Interior Panellng Paint Primer

[13503gds]

Sent: 10/9/2007

I know I have read somewhere about a primer that would stick to the dark paneling in my '74 D21. I want to lighten up the cave like experience. I figure painting the interior would be cheapest & lightest thing to do. Thanks

[tommys73winn]

Sent: 10/9/2007

You should lightly sand the woodwork to remove any old grease,wax,or shine,you just want to scuff the surface.tis will make the primer stick better to the wood. Then you want to remove the doors ,drawers ,and hardware.  This will make painting easier and faster.

the best primer by far for your project will be oil base kiltz. Get 1 gallon kiltz, one gallon paint thinner, drop-cloth (a old bed sheet will work fine) paintbrush,one gallon work pot,220 sand pad work best but can use sand paper. After priming lightly sand primer smooth clean sanding dust then you're reedy to paint. If you follow these steps you will have a real nice paint job.good luck and have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Oz]

Sent: 10/11/2007

How well do the owners of post 60's Winnies understand the "cave" effect of the dark paneling used in the 70's!  The light paneling used before then made the rigs seem much brighter and open.

Many members have painted the inside of their rigs to suit their tastes, browsing the photo albums can give you a good idea of the before/after effects.

Of course, light sanding and using primer on the paneling will make your painting more durable.

I went with a half/half idea.  I spent a good amount of time looking at repainted interiors and personally felt that painting the entire interior a light color made it too bright... but that's just for my tastes.  Watching home interior redo shows taught me that, if the upper area of a room is dark, this is what causes the area to seem cavish and confined.  I owned Victorian era homes and noticed a lot of wainscoting in them, up to about chair back height, and the upper wall areas were painted.  This created a visual uniqueness and contrast on the walls.  So, I used that idea in my rig.

- Sob

[camperguynj]

Sent: 10/11/2007

Tommy73's advice is good. I think the product you are referring too though is Wil-bond -- Brown and Tan can found in Home Depot or Lowe's. Worked very well for me in redoing the kitchen cabinets in my previous home. Good Luck! - Jim

[Lefty]

Sent: 10/11/2007

There is also a fairly new product line from KILZ that consists of special paint that combines the hiding and adherence properties of regular KILZ primer/paint, in several pre-mixed colors. It also can be tinted by regular paint mixing procedures to get any custom shade you wish.
I purchased some at Home Depot and had it tinted to a pale green. I used it to cover the living room in our trailer that had been painted a fairly dark purple by my niece while they owned it. Purple is usually one of the harder colors to cover effectively due to the red in it, but I was surprised to find that the KILZ paint covered it in only one coat perfectly. I was very pleased with the coverage of it. It should work very well on paneling.
I would like to point out a few things about prepping wood paneling for painting that is different than the prepping for regular sheet-rock.
Wood paneling contains natural oils from the wood that needs to be cleaned off first, I use a solution of rubbing alcohol, dish detergent, and warm water in the following ratio.
1 cup rubbing alcohol, 2Tbs liquid dish detergent (Dawn works great), and 1 gal. of warm water.
The rubbing alcohol is added for the following reasons;
1: It opens the pores of the wood, releasing dirt and oils that normally won't come loose.
2: It reduces the surface tension of the water, allowing it to penetrate deeper into the wood.
3: It helps to speed up the drying time

Wipe the walls down with a rag, allow to dry, then use a red 3M scuff pad to lightly scuff the surface, this will help the primer/paint to stick better.

In areas of high moisture, where there may be mold or mildew present, you can add a cup of bleach to the mix. This will kill anything growing on the walls, and prevent it from bleeding through the paint later. It will also create a lot of fumes, so be sure to ventilate the area while you work, and while it is drying.

For RV's that have been owned by a smoker, cigarette smoke is usually hard to eliminate, as it will eventually return even through fresh paint when the paint dries.
You can first wipe the walls down with white vinegar before cleaning as above, and it will cut through the smoke residue and eliminate it permanently.

To paint areas such as behind the stove, which have heavy build-ups of cooking grease, spray with EZ Off oven cleaner, then scrub with a scouring pad and Dawn dish-washing liquid, wipe dry, then clean with the solution above. If you don't, the paint will bubble and peel anywhere there is oil or grease. Use a toothbrush for corners or crevices.
Lastly, take the time to mask off all trim and moldings that you don't want painted, using a good quality masking tape. And remember, it is always better to do two or three light coats, than one heavy coat.

[ClydesdaleKevin]

Sent: 10/12/2007

I also highly recommend the Kilz OIL BASED primer...NOT the latex based.  Lightly sand the walls and trim, wash them with REAL TSP (not the fake enviro-stuff), let dry completely, and apply at least one coat of Kilz oil base.  Usually one coat is all it takes. 

This is from personal experience with the Ark, by the way.  Latex just won't be durable enough for a motorhome application, where the confines are just too tight.  You will inevitably bump into walls and trim and scuff and scratch them up...damage will be minimized or even prevented by following the above procedure.

Kev

[mhtwin987]

I used Valspar Bonding Primer.  It is the cat's a&^!  It's for use on glossy surfaces, paneling etc.  I used it on my paneling and wallpaper after wiping down with clorox wipes.  Works like a charm.  No sanding needed.  Had to put 2 coats to completely cover the paneling but it works great.  It doesn't cover water spots very well so i used Kilz on those and then the primer over it.  I left the primer as the final paint color in a number of places since it's such a brite white color.  Really lightens up the rv.  Very thick so you'll have to stir it a little to get it ready to paint.  Approx. $20 per gallon at Home Depot.