Advice needed: Painting on melamine/formica
Claire
I am sure this question must have been posted before but I couldn't find
the answer.
I would like to give a face lift to my kitchen units without spending to
much. They are plain old boring
white melamin/formica. I am planing to paint them and add a thin wooden
frame to fit each door. I have three questions:
- How do I go about painting formica (priming,etc...) and what type of
paint can I use ?
- What type of glue to use to stick my wooden frame ?
- Is it better to paint before glueing or the other way round ?
Thank you for your time and advice
Claire - c.fe...@sghms.ac.uk
Dave Goulbourne
Claire,
Paint as metalwork. Degrease, flat with wet & dry (around 400 grit
paper) to achieve overall matt finish. Undercoat, flat again then gloss
or probably better, satin finish. I think a normal oil based paint is
best in this location.
Contact adhesive for your trim, varnish it first.
Paint doors before glueing on strips otherwise you'll need to mask the
strips.
Marry me! I have a boat that needs some of this TLC! :-)
Dave.
Max Bone
<c.fe...@sghms.ac.uk> writes
>They are plain old boring
>white melamin/formica. I am planing to paint them and add a thin wooden
>frame to fit each door. I have three questions:
>- How do I go about painting formica (priming,etc...) and what type of
>paint can I use ?
You could follow the instructions given by the previous poster, although
400 grit is rather harsh for denibbing between coats, 800 grit upwards
would be better. Its no longer essential to abraid these types of
surfaces though, modern acrylic primers are quite sufficiant in this
type of situation, such as International Melamine Primer.
Then finish with your chosen system, Matt/Satin finishes usually look
best as they hide imperfections (if your not the best of painters), but
well applied high gloss enamels can also look really good.
>- What type of glue to use to stick my wooden frame ?
I'm not sure whether or you intend to paint the wooden frame in the same
finish, if so, it would be better to glue to the cupboard door first
then you can use an acrylic filler to hide any open joints etc.. before
painting. although I would prime and prepare the timber as much as
possible before fixing.
On the subject of Glues I know very little... others here should be able
to help.
Regards
--
Max Bone
Chris French
>
>I am sure this question must have been posted before but I couldn't find
>the answer.
Very recently, have a look on Dejanews, or even just setback your news
collection the thread started on 14/9/98 subject 'ESP (Easy Surface
Prep)'
>- How do I go about painting formica (priming,etc...) and what type of
>paint can I use ?
WE used ESP to prime followed by an undercoat with Dulux 'Satinwood'
topcoat. Over white melamine you might getaway without the undercoat
--
Chris French
Email address valid for at least two weeks from posting
Steve Bird
<c.fe...@sghms.ac.uk> writes
>Hi all
>
>I am sure this question must have been posted before but I couldn't find
>the answer.
>white melamin/formica. I am planing to paint them and add a thin wooden
>frame to fit each door. I have three questions:
>paint can I use ?
>
>Thank you for your time and advice
>
>Claire - c.fe...@sghms.ac.uk
>
I've been following this thread with interest. I've tried a number of
the ideas posted, for me they all resulted in non-durable finish. It may
well be that the cupboards are not formica and don't take kindly to
being painted. I found the adhesion between the primer (or first paint
layer applied) and the formica was poor, such that I could scratch it
off with a finger nail. As the cupboards are in a childs bedroom it was
unlikely to survive the 'stuck repeatedly with a blunt object' test... I
have experimented further and found that doing normal surface degreasing
and keying followed by primer, then 'top' coats (in my case emulsion),
then followed by 1 or 2 layers of water based varnish resulted in a
finish which required dynamite to remove it. It is crayon proof, scratch
resistant, washable and can have whatever sheen you require from dead
flat to gloss.
If you're planning any kind of paint effect you would probably want to
finish with a protective layer anyway, especially in a kitchen.
Steve...
Max Bone
co.uk.island> writes
>
>I've been following this thread with interest. I've tried a number of
>the ideas posted, for me they all resulted in non-durable finish. It may
>well be that the cupboards are not formica and don't take kindly to
>being painted. I found the adhesion between the primer (or first paint
>layer applied) and the formica was poor, such that I could scratch it
>off with a finger nail.
This is usual, it takes two full bodied applications of primer, and I
would not expect a water-borne coating to achieve full hardness in under
30 days. These priming coats then should be protected by two coats of
your chosen finish, the tougher the better.
Many people apply two coats of primer, then the following day apply
their top coat, after leaving it overnight they try the 'finger-nail'
test and quickly announce their dissatisfaction. By the time I get there
to investigate a week or two later, the coating is *extremely* hard and
unable to be removed by finger-nails alone.
Similar systems to that which you reccommend are used on wooden floors
to great effect, so I would whole heartly agree with your conclusions.
regards
--
Max Bone
Claire Fenech
Steve Bird wrote:
> In article <360660BD...@sghms.ac.uk>, Claire
> <c.fe...@sghms.ac.uk> writes
> >Hi all
> >
> >I am sure this question must have been posted before but I couldn't find
> >the answer.
> >I would like to give a face lift to my kitchen units without spending to
> >much. They are plain old boring
> >white melamin/formica. I am planing to paint them and add a thin wooden
> >frame to fit each door. I have three questions:
> >- How do I go about painting formica (priming,etc...) and what type of
> >paint can I use ?
> >- What type of glue to use to stick my wooden frame ?
> >- Is it better to paint before glueing or the other way round ?
> >
> >Thank you for your time and advice
> >
> >Claire - c.fe...@sghms.ac.uk
> >
>
> I've been following this thread with interest. I've tried a number of
> the ideas posted, for me they all resulted in non-durable finish. It may
> well be that the cupboards are not formica and don't take kindly to
> being painted. I found the adhesion between the primer (or first paint
> layer applied) and the formica was poor, such that I could scratch it
> off with a finger nail. As the cupboards are in a childs bedroom it was
> unlikely to survive the 'stuck repeatedly with a blunt object' test... I
> have experimented further and found that doing normal surface degreasing
> and keying followed by primer, then 'top' coats (in my case emulsion),
> then followed by 1 or 2 layers of water based varnish resulted in a
> finish which required dynamite to remove it. It is crayon proof, scratch
> resistant, washable and can have whatever sheen you require from dead
> flat to gloss.
>
> If you're planning any kind of paint effect you would probably want to
> finish with a protective layer anyway, especially in a kitchen.
>
> Steve...
Dear all
I have been put off by all this...I am just going to make new kitchen
cabinets doors with MDF
and paint them.
Thanks anyway for all the help and suggestions.
Claire
Charles (Joe) Stahelin
option. Veneered MDF edged with hockey stick moulding (as by
Burbridge) gives a reasonable degree of relief without too much effort.
-------------------
In article <361A0F63...@sghms.ac.uk>, Claire Fenech
<c.fe...@sghms.ac.uk> writes
>I have been put off by all this...I am just going to make new kitchen
>cabinets doors with MDF
--
Charles (Joe) Stahelin,
Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK.