My home was built with paneled walls throughout. I have tried to paint them, but it keeps flaking. The walls in the livingroom need to be repainted, and the panelling in that room has a deeply grooved wood design. I cannot afford to replace these walls and would like to know how I can cover them with something to make them smooth and easier to paint.

Since you've already painted the panelling, your best bet now is to use a power sander, random orbit would be best, and sand back down to the wood. As for the grooves in the panelling, I'd fill them with a wood putty before the sanding if you have good paint adhesion inside the groove. One of the best putties out there for something like this is made by Elmers. It's called Carpenter's Wood Filler and comes in several colors. It comes in a plastic squeeze tube and is easily applied. You may need to apply more than one quote since some shrinking will occur in deep cavities. Feel free to e-mail me at jam2456@earthlink.net if you have any more questions.

The grooves in the paneling is due to the wood design, and it would take hundreds of tubes to fill, plus months to complete the task. I have been considering mudding the walls smooth. Is this possible?

I am working on my old house which is paneled throughout. Some rooms I spackled the grooves and wallpapered over them. Of course you need to primer the walls with a primer/sizer sold at paint stores. I used a heavy vinyl and it looks great. It's been a year and no problem.
The other walls I am now primering and painting. I would scrape the walls that are flaking and use a very good primer, then paint again. So far,mine turned out great..for a novice.

Thanks for the in-put, I hadn't thought about wall papering them. I guess I figured that the raised wood-grain design would show through any wall paper. I have thought about using a wood filler, and have to check to see how large of container of this I could purchase. I'd hate to think that I would have to buy hundreds of little containers to do the job. In some places the grooves of the design are approximatly 1/8th inch deep, and that's why is been such a pain to paint them in the past. brheam

My house was built in the 50's and has the same type of paneling downstairs. I bought the house from my parents last year. About 15 years ago they painted the paneling and never had a problem with flaking. I'm repainting the paneling this week and use a thick roller. It covers just fine and gets into the grooves no problem.

Just to let you know that I did that project about 2+ years ago and have had not problems with the walls or the paper. Using spackle was easy and quick. I did the filling of the grooves in one day. You can buy it in larger containers and I used not quite one container. My hand was tired when I got done though. You also can just paint it too, but make sure you do a good job getting it smooth then. The wallpaper was forgiving. I got a discontinued pattern at a really good price... $6 a double roll. Just make sure you size the walls with a sizer/primer.

quote:

Originally posted by painterpine:
Just to let you know that I did that project about 2+ years ago and have had not problems with the walls or the paper. Using spackle was easy and quick. I did the filling of the grooves in one day. You can buy it in larger containers and I used not quite one container. My hand was tired when I got done though. You also can just paint it too, but make sure you do a good job getting it smooth then. The wallpaper was forgiving. I got a discontinued pattern at a really good price... $6 a double roll. Just make sure you size the walls with a sizer/primer.

Thanks for the infor, I'll try it. I did a small section of the wall to see how the spackling would react, but was afraid of it chipping off. Covering it with wall paper would protect it from chipping. Thanks again. brheam

When painting paneled walls it is extremely important that you clean the surface thoroughly, any furniture polish residue, grease or films will hinder the adhesion of your paints. An ammonia solution is really good for removing these, as it will not leave a soapy residue like other cleaners will. Next use a good primer coat. Products such as Zinsers sealer/primer is a good one as it adheres to "glossy" surfaces as many wood panels are. A very clean surface is a must. Next, when trying to fill the seams and recessed parts of the paneling I would recommend NOT trying to fill them unless you use a product with a lot of flexibility seeing that if you ever bang the wall or the kids or grandchildren decide to bounce off of them the filler will tend to crack or pop off and that reason being the filler is just too thin in those areas. I just completed a remodel of a living room where the homeowner tried to "smooth over" and paint her paneling with unsatisfactory results. As a result I resurfaced the walls with sheetrock. A smooth wall might look "nicer" than a painted panel wall but a botched filler job will only lead to disappointment. I recommend leaving the paneling as is except for filling nail holes and in stead of wood fillers use a good latex/acrylic caulk in the recesses and don’t over fill, use a small bead and smooth over with your finger. Then give the walls a coat or two of paint. Note: the glossier the paint the more the imperfections show. Use a washable flat or eggshell/satin sheen.