[Help] Melamine cabinet painting 🤷🏻‍♂️

Submitted by WilliamH93 t3_ygi1su in DIY

Hi there, looking for some advice from anyone that has had experience painting over melamine veneer kitchen cabinets.

The previous owner of our house looks to have put a single coat of paint straight over the veneer without priming or preparing the surface at all, so we are looking to strip the paint off the chipping paint completely and start fresh.

We have heard mixed things about the Dulux Renovation Range so are trying to work out what alternatives we might have.

If we sand the veneer back a little and prime it, can we get with any primer and water-based paint or is it best to stick with something like the Dulux Reno Range?

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Pardon_my_baconess t1_iu8whqz wrote

Your main issue will be getting the new paint to stick to the slick melamine surface.

Step 1: sand the melamine surface with 150 grit sandpaper. Wipe clean of debris.

Step 2: apply a shellac based primer such as Sherwin Williams. Allow to dry.

Step 3: paint on your new color

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BobSHEla t1_iu8oc6v wrote

We had the same cabinets with the wood trim and we brought a door to Sherwin Williams and had them color match the cream veneer. We left the veneer as is and only painted the wood trim and added brass hardware- they looked awesome and no one ever knew they were the melamine cabinets! Just an idea- good luck :)

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iRamHer t1_iubjxjl wrote

just commenting because of the "no one ever knew they were melamine" comment. houses in all price ranges from $5k demos to multi million dollar builds have melamine/ mdf cabinets. melamine isn't an inferior material, its actually one of the main and is great if the base material is decent and the melamine adhesive is quality.

if a cabinet is built right, sealed right, according to the room's needs [and ventilation/ drainage if that's needed] melamine is a great material. I don't like it because of its additional weight but will definitely use for floor cabinets/ occasional wet areas when I can properly seal it.

with that said, it gets a bad rap because it isn't properly sealed and/or is used in high humidity/ high splash areas and is allowed to touch the ground.

nothing to be ashamed of and you can route a nice edging on it with time. yes I prefer plywood but with these prices we're gong to see a lot of negative comments because flippers used it in appropriately and people can't seperate the poor install from the product itself.

I know you didn't say all that but I feel people should be aware that it IS a great material and can be potentially used anywhere with custom edging, what have you, if done properly. some people feel "poor" because HGTV tells them what they have isn't good and frankly, HGTV and all those home shows are garbage.

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BobSHEla t1_iubkwaq wrote

I totally get your point and apologize if I made anyone feel less than. The kitchen in my home was installed in the early 80s so my melamine and wood cabinets were in that 80s style. My goal painting was to update/modernize the feel of the room. By not “noticing” I meant it didn’t feel so 80s anymore. That being said- those cabinets lasted over 40 years working perfectly with no chips or peeling or anything so the quality of the material is awesome!

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iRamHer t1_iubmpn5 wrote

no I get what you meant. but people care so much about what others think I can see people jumping on the "x material is bad" band wagon. I was just pointing out for others who are looking for material, especially with these prices, that melamine/mdf always has a place in any price range. it just takes care whether you're building on your own or buying pre built.

no harm from me, just leaving a tid bit for anyone getting lost in cabinet world. yes it's very susceptible to edge swell more so than plywood, but again that's as simple as elevating or sealing edges. same with laminate for those reading. great surface, brands like formica 180fx really do great at their 3d designs imitating depth of stone, especially with modern manufacturing of certain brands, but severely botched by poor installation or poor subsurface/ adhesion. these great materials get kicked to the curb thanks to misinformed word of mouth, or because someone moved into a house with 50 year old laminate that needs replaced.

rant over. again no offense to you, I got what you meant. just wanted to clarify for other people browsing

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cloughie t1_iu9scxj wrote

Sand it back, light prime with Dulux “difficult surfaces”, paint, seal with Ronseal matt interior varnish

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gunner10105 t1_iu91bx9 wrote

Sand or scuff then zinger cover stain then good quality cabinet paint such as Xpert melamine. All can be found at Dulux paints

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Born-Exercise1997 t1_iu97wjx wrote

Please use a BONDING primer(oil or latex). Critical. Then, you can top coat it with a durable latex paint.

Don’t go cheap on the paint tools either, the better the quality, the better the paint job. Purdy is an excellent choice for brushes, and a cigar roller is a great choice to roll out a super smooth finish on the primer and the topcoat finish. Remember, the shorter the nap on the cover, the smoother the finish. The higher sheen in the topcoat also needs the shorter nap on the roller cover.

Also, latex paint doesn’t really start to bond well or cure out well for several days, so don’t banging and scratching the doors for about 7-10 days. It will be dry to the touch in a couple of hours, but give the coating a chance to cure before you get rough with it.

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navigationallyaided t1_iu9jcg8 wrote

Dulux, I assume you’re in the UK/Australia/Canada. PPG owns the rights to the Dulux brand in Canada, while AkzoNobel has the rights to it in the UK/EU. You need an “adhesion” primer such as Insl-X Stix, if you’re in the US/Canada it can be had at any Benjamin Moore dealer or Ace. You need the equivalent to that. An oil-base primer can also work.

Sand the melamine/Formica with US320/400 grit, prime, sand again with US400 grit, dust and paint with a good waterborne alkyd - dunno what your country has but something similar to Ben Moore Advance or PPG Break-Through in the US/Canada. Sand in between the first and final paint coats.

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Every_Wolverine_3655 t1_iu9ts9w wrote

Painted my laminate kitchen cabinets almost 2 years ago. Have held up great. I used heirloom traditions paint. Just requires a deep cleaning before painting

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Gcodelife t1_iu9tec4 wrote

So... Are the cabinets veneer or are they melamine? You specify both, but that doesn't make sense.

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