My gloss paint disaster taught me to never skip primer again

I was painting my kitchen cabinets and thought I could save time by skipping the primer. The old finish was glossy, and I just cleaned it and put on new paint. Within a week, the paint started to peel off in big sheets. I was so frustrated because I had to redo everything from scratch. After looking it up online, I learned that gloss surfaces need a special bonding primer to help the new paint stick. I sanded everything down, used a good primer, and repainted the whole thing. Now the finish is solid and has lasted for years without any issues. It was a tough lesson, but now I always use primer on any glossy surface before painting.

3 comments

3 Comments

anna1651mo ago

Yikes, I learned that lesson the hard way too but with a bedroom door. Mine chipped so bad it looked like it had a skin condition. Guess we both had to get burned to respect the primer step.

the_richard29d agoTop Commenter

My buddy skipped primer on a dresser once. The paint peeled off in whole sheets like a bad sunburn.

david_henderson615d ago

Primer's non-negotiable on old wood or laminate. Sand it first, then use a good bonding primer. @anna165 is right about the chipping, it's a total mess. I've seen paint come off in one big piece if the surface isn't prepped right. It's an extra step, but it saves you redoing the whole job later.