Can You Paint Or Stain Laminate Furniture

If it looks like a gloopy mess that s perfect.

Can you paint or stain laminate furniture.

Second laminate is more durable than wood when it comes to scratches and dings. 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. To refinish it paint it with a gel stain or a latex paint for a smooth finish. The polyurethane combined with the stain makes for a thicker solution and must be applied with a steady hand.

Apply stain blocking primer to the surface using a paintbrush or airless paint sprayer. Lightly sand the laminate with 150 grit sandpaper. I love two tone mcm furniture. Wear a painter s mask when sanding.

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. If the veneer is in good condition and isn t chipping you can sand prime and paint like you would any piece of furniture. The stain has nothing to soak into and will literally sit on top of the laminate and never fully dry.

Because laminate is essentially paper and plastic that s been applied to mdf you ll want to keep the stain mixture relatively thick. It will be a nasty sticky mess forevermore. You can paint laminate flooring when it becomes old and dull. 150 sand grit paper.

Here s what i used. You ll just need to do some extra preparation before you get started. 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. Test the stain for color and adhesion on this spot to determine if the product is appropriate for your furniture.

In the case of the antique dresser it was the same solid wood throughout. This is because plastic is nonporous and therefore can t absorb water like real wood can. Wait for the stain blocking primer to dry before proceeding. You may need to sand down the glossy finish just before priming the stain.

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. I ll go into the how to paint laminate in a minute. Add water to thin your paint mixture create a translucent stain. Apply polyurethane stain in a well ventilated area.

Only use polyurethane stain if you intend to darken your laminate furniture. It s not difficult at all you just need to do it right. A high quality sander and a primer will also make a newly painted laminate floor look updated. I decided to stain the drawers and paint the body to match the dresser in my room.

Open your can of gel stain. You cannot stain laminate.