What grit sandpaper would you suggest using on wood paneling, before painting over it?

Question

Also, should a primer be used too?

Answer 1

All you really want to do is break the "glaze" to provide a good bond for your primer. (Yes, use a primer)

Really fine paper will "load up" too quickly, while too coarse of a paper will leave a rough surface. 80-grit is a good compromise, IMHO!

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Sandpaper Grit For Wood

Answer 4

What you want is to open the finish on the paneling some so the paint will stick better. Liquid Sand works good, or regular grit fine sand paper 180 or 240 grit should leave a good smooth surface for painting. When sanding is finish use KILZ's PRIMER to seal the different colors of the paneling: you can have the PRIMER tinted toward the finish coat to help make that part of the job easer and give you a better finish too!

Answer 5

Depends.... If this is fine woodwork like an interior door for example, I would use 200grit. Use higher grits to get out any scratches but 200 grit to finish.
If it's wood paneling like in an old basement... then I would sand lightly with 120 grit (not totally necessary) then paint with an oil based primer )Latex primers wont adhere well to pre-finished wood paneling.) Then paint with latex or oil based paint.
I've painted paneling in several basements and never sanded it... and not had a problem. But it cant hurt to sand it a bit.

Answer 6

200 Grit Sandpaper

Answer 7

If you want to save yourself some elbow grease and time, use Paseo, Goof-Off No rinse Prepaint or some other liquid sand to take the gloss off. Liquid sand is a unique product that enables you to prime and paint glossy surfaces, like wood paneling, without sanding. If you still want to sand, use fine sandpaper on the paneling or you will leave scratch marks that will not disappear with priming and painting. But, you will need a lot of sandpaper if you do it by hand because it will "fill" fast. Whether you sand by hand or liquid, you must prime wood paneling to give the latex something to adhere to and to block the color of the paneling from bleeding through. I like the Zinser primer over Kilz because it leaves no brush marks, flows better and leaves a nice even base over which to paint. You can roll it on, but make certain you use a roller designed for your application (like sponge) to avoid bubbles and roller marks. I also like it because it can take either latex or oil based paint over it, though I prefer to use an eggshell latex paint on old wood paneling for ease of cleaning.

Answer 8

I would not use sandpaper at all. I would use an vibrating sander set at orbital, along with that id use a screen type sanding media in the medium grade. What that will do is not make streaking straight lines as a regular block sanding will or sandpaper. . It will give a unidirectional sanding pattern to the wood paneling sanding which will cover best when painted. .

If you use block sanding in straight lines, you will be able to detect that as the paint ages, and the paneling shrinks and swells due to moisture changes and thermal changes. That is why it is best to use an orbital setting on a regular vibrating electric sander to break that very smooth glaze as you need to. .

Answer 9

For paneling, I would sue a 100 grit and prime with a stain blocker like Kilz. If you don't prime the finish from the paneling will bleed through and ruin the paint job. You don't need to sand heavily, just scuff up the surface so the primer gets a good bond.

Answer 10

Sanding is a pain. I've used Gripper Primer from Benjamin Moore, tinted the same color as my paint color. I successfully used this to paint some cheesey pressed fiberboard 'wood' furniture. It did a fantastic job. It's great for slick surfaces. I have also used the same product to successfully prime laminate before painting. You may still have to do some sanding, but the Gripper Primer is really a great product. The guys at the BM store are wonderful about giving suggestions and advice. Good luck!

Answer 11

You can use 150 or 220. You want to use a finer grit (higher number) to avoid putting deep scratches in the paneling. You should always prime when you sand anything. You can also not sand it at all if there are no imperfections in the wood. I have paneling in my livingroom and bedroom and we just painted over it.