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Painting Laminate Countertops

Use shellac for painting laminate and for painting laminate countertops.

Shellac is high in VOCs (bad for your health!) so open the windows Do the work in an open garage or outside. Once the shellac is dry it is considered safe. Shellac dries very quickly, within an hour. Use disposable rollers for painting laminate countertops since it is difficult to clean the fast drying shellac from the rollers or brushes. Buy a good supply of rollers.

Tips for painting laminate and laminate countertops.

1. Work in a dust free environment.
2. Clean the item to be covered with shellac with diluted ammonia.
3. Sand until the shine of the surface on the item disappears.
4. Clean with water and ammonia.
5. Dry with a clean cloth.
6. When painting a light color over a dark color prime with a white shellac primer. Then use a colored primer followed by a clear polyurethane.
7. When painting a medium to a dark color use a clear shellac sealer. Then a colored vinyl acrylic primer or a acrylic latex paint. Seal with a coat of clear polyurethane.
8. Apply the shellac in several thin layers.
9. Since shellac dries so quickly use alcohol to keep the edge of the shellac wet to keep it from drying out. You want to be able to apply each stroke of the shellac over lapping the previous stroke of shellac before it dries.

Remember when painting laminate and laminate countertops: always paint latex primer or an oil based paint over shellac.

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