Painting over vinyl/plastic veneer on cabinets

[suzylugz]

I have searched and searched and haven't found the exact answer I want. I have a 74 argosy with the vinyl wood veneer on all the cabinets etc. I really don't like it. I would like to paint it and would like to know if anyone has done this and what there experience has been. What products would work effectively?

[rebel beck]

You will get a lot of mixed ideas on this, first of all remember if you paint it will take away from the original look like alot of folks like. Also it will take away from the re-sale value if you do decide to sell in the future. I will tell you this I repainted my bathroom a retro green and added vintage florida postcards all over the walls I'm still looking for just the right material to make shower curtain and window curtain I just love it but I know it will hurt the re-sale value but I didn't care because I know the Airstream will never be sold. I'm still working on how I'm going to carry it with me when I die. I would think hard about painting the fake woodwork.

[nickcrowhurst]

Suzy, that false wood vinyl is indeed horrible. My trailer had acres of the stuff. I used Krylon spray cans (about $3 a can from Wal-Mart) after a light sanding and a wash down. By choosing a matt shade (almond), the spraying will, with practice, produce an even and attractive coating. Lots of careful masking tape and newspaper, using several coats of close matched krylon primer before several topcoats, and a fine dry day with all the windows and door open are important features of a successful job. It would be worth practising on a piece of drywall or cardboard. We are delighted with the appearance and the extra light in the trailer.
Nick.

[Road Ruler]

My BH had a good look at a new CCD the other day. Yup, you guess it. I'm looking into the possibilities of replacing all the flat panels in our 73 Safari with brushed aluminum sheets. Will let you know if the project is a go

[nickcrowhurst]

Road Ruler, have you considered the implications for possible extra condensation by replacing a board having a degree of thermal insulation with an aluminum sheet? There is a thread today on the subject of condensation, and many in the past. It seems to be a considerable problem for some people in some climatic conditions.
Nick.

[ALANSD]

my plastic cabinets got painted with a blue/grey speckle paint from Home depot Behr brand, after a layer of primer. It then got coated with gloss clear. Looks good after the yellowish stuff that was underneath.

[Tim A.]

We have used Krylon "Fusion" (Krylon's spray paint for plastic) to stain the woodgrain vinyl film on the cabinets of our 2002 19' Bambi. From that effort, I know that this paint adhers very well to the vinyl.

The staining process involved spraying on a cloth and then carefully using the saturated cloth to apply the paint to the appropriate areas. Our desire was to tone down the rather wild grain pattern on the vinyl so that it looked more like nicely finished wood.

No matter what, make sure to have adequate ventilation!

[ALANSD]

TIM- a photo of that would be much appreciated.

[codybear]

Originally Posted by rebel beck

I'm still working on how I'm going to carry it with me when I die. I would think hard about painting the fake woodwork.

Hi Rebel Beck,

I agree about painting the cabinetry, we stripped and sanded all the cabinetry, then restained and put a clear coat to seal it..

Btw, I wonder if anyone has thought of being buried inside his or her airstream..they do it for pianos, you know!..of course, it'd take a mighty big hole to fit one into the ground, hmmm

[SafeHarbor]

Well, that's one way to increase the value of the remaining ones.

Lamar

[Calvin]

Hi Suzylugz,
On my 1966 Overlander, the walls have a vinyl clad aluminum. I used Sherwin Williams A100 acrylic latex exterior paint. It is designed for vinyl, among others, and also acts as it's own primer. I used the gloss finish for easy cleanup, which is actually similar to semi-gloss interior paint. I put it on with a good quality brush, and continued lightly brushing it until brush marks were gone and the texture of the vinyl showed. I have been very sartisfied with the results.
( I did clean the surfaces with TSP prior to painting).
Good luck with your project!
Calvin

[LI Pets]

I agree the dark cabinets are IMO depressing, and I have been searching for the correct way to do this.

see

also

With Expert: Paul Leahey

After 10 successful years as a Paint and Wallcovering Contractor, Leahey owns Schuele Paint Company where he is an expert regarding products and methods in faux finishing, residential, commercial and industrial coatings.
Q. I have all white matte finish Formica cabinets and counter tops in my kitchen. I would like to change the color of the cabinets and install new Corian counter tops. What type of paint I can use on the formica cabinets?

A.
Refinishing cabinets is the least expensive way to go to get a fresh look for your kitchen. To get all of the color options available, prime the cabinets first with a Pittsburgh Paints Seal Grip primer. Then you'll be able to paint over it with any paint or color that suits your contemporary taste.
Because your workspace is a kitchen, you'll want to choose a finish with some sheen that can stand up to steam and heat. I would recommend a semi-gloss -- but satin or gloss finishes would also work.



Bob

[Road Ruler]

Originally Posted by nickcrowhurst

Road Ruler, have you considered the implications for possible extra condensation by replacing a board having a degree of thermal insulation with an aluminum sheet? There is a thread today on the subject of condensation, and many in the past. It seems to be a considerable problem for some people in some climatic conditions.
Nick.

Thxns for the heads up Nick on the condensation issue. Am aware of the possible problems. We have one small section done and we will use it as a test. Will also get into some more research on the con problem.

There is also avaiable an aluminum look mac tac. yea I know it sounds tacky but we also did one small panel with this stuff and it is not that bad. It even has a grain that runs one way. Will see what happens to this after some wear and tear.

[Foiled Again]

I have a friend who sells office furniture. He can get the heavier self-adhesive vinyl that was used on these cabinets in a variety of wood grains and shades. Has anyone considered using a birch or light oak vinyl to either cover over the current stuff? Really it wears pretty well and is easy to clean.

Paula Ford

[Calvin]

Hi Paula Ford,
I would suggest doing a small test area before you decide on recovering vinyl. It is hard to achieve a proper adhesiion to most vinyls. I recently installed rubber cove base in my trailer (66 Overlander with vinyl clad aluminum). After trying the normal adhesive and contact cement, I ended up stripping enough of the vinyl to get adhesion to the aluminum panel.
Good luck with your project!
Calvin