I have a nightstand that is wooden, but painted white. How do I paint over it?

Question

It came with the white paint; it's a very very very smooth white paint; I didn't even know it was wood until I looked at the bottom!

Do I have to sand the white paint off to repaint it? Or can I just paint right overtop of it? Do I need primer?

PS: I want to paint it a bright color (probably lime)

Answer 1

Strip the paint off with a paint remover and scrape off the rest with a putty knife.  If you paint right over it, the white will show through.

Answer 2

Dear Nightstand -

You can just paint over the white, but if you want it to really look amazing I would remove the old paint with ready strip and then paint the nightstand. I have to tell you from experience I have used ready strip and not only is it easy to use but it is also an amazing product that makes refinishing furniture so easy. Below is discription of the product

Turn old damaged furniture into new furniture. Turn ugly painted surfaces in your home into gorgeous woodwork. Turn somebody�s ugly old junk into your priceless antique. Back To Nature Ready-Strip Plus makes the job easy because it is odorless, biodegradable, environmentally friendly and removes 7+ coats of paint and varnish in one easy application. Ready-Strip Plus changes from green to white to let you know when it�s READY to strip.

A quarter-million people have discovered the original Ready-Strip...Now new Ready-Strip Plus is 50% stronger! Ready-Strip Plus dissolves old paint and varnish without even raising the grain on the wood. And not just on wood� you can use Back To Nature Ready-Strip Plus on metal, brick, marble, fiberglass, formica, delicate plaster moldings, just about anything. It won�t run off, even on vertical surfaces and ceilings. Ready-Strip won the "Handyman Club of America Member Tested & Recommended" Seal of Approval as seen in HANDY magazine.

Ready Strip Deluxe is now complete with 2" Applicator Brush, and 2 green scrub/cleaning pads. You�ll also get a professional scraper with comfort grip handle and a stainless steel triangle blade. Complete the job with 8 oz. of After-Strip Paint Remover Wash, it removes any specks of paint or residue from fine surfaces. After-Strip also helps lift stain from wood surfaces. Covers 15 sq.ft. per quart.

Features:



Odorless

Biodegradable

Works On:

Metal

Brick

Marble

Fiberglass

Formica

Delicate Plaster Moldings

Just About Anything

Includes:

1/2 Gallon Bucket Of Ready Strip

1 8oz Bottle - After Strip

1 Paint Scraper Handle

1 Stainless Steel Triangle Blade

1 Application Brush

2 Green Scrub/ Cleansing Pad

Information and Instruction Booklet

$39.95

Answer 3

here is a video describing what to do.

http://www.askthedecorator.com/Painting_...

Just realize two things:

- It is probably a lacquer finish as a "paint" that has been sprayed on in a factory

- It is probably MDF (medium density fiberboard), a type of engineered wood product.

Neither of these are bad things, but it is helpful to know that you will not see grain lines.  The optimum would be to spray on new lacquer, but you are probably not equipped or skilled in that so a careful painting with oil-based paint should work OK.

Answer 4

with your table being white and going a color darker (i know its white but as a rule of thumb) lightly sand it with a sanding block. 180 grit should be good. then paint directly over it with a med-large brush (4in max) or small FOAM roller. if you can still see the grain in the wood be sure to follow the grainlines. you may need 2-3 layers depinding on the richness and depth of the color that you are using. feel free to email me if you have any other questions

Answer 5

You can paint right over it. The only time you need primer is if the surface is stained.  Just make sure you wash the table before you paint it.

Answer 6

I would go over it lightly with a paint stripper then lightly sand it. You must let the paint stripper dry after rubbing it before you even begin to lightly sand it!