Dark paneling was all the rage in the early '70s. Today lighter walls and open floor plans are more stylish. If your kitchen looks dated because it has dark paneling, you can easily freshen up its appearance with a few coats of paint.
In some instances you may be able to remove the paneling and paint the walls directly. But often paneling was installed with both nails and adhesive, and you could damage your walls if you try to remove the paneling. Also, in some cases the paneling was placed directly on the wall studs with nothing behind it.
When you're ready to start painting, make sure that your paneling is made of solid wood. Some paneling actually consists of a vinyl print that simulates the look of wood. To check, sand a small area on the wall. Vinyl coatings come off quickly, revealing the pressboard underneath. If your walls have a vinyl or thin veneer finish, you'll need to take extra care when painting them.
Another point to consider is the texture you want your walls to have. If you want a smooth finish, you can fill the paneling grooves with wood filler, a time-consuming job, or hang a liner over the paneling and paint the liner. Otherwise, you can simply paint the paneling for a look of added depth and texture.
- After you've gotten all your materials together, move any furniture out of the way, and place a drop cloth on the floor near the wall.
- Wash the paneling with trisodium phosphate, also known as TSP, to remove grease from the walls (figure A).
- Fill any damaged areas with spackling compound (figure B), and then sand them smooth.
- Remove any outlet covers and switch plates, and place masking tape over any areas that you don't want painted.
- Apply a coat of primer to the wall. The primer is important because it helps to cover the wall's imperfections, provides a better surface for the paint to stick to and keeps fresh paint from soaking into patched areas. If you have your primer tinted the same color as your paint, you may be able to get the job done with just one coat of paint.
| 
)
)
