Built It Yourself: Painting Paneling Walls

Pocono homes are still rich with paneling from decades ago. On the upside, paneling walls are generally very sturdy and long lasting. On the downside, paneling walls immediately date the look of your home.

​Painting your walls is one of the most cost effective DIY home improvements available to home owners. Painting paneling walls, is one of the fastest and easiest way to create a fresh new look and updated feel in your home. 

This DIY project may vary slightly depending on exactly what kind of paneling you have and the desired end result.

5 How To Steps for painting your paneling walls:

1. Make sure the walls are clean. Some Dawn dish soap, water, a bucket and sponge, along with some elbow grease will be all you need. Make sure the walls are free of smudges, buildup, and grease. 
Pro Tip: Using extra lights will help you create a polished look by allowing you to see all the small detail areas that need attention throughout this process.

2. Do the walls have a shine? If your paneling has any kind of sheen to it you will need to get rid of that shiny top coat to allow the paint will stick. Any local paint store will have some removal agents that can be wiped on, but, a light sanding will also complete this step.
Pro Tip: Use a shop vac liberally or use a sander with a dust collector to save time cleaning up.

3. Step back and consider: Outlets, light switches, trim, and defects. If your paneling color and paint color are very different shades you may need to replace the electrical fixtures and trim, or, paint them to get the look you'd like.
Tip: This is the best time to fix any dings, holes, or loose nails in your walls.

​4. Prime! Use a good primer from the paint store, use a brush to cut in around all the edges, and then roll an even coat of primer on everything that will be painted. If you have any areas that require extra cleaning or sanding you should be able see and fix them at this point.
Tip: Most wall paneling has grooves so once the primer coat is on you will have a good visual idea of how those grooves will, or won't, work with the look you are trying to achieve. If you really don't like them you can fill them in with some Spackle.  

5. Paint! A good coat of interior latex paint is your next step. Use a brush to neatly cut in around the edges and roll, or brush, a good coat on everything else. Once the paint has dried you can decide whether or not you will need any additional coats.  
Pro Tip: When you buy your paint, get a little extra so you have a perfect match for future touch ups. 

That is pretty much all there is to this DIY home improvement project. If you try it, post your results in the comment section. 
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If you have a suggestion for a future DIY blog topic post it in comments section below!