Old panelling can be primed and painted. If you need to fill in the cracks or seams then use a wood putty and sand smooth and clean well before you prime paint. If you are putting a color in your final coat then have your primer, Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3, tinted to match your final color. This way you will require only one finish coat.
Make sure the paneling is clean and dry. Prime with a good stain blocking primer like Kilz. Then paint like painting regular walls. Acrylic 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. Do not use wood putty to fill the groves. It will crumble, flake, and pop out.
Hi hi! I’m about to close on a big mid century home with lots of wood paneling. It’s an awesome old house, and was built by a builder for his own family, so the o...
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Paint. Worked for me.
Painting will probably be the best if you want to leave the paneling on the walls.
Old panelling can be primed and painted. If you need to fill in the cracks or seams then use a wood putty and sand smooth and clean well before you prime paint. If you are putting a color in your final coat then have your primer, Zinsser Bullseye 1-2-3, tinted to match your final color. This way you will require only one finish coat.
Make sure the paneling is clean and dry. Prime with a good stain blocking primer like Kilz. Then paint like painting regular walls. Acrylic 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. Do not use wood putty to fill the groves. It will crumble, flake, and pop out.
I painted mine. Patch, Clean wtih TSP, prime, and paint.
Primed and painted ours...don't even notice grooves
I had a painter fill in the grooves and painted afterwards. You would never know that the walls are paneled...it looks like drywall.