Painting Laminate Furniture

Hiya

I found this amazing tutorial about painting laminate furniture. To be honest... I did not know that it could be done but I love the results of this bookshelf makeover see it here at Sas Interiors.

Gorgeous isn't it. I am loving this look. This is how it looked before.

Now this process requires sanding and she also has tips on how to add new shelves and a new shelf back. Click here for more.

You willl need:
Orbital Sander (to make it go faster)
Primer
Desired Paint color

Directions

1.Use your orbital sander on the bookshelves. It was important NOT to sand too much otherwise the surface would get ruined (since it’s essentially paper), but at the same time it was important to get them ‘roughed-up’ so the paint would absorb into the surface.

Sanding the Bookcase

 2. Prime all the surfaces. Primer is important, but especially when painting over laminate. Unlike wood, laminate is a smooth, non-porous material, so it really needs something to ‘grab’ on to – primer will do the trick!  It’s suggested that primer takes 7 days to completely dry.

3. Use a brush for the corners and a roller for the flat surfaces.  In certain areas, I used a brush first, then went over the same surface with the roller to achieve a smooth, stroke-less surface.

TIP: If the surface isn’t sanded or not sanded enough, then the paint will bubble

4. The bookcases took about 3-4 coats until they were fully covered. And even after they were dry to the surface, I didn’t put anything on the shelves for at least a week.  Paint takes about 30 days to fully cure and with the heavy books and accessories sitting on them, the last thing I would want would be to have them ruined or peel!

The finished product is worth the work. Go over to Sas Interiors to see the full tutorial and see her tips on replacing the sagging shelves on the laminate bookcase as well as the back.