Guide to Melamine Painting

Do you have some old Melamine wardrobes or kitchen cupboards which once upon a time were white, but are now a sort of mucky cream colour?

If you feel like you have tried everything you can think of to clean them but the best you have managed is cleaning a 5cm2 area after an hour of hard labour, then the best bet is to try giving them a lick of Melamine paint.

Melamine paint is formulated to paint onto a Melamine covered surface, just like your wardrobe doors or kitchen cupboards and the results are very effective and far easier to obtain than through any cleaning method. Melamine faced chip board is generally referred to as MFC and is used in many different types of furniture.

MFC primers/paints are available in two basic forms. You can buy a product where you need to use the MFC primer and MFC top coat, or you can go for the MFC primer option which allows for a water-based or solvent-based undercoat, and top coat of your choice, painted onto it.

Before going ahead with the painting you will need to give the Melamine surface a quick clean, there is no need to scrub it for hours, just give it a swift sugar soap wash down. Ideally you should follow this up with a touch of light sanding as this helps the paint stick to the surface and will keep your surface looking better for longer.

When painting ensure that you protect the handles (or any other bits that you do not want to be painted) with masking tape, or alternatively, remove them altogether with a screwdriver. A foam roller will give the smoothest finish.

You will find MFC primer and MFC top coat is available at all good DIY stores and it is relatively inexpensive considering the quality of the results.

Happy painting!