How to Paint Over Bathroom Paneling

How to Paint a Shuffleboard Court
Published: Apr 28, 2010
Updated: Nov 5, 2021
1 minute read

Painting inside your home is already tricky enough. Add to that the humid environment of your bathroom and odd paneling, and you're in for a difficult job. Although repainting the paneling in your bathroom may seem a little daunting, the process is moderately easy to complete once you get started. If you do it yourself, you'll save money as well as have the satisfaction of completing the project on your own.

Things You'll Need:

Things You Will Need

  • Soap
  • Water
  • Sponge/scrubber
  • 180-grit sandpaper
  • Washcloth
  • Primer
  • Paint roller
  • Paint pan
  • Paintbrush
  • Paint
  • Clean the paneling in your bathroom before you begin the painting process. Use basic soap and water, and scrub the paneling with a sponge or scrubber. This removes any built-up grime or dirt that has accrued over time. Once you are finished cleaning, wait for the paneling to dry.

    Roughen the paneling with 180-grit sandpaper. Rub the sandpaper over all of the paneling until the surface is dull. This creates a better surface for your primer paint and allows your final coat of paint to stick best to the paneling.

    Remove any excess dust created by the sandpaper with a damp washcloth.

    Prime the bathroom paneling with a 100% acrylic primer. This type of primer sticks best to paneling. Paint the primer onto the paneling as you would a typical coat of paint. A paint roller works best on paneling.

    Wait for the primer to dry completely. Typically, 24 hours is enough time.

    Repeat the primer painting process with the paint of your choice.

    Wendy Rose Gould

    Wendy Rose Gould is a professional journalist who has contributed to "Glamour" magazine and the Huffington Post, among other publications. After internships at the "Indianapolis Business Journal," "Kiwanis International" and "NUVO…

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