Perhaps you have a tacky, old wooden bookshelf or maybe you have a new shelf that you think could use a little help brightening the place up – you may need to do. You can really dress up a room by dressing up your bookshelf with a little bit of paint.
You must remember that wood absorbs paint very quickly, so it’ll need a little preparation before you get to your painting job. There are some things that you should do in order to ensure that your shelves get the best results as possible. Follow these tips:
- Try to remove the shelves and their brackets is you can.
- Use fine-grit sandpaper to sand the whole bookcase and to sand the shelves as well.
- Make sure that you remove the shiny finish from the various paint jobs the shelf may have had before. Try to get the surface a little rough if it’s a laminate finish. When you’re finished sanding, the wood should feel a bit smoother.
- Use a vacuum or a damp rag to remove the residue from the bookcase. Make sure that you get to clean out all the corners of the shelf as well.
- Use a bristle paintbrush to apply a first, thin coat of primer on the shelves and bookcase, if you plan to paint the bookcase in a solid color. Make sure that you apply the primer in the direction of the wood grain and make sure that you use a latex primer for latex paints and an oil primer for oil paints.
- Let the primer dry. Give it about three hours.
- Painting in the direction of the wood grain, apply a thin coat of paint on top the primer.
- Use a wood pick or nail to try to get rid of the excess paint from the inside of the bracket installation holes (this is for in case you removed the shelves before painting).
- Let the paint dry before you give it another coat. You should try to apply a couple coats to it in order to get the correct color and coverage.
- Try sanding the latex paint slightly between each coat, not with oil-based paints. Let the paint dry overnight before you reassemble the shelves.
If you are looking for Kitchen and Bathroom Renovations in Ottawa then you have come to the right place and we can help you with all of your home improvement and contracting needs with our skilled renovation contractors in Ottawa. We start with an inspection and a free estimate for your home renovation and improvement. Manning Maintenance & Renovations takes pride in providing clients with expert advice throughout the entire construction phase.
