Traditional wainscoting in early American houses served the function of protecting the lower third of the kitchen wall from water, but now, its main goal is decorative. Contemporary wainscoting may be made from wood or medium density fiberboard, and it frequently comes pre-finished. Whether it’s already painted or not, it is possible to paint it in place, just as you paint another woodwork. Colours that comparison with the walls usually get the job done well by reinforcing the feeling of a colonial domicile. Gloss or semi-gloss enamel helps wainscoting stand up to the moisture and grease spatters common at a kitchen.
Lay blue painter’s masking tape to the wall and the top edge of the wainscoting and about the floor across the bottom edge. Mask off any vertical surfaces that interrupt the wainscoting, such as cabinets or mirrors.
Sink protruding nails with a nail set and hammer, and also fill all nail holes with wood filler. Sand the stitch with 120-grit sandpaper when it dries. Wipe the wainscoting using a rag to remove sanding dust.
Apply a coat of acrylic- or water-based wood primer to unfinished wainscoting using a paintbrush. The buffer seals bare hardwood and assists with adhesion of the topcoat. It isn’t as important to prevent streaks when priming as it is to be sure the primer covers each the wood.
Sand the wainscoting gently with 220-grit sandpaper to knock down the grain of the wood that was raised by the primer. Wipe off the sanding dust using a rag.
Apply a coat of water- or oil-based enamel using a paintbrush. Use a natural bristle brush if you are painting using oil-based paint along with a synthetic brush if you are spreading latex paint. Natural bristles leave finer brush strokes and also cover better, but water-based paint makes them limp and unworkable.
Cut at the top and bottom of this wainscoting by painting the top beading and baseboard with flat strokes. Always lay the paint onto a place that has not been painted and then brush it toward a place that has, completing each breath on wet paint. This technique enables the paint to degree and helps prevent visible brush marks.
Paint the bulk of the wainscoting with vertical strokes, working in segments. Don’t try to attain full coverage with one coat, or you will lay the paint on too thick and it’s likely to drip.
Sand the first coat with 220-grit sandpaper after the paint dries, which will take 12 hours or longer.
Apply a second coat in precisely the exact same way you applied the first.