Since the move, I have been burning through Pinterest (naturally) looking for some creative and cheap decor fixes for the house and I came across a great blog that explained how to paint laminate furniture (which can be found here). I was super excited because a few days before, I found an old dresser out in the barn that was laminate and thought I would try the techniques on this piece of furniture. The great thing about this tutorial is that it does not require ANY SANDING (well, no heavy before painting sanding)!!! Which is awesome- sanding is tiresome and messy and makes my arms hurt. The kicker with laminate furniture is that you MUST pick the right primer. A primer that sticks to glossy surfaces is the one you want. If you want/need the piece of furniture to stay perfect for a really long time- then you should sand first, that is apparently always best but I am willing to save a few hours, skip the sanding and take my chances. Here are step by step instructions on how to paint laminate. Be prepared- it wasn't super easy nor was it super quick but it was well worth it because for about $45.00 I got a piece of furniture I love and I really think anyone could do it!
Step 1: Gather your piece of furniture and supplies and take off all the old hardware.
Before Pic Of the Furniture:
Sorry most of the drawers are out, I was too lazy to put them all back in for the picture.
You Will Need:
1) 1 qt of Zinsser Primer (Oil Based)- I used another type of primer first and I ended up having to wipe it all off because it would not stick and I had to start all over with this Zinsser Primer Oil Based. Most people don't like to deal with Oil based because it is hard to clean up but trust me it is worth the cheap foam roller and disposable tray you will use. Don't try rinsing it out- it is too much trouble, so just use a brush and roller you can throw away. If you don't get this primer then make sure to get a primer that can be used on glossy surfaces. The great thing about this oil based primer is that you can use ANY top coat, including latex, so you don't have to buy oil based paint.
2) 1 qt of you favorite paint color- I used a Latex Valspar Ultra Paint and Primer in the color Alabaster, eggshell finish ( it is a Sherwin Williams color but Lowes can match any Sherwin Williams color and they usually have a big book of all Sherwin Williams colors behind the counter)
3) Very Fine Sand Paper : This is to use before the Polycrylic and in between coats of the Polycrylic- I will explain more about it in a bit.
4) Polycrylic (you can buy it in a spray can or paint it on): I had no trouble with it in the spray can and it was super easy to use. Normally I never use a top coat with anything I have ever painted but this stuff is suppose to protect from water and scratches and I knew this piece of furniture would for sure have a wet towel or hot blow dryer laid on it in the near future. It also gave the dresser a super smooth finish and sheen. You can buy it in egg shell or semi-gloss finish but I chose to get it in semi-gloss because I wanted a little shine.
6) Small Foam Rollers for Cabinets and Doors: These things are magical. They make painting so much easier and smoother! Way quicker than a paint brush. Don't use just the small roller with the nap- it won't leave as smooth of as finish. Be sure to get the foam roller (not dense foam) for doors and cabinets.
7) A small handled angle brush: the brush pictured below is AMAZING! I have painted 3 rooms and numerous feet of trim with it. It is so easy to handle. You will this brush for all the small nooks and crannies that your roller can't reach. I normally paint the corners and small places with the brush and then go over it with the foam roller so it smooths everything out. This is how you get a piece without brush marks.
(Below is a picture of the brush, foam rollers, and the primer I originally used but BEWARE- do NOT use the KILZ LATEX (primer pictured below.) That primer is the one I had to scrape off because it would not stick.)
STEP 2:
Clean your piece of furniture thoroughly to get all the dirt and dust off of it. Including inside of the drawers because you are going to paint the inside too. Normally I wouldn't paint inside the drawers but this thing had been out in the barn with mice and whatever else inhabits that scary place. So I wanted to make sure all the drawers were clean and stain free. Let it dry and then move to step 3.
STEP 3:
Prime! Everywhere you will paint you will need to prime. Remember that if you are using the Oil Based paint that the only way to clean your brushes and roller is with mineral spirits, not soap and water. Because I hate paint clean up, I suggest skipping the clean up and just buy a cheap brush that you can throw away once you are done priming. Be sure not to leave drips or extra primer anywhere because it will show through the paint. I only primed one coat and it isn't suppose to look even. (or at least that is what I tell myself)
STEP 4:
Paint! I waited 24 hours to paint because it was wet and rainy outside and I wanted to make sure my primer was extra dry. I painted 3 coats on the top and sides of the dresser and the front of the drawers. Waiting about 2 hours between coats. If you don't want your paint to dry out and you don't want to use a new roller for each new coat, then put clear plastic wrap on top of your tray and around your roller so it won't dry out. I primed the inside of the drawers but did not paint them because I was too tired! A sorry excuse but I am sure I will get around to it later or ...never....
STEP 5:
Sand and Distress! Before you put on the Polycrylic it suggests sanding the furniture with very very fine sandpaper. I was planning on skipping this step but I saw a few places where paint had dripped or it looked uneven so I decided to sand it lightly. Make sure you do it lightly or you will take the paint off. I didn't do it lightly and learned my lesson when I saw some of the paint come off around the edges. I was in a hurry to finish the piece because it was Super Bowl Sunday and we had friends coming over, so instead of repainting the places where I took paint off, I just decided to distress the whole thing. Lets call it a beautiful mistake. Once you are done- wipe the whole thing down again so you can get all the debris off before you spray the Polycrylic. If you aren't distressing, the sanding should only take 5-10 minutes.(you should wait 24 hours before sanding)
STEP 6:
Spray Polycrylic. You spray one quick coat just like you would spray paint. It took me about 5 minutes to spray it on. Wait 30 minutes. Sand it quickly again, wipe it off again, and repeat Step 6. Wait 30 minutes for it to dry, attach your hardware and you are DONZO!
.JPG)
looks so great!
ReplyDelete