How do I paint over stained paneling?

Hi Pat, This is one product that will give a beautiful shine. Murphy's Oil Soap, you can find tin the cleaning isle of your supermarket. Follow directions on the back. Amber color with red cap. Buy the one that has a cap,and the spray for touchups.

Whoa. I see some beautiful OAK tiger striped stair treads. This is a jewel in the rough. There are some wood RESTORER that will dazzle you when you apply with 000 steel wool and buff with disposable rags. Once you put paint in that gorgeous oak, you are doomed to repaint and repaint. If you like the tone of the oak you could sand with 180 or 220 and apply protective urethane clear. Do 1/2 of one side so you can "not pain yourself in a corner" and the the other half (dusting in between) and escape side two on day 2. The paneling, well, it is dated. Use a sand-free liquid to provide a surface for paint to adhere to, then two coats of satin water-base wall paint. People tend to touch and scuff walls on stairs. My best, Joe from Kalamazoo.

Whoa. I see some beautiful OAK tiger striped stair treads. This is a jewel in the rough. There are some wood RESTORER that will dazzle you when you apply with 000 steel wool and buff with disposable rags. Once you put paint in that gorgeous oak, you are doomed to repaint and repaint. If you like the tone of the oak you could sand with 180 or 220 and apply protective urethane clear. Do 1/2 of one side so you can "not pain yourself in a corner" and the the other half (dusting in between) and escape side two on day 2. The paneling, well, it is dated. Use a sand-free liquid to provide a surface for paint to adhere to, then two coats of satin water-base wall paint. People tend to touch and scuff walls on stairs. My best, Joe from Kalamazoo.

Make sure the paneling is clean and dry. Prime with a good stain blocking primer like Zinsser 123, BIN or Kilz. Then paint like painting regular walls. Acrilyc latex paint will work. If the paneling has grooves you can fill them with non shrink drywall patching compound. Just put on enough to fill the grooves. Let it dry overnight. Next day use a damp sponge to smooth the patch. Then prime and paint.

I would use something that will give you a Base to paint on then your antique white will look beautiful and bright with your newly refurbished stairs which will be even more beautiful once they have been sealed with clear varnish

Clean with TSP for painting purposes. Let dry 24 hours. I would TRY in some out of the way spot or on an extra piece. Put some light colored stain on and then wipe off ASAP. The longer on the more color it will take. I used that method on some old paneling in our mobile home. It brighten up beautifully. But definitely try first so you will know time limit before wipe off.

I am SO sorry about miss-identifying the stair treads, being made of edge-glued ordinary oak, plain-sawed. I also missed the boat on Pat's REAL question: painting paneling. That being said, I have used a product called "Sand-Ban" which cleans the surface but does not strip it, rather gives it propensity to receive primer. I have used Zinzer -1-2-3 primer on paneling, followed by two coats of satin or eggshell latex paint, with a 1/4 nap (I like Purdy) roller. Good luck on your project, Pat!

Sorry. I have used a product that prepares surfaces without sanding. Then I used Zinzer 1-2-3 primer with a 1/4 nap roller, followed by two coats of good quality satin or eggshell latex plait. Good luck with your project.

Hi Pat,

Clean it really well with just vinegar & water then prime it with a stain blocking primer. Never leave primer unpainted.

Then just paint it just like you would anything else.

Here is a link for primer.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/painting/painting-how-to-choose-and-use-primers/view-all/

Good luck. Let us see the final outcome.

Clean with TSP, prime with Kilz (I like Original to prevent bleeds), then paint with 2 coats of a high quality paint.