Like the money that you didn't put away in your 20's and 30's,the education that you didn't finish-or start- like that scalding catastrophic romance eons ago that grayed everything you've done since, wood paneling has survived the years and haunts our present. You want to just make it go away and break into, at least the 1990's but it is just to big.
"Can't I just paint it?" you ask. Like our President says, yes we can.
Painting paneling is one of the most transformative things you'll ever do with a can of paint. Here's the trick. You have to remove the several decades worth of waxy cleaners, dust and dirt that have accumulated on the surface as well as prepare the finish on the paneling itself which often resists paint adhering to it. Clean the wood with Gloss-Off, a product made by Krud Kutter. It will clean, de-wax and de-gloss paneling. Gloss-Off is not as noxious as Will-Bond, which I recommended for de-glossing furniture in a previous article. I recently discovered it; live and learn. Will-Bond is a magical product but one gallon of it will make a very large house smell very bad. Gloss-Off is fairly benign and doesn't smell that bad. That said, "clear and odorless" are words used to describe nerve gas. Read the precautions on the Gloss-Off container and protect yourself at all times. Next, prime the paneling with DMT Bonding Primer or XIM Bonding Primer. The first is a Sherwin-Williams product, the second is available at most paint stores. If you have trouble finding either of these then Benjamin Moore's Fresh Start Alkyd Primer will almost certainly be fine.
Once the wood is primed a lifetime of nail holes, open seams and generally ugly stuff will appear. Take care of all that and paint the paneling like you would any other wall.
It's like being reborn.
Next month I'll give you some decorative ideas about how to handle the stuff. Have Fun Painting
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