How to Paint Over Melamine, Hunker, eHow, and how to paint with pictures.

Inexpensive home furnishings such as shelves, wall cabinets and cupboards are often made from Melamine.Made from thermally fused papers, a melamine finish is designed to be durable, requiring no special melamine paint or sealers of any kind.If the item is left over from another decade, that finish may be more drab.Jazz it up with a fresh coat of paint.

Repainting porous materials such as wood isn't as important as proper preparation when it comes to success.A specialty primer is needed for the paint to stick because the laminates are not porous.Cabinet doors can be cleaned with a household degreaser to allow the melamine to dry completely.Sand the melamine gently with fine-grit sandpaper, just enough to make it look better, then wipe the dust away with a soft cloth.

If you want better primer and cupboard paint coverage, remove the hardware from plastic coated cabinets and furniture.Use painter's tape to cover any areas you don't want to paint, then prime the melamine with a primer specifically made for laminates.Read the label to be sure that many sealing and bonding primers work well.

An alcohol-based primer is more difficult to clean because it emits strong fumes.Wait for the primer to dry before using a brush or roller to apply it.All-in-one paint/primer products such as a spray paint designed specifically for laminates are the only things you don't need a primer with.

Once the primer is dried and cured, it's time to paint.After pouring a high-quality, all-purpose latex enamel paint into a paint tray, brush or roll it onto the melamine in thin, smooth layers.If you want to get the best results, choose a semi-gloss paint that has a high gloss level and is easy to clean.Wait for the first coat to dry before applying a second coat.

When you're using an all-in-one bonding primer and paint specifically designed for laminates and melamine, a spray paint provides a smooth, factory-like finish.The drying and curing time is reduced when using spray paint.If you use an all-in-one primer and paint, don'tprime the melamine first.

If it's too difficult to move, surround the object with the newspaper.If working indoors, open windows and wear a dust mask to avoid breathing in fumes.