How to Redo Paneling

Mix a half tablespoon of mild liquid dish soap with three cups lukewarm water in a plastic bucket. Stir the mixture until it suds.

Dampen a kitchen sponge or mop. Clean the paneling throughly to remove any dirt, dust or fingerprints. Rinse the wall with a separate kitchen sponge or mop. Examine it for any difficult stains.

Slip on a pair of rubber gloves, respirator and safety goggles before creating a solution of trisodium phosphate and a half gallon of warm water. Stir the ingredients until the trisodium phosphate is dissolved.

Dampen a separate kitchen sponge with the solution. Spot clean any difficult stains on the wood paneling. Rinse away the residue with a separate kitchen sponge. Allow the paneling to dry completely before continuing.

Attach a piece of fine-grit sandpaper to the pole sander. Use it to roughen the paneling’s surface. This allows the primer to adhere more effectively.

Wipe down the paneling with a tack cloth to remove the sanding dust. Examine the wall for any nail holes. Fill them with toothpaste or spackling compound. Work the compound across the holes with a putty knife. Let it cure according to the package directions.

Sand down the cured spackling compound with fine-grit sandpaper until it is flush with the surrounding surface. Wipe away the sanding dust with the tack cloth.

Cover the paneling with a thin coating of latex primer by using a paintbrush for the finer areas and edging. Use a paint roller for the bulk of the paneling. Allow the primer to dry for at least three hours before applying a second coat.

Allow the second layer of primer to dry for at least three hours before applying the first coat of latex wall paint. Allow the first layer of paint to dry before applying a second and third coat.

Allow the final coat of wall paint to dry for at least eight hours before decorating the wall.