Paint Won't Stick!

[Beth Thornton]

HI,

I am trying to repaint my kitchen trim which currently has that shiny glossy finish. The paint just won't stick right when I tried a test patch, it beaded up weird.

What am I missing to get it to actually take?? I know what a primer is but are there differences or a specific one I need? I don't have enough money to get this wrong!!

Thanks in advance! Love this place!

[floorman]

Some general suggestions:

Degrease thoroughly: Wash the trim using a strong cleaner like TSP or a dedicated kitchen degreaser, then rinse and dry completely.

Scuff-sand: Lightly sand the shiny surface using 150-to-220 grit sandpaper. You do not need to strip it to bare wood; you just need to dull the shine and create a rough texture. Wipe away all dust.

Use a specialized primer: Apply one coat of an oil-based or shellac-based bonding primer. These specific formulas chemically lock onto slick, glossy old paint and block anything underneath from pushing your new topcoat away.

Paint on top: Once the bonding primer cures completely, your regular trim paint will grab onto it smoothly and permanently.

[fejog]

Paint's beading because glossy finishes are basically slick, nothing for the new paint to grip onto.

You've got to knock down the sheen first — scuff sand the whole surface with fine grit sandpaper (220 is fine) until it looks dull, not shiny, wipe off the dust with a tack cloth.

Then use a bonding primer made for glossy surfaces before your topcoat, that's the part people skip and then wonder why it's peeling six months later.

Don't skip the primer step just because the sanding looks like enough, they do different jobs.