhesion properties to any surface, even shiny ones like laminate. Do use sandpaper that is finer than 220-grit. Do sand the shiny surface down to a dull finish before applying paint. Don't try to stain it.
You can paint the cabinets with oil-based paints, acrylic paints, or melamine paints once they have been primed. Moisture-resistant materials in the paint make Melamine paints ideal for painting laminate surfaces, since they are just right for the moisture and steam that are so prevalent in kitchens.
If you're planning to paint the laminate a dark color, you can skip the primer altogether and paint on one of these enamel paints. Beware that painting over damaged laminate will not result in a perfectly smooth surface.
Formica® Countertops - Can I just paint them? "Yes"... Formica® countertops can be painted and over time people have used latex paints, epoxies, and even cans of enamel spray paint.
The truth is, laminate, Formica®, and Wilsonart® are basically the same; laminate is the material while Formica® and Wilsonart® are the brand names. Both brands come in a wide range of colors and patterns and are widely marketed for kitchen countertops, bathroom vanities, and bar counters.
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.
So yes! You can paint laminate furniture without sanding! Keep in mind though, if you have any scratches or spots of nail polish (like I did), you'll want to sand those areas so you have a nice smooth surface for your paint.
Oil-based primer means that the base of the primer is oil. This primer can be used in combination with oil-based paint. Oil-based primer is better at sealing in stains and tannins. So, if you have a nasty smoke stain or smell that you'd like to cover, oil-based primer is ideal.
Rust-Oleum spray paints can be used on wood, wicker, metal, plaster, plastic, or unglazed ceramic surfaces. Rust-Oleum spray paint is so easy to use for transforming wood, melamine, laminate, or metal furniture.