Painting Over Prefinished Shelves

Remove all items from the shelves. If you can dismantle the shelves, do so. Painting shelves in a garage or outside is a bit easier because you are less worried about spills and messes. If you can not dismantle the shelves, put drop clothes down.

Sand the shelves with 120-grit sandpaper. Sanding the shelves will remove the prefinish.

Wipe the shelves down with a wet cloth to remove the debris from the sanding. Dry the shelves with towel. Make sure they are dry, because primer and paint do not mix with water.

Apply a coat of primer to the shelves with a paint brush. Apply an additional coat of primer if the shelves are a dark color. Primer allows the paint to stick to the surface more consistently and thoroughly.

Paint the shelves with a long strokes and a large paint brush. Because items will be placed on the shelves, apply at least two coats of paint. Let each coat dry before applying the next coat.

Reassemble the shelves and place the items back on them after the paint has completely dried.