Hello everyone, I want to paint my IKEA BESTÅ furniture to give it a custom finish. Since the original coating or surface is often melamine-coated or laminated, I am facing the challenge of how to best prepare the surface for repainting. What steps are important to ensure good adhesion and achieve a smooth, durable finish in the long term? Do I need to sand everything down completely, or is a thorough cleaning and a special primer sufficient? Are there any experiences with the materials used, such as chipboard substrates and melamine or laminate coatings? I would appreciate any tips on the practical approach, materials used (sandpaper, primer, types of paint), and potential pitfalls.
Katan schrieb:
If you can take the furniture apart anyway (back panels, doors), then do it. Good tip, thanks! The BESTÅ components are modular and can actually be disassembled. I was planning to paint the doors and fronts anyway, so I will work on the edges and backs separately.
Can you also recommend anything regarding sandpaper? Is 180 grit enough, or should I start with 120 grit and then move to finer? I’m leaning towards just dulling the laminate without damaging it – where is the limit?
pascalix schrieb:
Can you recommend some sandpaper? Is grit 180 sufficient, or should I start with 120 and then move to finer grit? Grit 180 to 220 is usually enough. You only want to roughen the surface, not sand off the melamine layer completely. Grit 120 is generally too coarse and can leave marks that show through.
Important: Wipe off the dust after sanding. If you want, you can also follow up with a fine abrasive pad, which is very gentle and creates a good surface for adhesion.
Similar topics