Can You Paint Or Stain Laminate Furniture

You ll just need to do some extra preparation before you get started.

Can you paint or stain laminate furniture.

It s not difficult at all you just need to do it right. It will be a nasty sticky mess forevermore. Because laminate is essentially paper and plastic that s been applied to mdf you ll want to keep the stain mixture relatively thick. Add water to thin your paint mixture create a translucent stain.

With a high grit sandpaper and an oil based primer you ll be ready to paint over the laminate on your furniture so it looks updated and new. You cannot stain laminate. After doing some research i discovered minwax polyshades allows you to stain laminate giving it a wood stained look though i must be careful in my application. Apply stain blocking primer to the surface using a paintbrush or airless paint sprayer.

Wear a painter s mask when sanding. If the veneer is in good condition and isn t chipping you can sand prime and paint like you would any piece of furniture. I decided to stain the drawers and paint the body to match the dresser in my room. If it looks like a gloopy mess that s perfect.

The stain has nothing to soak into and will literally sit on top of the laminate and never fully dry. If the drawers top or base of the furniture piece are different woods the stain will look like it s a different color on each section and it would be a better choice to paint rather than stain it. First laminate can be painted over. Second laminate is more durable than wood when it comes to scratches and dings.

To refinish it paint it with a gel stain or a latex paint for a smooth finish. This is because plastic is nonporous and therefore can t absorb water like real wood can. You may need to sand down the glossy finish just before priming the stain. In the case of the antique dresser it was the same solid wood throughout.

150 sand grit paper. Wait for the stain blocking primer to dry before proceeding. Laminate is very smooth and shiny so you must sand or the paint and the gel stain won t stick. It will not work to lighten the finish.

I love two tone mcm furniture. Test the stain for color and adhesion on this spot to determine if the product is appropriate for your furniture. Apply polyurethane stain in a well ventilated area. Here s what i used.

You can paint laminate flooring when it becomes old and dull. Brushes are good for precision control over fine details but an airless paint sprayer provides quick coverage of large pieces of furniture. I ll go into the how to paint laminate in a minute. The polyurethane combined with the stain makes for a thicker solution and must be applied with a steady hand.

A high quality sander and a primer will also make a newly painted laminate floor look updated. Open your can of gel stain.