Wood paneling was a staple in the '70s and '80s. It was a whole look that was seen in quite a bit of homes, sometimes in multiple rooms of a home. If you have found that you have wood paneling in your home, and you've considered or even tried to remove it, only to find squiggly lines of glue on your walls that are too difficult to remove; don't lose hope, you can paint over this paneling to give your room an updated look without all the work of removing the wood. Read on for some information you should know before you paint over the paneling.

Clean The Paneling

Clean the paneling using a strong cleaner to remove dirt and dust buildup. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the cleaner to clean the paneling, then wipe the paneling down thoroughly once clean with warm water to remove the cleaner from the paneling. There are several great cleaning agents, but some can prevent your paint and primer from adhering to the wood, so be sure the cleaner is completely rinsed from the paneling.

Apply Primer

Paint over the paneling with a primer before you paint it to help the paint adhere to the paneling better. Painting alone can cause the paint to peel or scrape off easily as the paneling has a slick surface on it. Using a primer will allow you to skip sanding down the paneling as well. Typically with a shiny, slick surface, you would need to rough up the surface a bit to help the paint adhere, but priming the wood will allow you to skip that step.

Paint The Paneling

Paint your paneling using a paintbrush and rollers. You're going to need to use the paintbrush to get in between the grooves of the paneling and then use the roller to roll the flat surfaces of the paneling. A thicker nap roller can help achieve this as well, but you may have dripping paint in the grooves, so be sure to keep a paintbrush on hand. Paint your first coat with light even strokes, then apply a second coat after the first coat is completely dry. Painting a second coat too early can result in your paintbrush or roller wiping the paint back off of the wood.

If you have wood paneling in your home that was the height of interior design in the '70s and '80s, but you want to bring your home into this decade, consider painting over the paneling. Hire a professional painter to get this work done for you. Contact a local residential painting service, such as Alpha Pro Painting Inc., to learn more.