Don't Mess Up Painting Paneling

Get professional results painting paneling.

I have read many articles and tips on painting paneling. I have also painted far too many rooms with paneling than I care to remember and want to share with you the proper way to get professional results.

The first step is to clear out all furniture that will not fit in the middle of the room to leave room for you to paint. Cover any furniture you may have left in room. Next remove any nails from the walls that were used to hang pictures, shelves, or any other items that may have been hung on the walls. You will want to clean the walls well with soap and water or a good cleaner that will not leave any residue.

You may use a good quality caulk or wood filler to fill the holes. You will want a smooth surface before applying any primer so sand and prep as needed.

I recommend applying a coat of primer to the walls and any moldings you want painted. It is personal preference as to paint crown, door, and baseboard moldings. Usually painting the walls with satin paint any color other than white and painting the moldings a semi gloss bright white will give you a very clean and distinct look, making the moldings really stand out.

If you do choose to paint the moldings then paint them with a good coat of primer also and by choosing this you add another very important step to ensure you end up with a professional paint job. After you have applied the first coat of primer to all walls and moldings, look around and search for any black lines. These black lines usually show up where the paneling pieces meet. (About every four foot since paneling comes in sheets four foot by eight foot.) You can fill this area with caulk by squeezing caulk in the groove where the two panels meet and then using your finger to remove the excess. You will want to keep a wet rag for wiping the caulk off your finger.

Now look up in the corners for where the crown molding meets and fill any areas that you see a black crack or line in. This is important so when you put the last coat of trim paint on every corner is nice and finished, not showing a black gap where the moldings don't meet tightly.