ᐅ Painting KALLAX – Should You Lightly Sand It First?

Hello everyone, I’m planning to paint my IKEA KALLAX shelf myself to give it a more personalized color. Now I’m wondering if it’s absolutely necessary to sand the shelf beforehand. So far, I’ve heard that for painted or coated surfaces, you should lightly sand the surface to avoid adhesion problems. But on the other hand, I’m not sure if this is really necessary for KALLAX, which already has a relatively smooth melamine coating, or if it’s enough to just clean the shelf thoroughly and then paint it directly. Does anyone have experience with this? How exactly should it be prepared to ensure the paint adheres well and doesn’t peel off after a short time?

Sanding is recommended because the melamine coating is very smooth. It is best to lightly roughen the surface with fine sandpaper (grit 220), as this helps the paint adhere much better.

I would definitely recommend sanding the KALLAX before painting. The melamine surface is very smooth and otherwise prevents good adhesion of the paint. Simply roughen the surface slightly with sandpaper of grit 180 to 220. After that, clean thoroughly to remove dust and grease, and then you can paint without any problems. If you only clean it and paint immediately, the paint may later peel or come off. Patience during preparation always pays off in situations like this!

Hey, honestly – yes, sanding is the small extra step that really pays off! 🙂 Think of it like creating grip on the surface so the paint doesn’t just slide off. Use fine sandpaper, not too coarse, just enough to make the smooth surface a bit matte. After that, the shelf will feel almost like new, and your paint will hold better than some adhesives 😉

Cheers!

That’s awesome that you want to customize your KALLAX! 🙂 I did it myself and can only say: sanding is a must! I used 240 grit sandpaper and then even applied a bonding primer, which really improved the look and durability! Good luck, it’s going to be great, you can do it!!! 🚀

Elijah42 schrieb:
It’s best to lightly roughen the surface with fine sandpaper (grit 220), then the paint will adhere much better.

Thanks, that makes sense.

I’m also curious: When sanding, is regular sandpaper sufficient, or would a sanding pad (such as a non-woven abrasive pad) be better for the melamine coating? And how much should I sand without damaging the surface? I just want to improve adhesion, not leave unsightly sanding marks on the KALLAX...