How to Paint Laminate Furniture Like a Pro

Many households have laminate furniture at home, be it a dresser or something. Laminate is a cheap synthetic that looks like wood grain.

Even though most painting professionals would recommend sanding your furniture before you paint it, that’s not necessarily necessary with the right primer.

Preparation
If painting laminate furniture is a daunting task, you don’t have to, with the right tools and supplies you can give life to the piece and make it the center of attention in any room. Learn how to paint laminate furniture in steps that last a lifetime.

After cleaning your work, prime it. Because most IKEA furniture is laminated or high gloss, you will need to use a good bonding primer to get the paint to stick. I recommend a foam roller so you can get to corners and crevices of laminate furniture pieces more effectively. I also like moisture barrier primers like Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 Primer or Kilz Adhesion High-Bonding Primer to protect the paint job against normal wear and tear or watermarks.

Sanding furniture before painting it is probably the first thing on your to do list when painting furniture but if you have the right preparation and tools, you could skip it all together saving yourself time, money, and arm pain! This saves money and arm power!

Sanding
Even though furniture is usually sanded down prior to paint, this isn’t always necessary with laminates. If you do plan to sand your furniture before painting, make sure to use a scuffing tool instead of an electric sander to get the best results and avoid through-sanding to engineered wood underneath the laminate.

Prime furniture prior to painting it. Prepping will engrave its finish, and cut down the coats. You want to be using quality primer like Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 or Kilz Adhesion High-Bonding Primer for best results.

This is a must if you are planning to install painted laminate furniture where it is often used, including in the dining room and coffee tables. Priming with top quality primer and sanding it, it’s paint will not be scratched or chipped very fast with daily use.

Primer
Primer is necessary when painting furniture, laminate furniture in particular. Laminate is really fake wood that you can’t paint straight on, without peeling later, so to get an even, durable finish on the laminate boards, Zinsser BIN Shellac-Based Primer is a great option for a hard surface such as this.

This primer gives your paint more stickiness to stick to a laminate that’s super glossy or shiny. After dry, lightly sand the primer with 220-grit sandpaper for best results.

Now, with priming finished, it is time to paint your laminate furniture with the latex paint and topcoat that can stand up to everyday abuse. : Wait for every coat of paint to dry thoroughly before you work with or use your furniture – this way you’ll get it right the first time and your room will look beautiful for years!

Paint
Complete by re-applying several coats of premium paint over your laminate, after drying each one thoroughly. Light sanding in between coats is recommended to smooth out rough patches and allow you to paint in a room that doesn’t get much ventilation. If you are painting inside or in a room that does not have good ventilation, opt for low VOC latex paints such as low VOC water based latex paints to reduce airborne emissions.

Laminate is an artificial product that looks and feels like real wood. Laminated is typically used on particle board or MDF and topped with an antimicrobial protective film layer. It is usually slippery and glossy and paint cannot stick to it.

All furniture needs to be cleaned and then sanded thoroughly prior to painting. Sanding will make sure that your paint lasts longer and protect laminate finishes such as INSL-X STIX Primer and with low VOC interior latex paints with great finish.