what kind of paint to use on shelves

What Kind of Paint to Use on Shelves – Shelve Paint Options

Do you want to know what kind of paint to use on shelves? When you’re looking for metal shelves, it’s not always easy to find them in the color you want. That is especially true when it comes to your home. But why not customize them? Paint your metal shelves.

What Kind of Paint to Use on Shelves – Paint Your Metal Shelves without Pre-Painting

Before starting to apply the first coat of the chosen paint, you should remove any remaining dirt with turpentine, grease or glue. Then, sand the surface to prepare it, and clean the dust, to leave it perfect for the painting phase.

Now that we are ready to carry out the coats of paint, get a brush that is comfortable for you to paint the different parts of the shelf. Also, choose a paint that is suitable for the surface to be painted.

In this case, it will be better to choose a synthetic enamel. It provides greater resistance, as well as the possibility of washing it. Something really interesting as it is a furniture that we will have to clean often.

The number of coats to give it will be approximately two or three. That said, it will depend on the intensity of the chosen color. Therefore, we will have to give it the necessary layers to cover the original metallic color. If the metal shelf is outdoors, it is better to use a bright paint, as it has a longer life.

If on the contrary, it is an indoor shelf, the choice will only depend on your needs.

How to Paint a Metal Shelf in Good Condition

The process of customizing a new shelf is very simple. First, clean it with a cloth soaked in a thinner (turpentine, for example). It will ensure you leave the surface free of impurities, and sand it, to remove the paint you do not like, and leave the surface bare.

Re-wipe the surface to avoid any small traces of that paint and dust, which could make the new layers of paint applied unattractive. And finally, take the brush, the paint of the selected color, and give it the coats you see necessary to get it impregnated with the same color and leave it perfectly homogeneous.

How to Paint a Metal Shelf in Bad Condition

On the other hand, you can decide to reuse one or more metal shelves by placing them in a new part of your house. However, the color may not be convincing to you, paint your metal shelves! In this case, it is possible that the paint already on the shelf is not in perfect condition, that it is peeling or cracked.

Don’t worry, it’s not a problem. All you have to do is remove this painting with a sandpaper and a spatula, until the shelf is completely bare and free of paint. In case you do not manage to remove it 100%, finish the process with a chemical stripper, or even with a manual sander.

The next step will be to clean the surface perfectly to achieve a better result when applying the new paint.

Once you complete this process, all that remains is to apply the coats of the new paint. Use a brush that you think is convenient and comfortable. And the synthetic enamel of the color that you have already selected for our metallic shelf.

Then you should begin to apply the layers, which will depend on the color of the new paint. You will get great results that are personalized and fit perfectly into your home!

Scroll to Top