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?
sinse3 schrieb:
If I sand, is regular sandpaper enough, or would a sanding pad (like a sanding fleece) be better for the melamine coating? I personally prefer sanding pads, especially for such delicate surfaces. They are gentler and don’t create deep scratches, only the necessary roughening. Don’t worry about sanding marks—they will be completely covered by the paint later. It’s important to remove the fine dust thoroughly, preferably with a damp cloth, followed by wiping again with a lint-free cloth.
NUGRANT schrieb:
I worked with 240-grit sandpaper and even used a bonding primer afterwards, which greatly improved both the appearance and durability! This brings me to a follow-up question: Is a bonding primer really necessary for KALLAX if you sand it properly? Is roughening the surface alone sufficient, or is applying a primer strongly recommended? Are there reliable experience reports or tests on this?
faso31 schrieb:
Is a bonding primer really necessary for KALLAX if you sand properly? Good question! I would say it’s not absolutely necessary, but highly recommended. The melamine coating is chemically very inert, and the bonding primer helps the paint adhere better and last longer. If you want to be on the safe side, use a bonding primer. If you just sand and paint directly, the paint usually still sticks, but the durability may suffer. Especially for furniture that will be subjected to wear, the extra effort is worth it.
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