Problems with removing the paneling
Often you will hear from the naive DIY'er, "why don't you remove the paneling?" Those who think that pulling the paneling off is a simple job 1) have never pulled off paneling before or they 2) are a remodeling contractor looking for some extra work.
Pulling the paneling off is not going to be a small job. Don't count on there being nice, smooth drywall underneath the paneling. I have done jobs where the paneling was removed, and there was both drywall skim coating and carpentry work to do.
Drywall repair
You will most likely have some drywall patching and some skim coating to do once the paneling comes off.
Paneling is sometimes glued on, in these cases you will not be able to remove it without tearing up the drywall paper facing under it. You will also have glue ridging to smooth out with patching compound.
Even if the paneling was not glued, the drywall underneath may not be finished for paint. It may be just taped and skimmed over once (called “fire taping” - you will often see this kind of finish in a garage).
What does painted paneling look like?
This is a common question. Depends on whether the paneling is smooth or rustic. Admittedly, if there is a case for removing the paneling, it is a better option with rough sawn, rustic paneling. You can paint the rustic paneling, but it will have an exterior "T-1-11" siding like look to it.
Smooth paneling looks nice, it even has a kind of formal look to it. Not unlike a wainscot or an office with paneled walls (painted with enamel), the look can be very formal, especially if it is only in one room of the house. If all the rooms are painted paneling, then it might look a little more like a pre-fab house or something. If you are doing one room or two, it will be a nice change from the same smooth drywall in every room.
Preparation
It doesn’t matter if the paneling is fake or real wood, the procedure will be the same. Even if you are going to paint the rough sawn, rustic paneling, it still is the same procedure.
Cleaning
You must clean the paneling. This step and the next step (priming) will make or break the job. Do a good job on the cleaning or you will have problems with paint chipping and gouging off down the road.
You really don’t need to solvent clean anymore. In the old days, solvent cleaning was required to do a good cleaning job. There are good waterbased cleaners now that will do a good job. Krud Kutter Original is one I have used on paneling that works well. Krud Kutter comes in a convenient spray bottle making application easier. Spray the product on, let it “dwell” on the surface for a minute, scour it with a scouring pad, then wipe it off. Use this procedure for every square inch of the paneling. Then repeat it. Yes, cleaning is so important that you should clean it twice. That is my method. Whatever you missed the first time, or didn’t come clean, you will get the next round. Clean the paneling well, the success of the job depends on this step.
Lead Paint Note:
Use a cotton rag instead of scouring with a scouring pad if your house was built before 1978 (see lead paint link below). Do not scour, sand, or otherwise disturb the painted finish or clear coat if your home was built prior to 1978.
Priming
The best primer
This step is also crucial to the job. You must prime and you must use the right primer. The best primers are solvent primers, either an oil based or pigmented shellac primer. The two I recommend is Zinsser’s Coverstain (oil), or BIN (shellac) primers. The solvent based primers are better stain blockers and are a little more forgiving to a surface that is not perfectly clean (oil in particular is more forgiving). The solvent primers will both cure faster and develop adhesion quicker than a latex bonding primer. Always provide for good ventilation when using either oil or shellac primers during and after priming, as they are very strong. See Eliminating Paint Odor
Latex primers
As stated, either oil or shellac is the best way to prime paneling. I know I have to address the latex primer issue. First, most latex primers will have poor adhesion to glossy surfaces. There are a few waterbased primers that do a good job on glossy surfaces: XIM’s UMA (urethane modified acrylic) is one. It will stick to glossy, varnished paneling, but the paneling better be absolutely squeaky clean. If not, it will be repelled and not adhere. Another generic problem with latex primers (and pants) is that while they dry quickly, they cure slowly, and they develop adhesion as they cure. What this means in practical terms, is that the primer will be soft and subject to scratching off and gouging until the primer finally cures. Curing can take a month. So you will need to treat the walls like “eggs” until final curing. Finally, latex primers are not good stain blockers. The extractives in the wood grooves in particular because the flat facing is varnished and sealed, will often bleed into the finish paint through a latex primer.
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If your house was built between 1950 and 1970, you probably have some wood paneled walls in a room or two. The paneling was nice then but now, you'd like to get rid of those dark walls and update.
Painting paneling is not hard to do. There are a few critical steps that while not hard to do, must be done right. After that, the painting part is pretty easy to do.
Removing the paneling off the walls to expose the drywall behind, is a bigger job and by far, much more work. I usually vote for painting the paneling itself, rather than removing it.
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Re-triming the room
It is possible that the drywall underneath was completely taped, mudded, sanded and primed but, by the time you are finished pulling off the paneling there will be at least some drywall damage and there will be trim work to do. The most often overlooked point with paneling removal, is the trim carpentry work that will need to be done. Baseboards will have to come off (without breaking) and be reinstalled, as will door and window casings. Sometimes you will have to totally re-work the trim because of the spacing left behind where the paneling was.
Please read lead paint warning if your house was built before 1978,
How to Paint Paneling - Part 1
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