How To Clean Paneling Walls Before Painting

If the paneling has old paint that was likely applied before 1980 do not sand the paneling unless you have the paint tested to confirm that it does not contain lead.

How to clean paneling walls before painting.

Once the target surface is already clean and dry it s time to make minor repairs when necessary. Clean the wall paneling with diluted tsp. If you have already tried cleaning painted paneling with only water and were unsuccessful visit a hardware store and look for a chemical product which will clean painted paneling. If you take a look at the walls in our back toy room this is how i painted those as well.

It may seem like cleaning sanding and priming are unnecessary but paneling requires extra attention if you want the wall to look its best. At this point the sponge should be dampened only with water. Do not allow the walls to become wet when cleaning as this can damage the paneling or leave a film. Once the second coat of primer is dry coat walls with one coat of high quality latex paint and let dry.

Cleaning a wall before painting it can be either a quick job or a major effort depending on the condition of the wall itself. Here are the steps on how to easily paint wood paneling. Same with painting over wood paneling preparation is a key to good vinyl paint finishes you can clean the surface the usual way. Do this only with water and little liquid soap.

Paint on two coats of a high quality oil based primer letting each coat dry once applied. Dampen a sponge or clean rag. When painting for wood paneling choose either a stain blocking latex primer or an oil based primer. When using soapy water thoroughly wring out the rag before wiping the walls.

Apply a thin coat of primer with a roller. Any dust dirt or oily fingerprints can prevent the paint from sticking well to the wood paneling so start by thoroughly washing the wood. Clean the painted paneling by wiping it with the damp rag. Use a brush to fill in any grooves.