How do you paint over paneling?

You’ll need a good primer and then you can paint over it.

I painted some in our home using a stain hiding primer like kilz or BIN, then followed up with latex paint. It really does paint just like a regular wall. Our neighbor painted an entire living room of 1960's paneling and it looks amazing and so much brighter now.

First you clean it really well to get any wax or dust that mayhave accumulated. Next prime with Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3 primer, which can be tinted to the same color as our final coat and. Last, you can apply one or two coats of latex paint over that. I you tint the primer one coat should cover nicely. You can also patch the lines before you start with a wood putty compound and sand after it is dry so that it is even with the panelling. I have seen this done and the results are great.

Thank you all so much for your responses , can't wait to try it!!

Make sure the paneling is clean and dry. Prime with a good stain blocking primer like 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.