Wooden blinds are the easiest way to give your house a modern, sophisticated look without spending less. They are functional and fashionable. On top of that, they are super easy to clean and maintain.
But the wood color easily gets boring after being in your house for a few years. So why don’t you try painting them? Some of you might even wonder ‘can you paint wooden blinds?’
You can paint wooden blinds like any other wooden panels. If you follow the step-by-step procedure of cleaning, sanding, priming, and painting your wooden blinds, painting them will have no drawbacks.
Let’s have a detailed discussion about the safe way of painting wooden blinds.
Step-By-Step Guide For Painting Wooden Blinds Safely
Step 1: Take Out The Slats
Take out the bottom slat and use a flat-head screwdriver to unhook the pegs from the base rail. Once you detach the pegs and nitches, the blind will come out easily. Just pull out the string to remove the slats of the blinds.
Step 2: Clean The Slats
To remove any dust or fingerprints, wipe off the slats with a wet cloth. Alternatively, use a cloth soaked in lukewarm soapy water to scrub away years of filth. Allow the slats to dry in the sunlight after the brief washing.
Step 3: Sanding The Slats
If your blind has slats that are too smooth to stick paint on, roughen them up by sanding to ensure good paint adhesion. Skip the sanding process if your slats have texture.
Step 4: Prime The Slats
Spray a good primer thoroughly over each slat. Don’t ignore the other side of the slats. The spray primer will help paint adhere to wood panels or wood that has been treated with any finish, whether oil or water-based.
Let the slats dry for at least a day or the time specified on the priming canister. To keep your slats from being attached to the surface, while spraying them, keep them on top of something tiny, such as a little piece of wood.
Step 5: Painting The Slats
Which painting methods to use on the slats mostly depends on your comfort zone. If you have no problem getting into the process with paintbrush gloves and coveralls, then using acrylic paint is for you.
However, opt for spraying the slats if you want to be done with a simple spray without any hustle and bustle. Here are the processes:
With A Paintbrush
For this, choose an acrylic-based enamel paint on each side of the slat. Acrylic paint will last for a long time and is easy to maintain. Make sure your paintbrush reaches the edges of each slat before turning it over. Then leave the slats to cure for at least a day.
Spray Paint
- Install a drop cloth or tarp before laying down the slats. Make sure there’s enough space between each slat so you can spray paint both sides at a time.
- You can buy a handle to hold your spray can. The handle offers more control to spray each spot equally and will keep your hands from being painted too!
- Apply an even layer, along with the full parameter of the slat using steady and even sprays.
- When the painted side is dry, turn it over and continue the process on the other side.
- Remember to turn them down in the exact gap they created on the laid cloth. Otherwise, overspray will adhere to the completed side.
Step 6: Paint The Pegs And Strings
You don’t want your notches, pegs, and springs to mismatch with your newly painted wooden blinds. That will just pull down the entire look of your window. Spray paint all of these to match your painted wooden blinds.
Choose a lighter or darker shade than the color of the wooden blinds for a nice contrast. It’s better to use spray paint for painting pegs and strings. Also, wait for these to dry before resembling everything.
Step 7: Assemble The Painted Slats
Before placing the slats into the blinds’ strings, ensure the paint has thoroughly dried. How long the drying takes should be specified on the paint container. However, it typically takes a couple of hours.
Then comes the assembling of the slats. It takes some effort to get all of the slats back into the slots and point in the same direction. Setting the plants on a clear surface makes it easier to put less pressure on the string.
Can I Paint My Faux Wood Blinds?
Faux wood blinds can also be painted in a similar way you paint any wood. However, some faux wood panels have a shiny plastic layer. For better paint adhesion, sand those layers a bit with sandpaper. And always prime the slats. Then you are good to go for painting.
Can I Use the Same Paint on Wooden Blinds as I Would on Concrete?
When it comes to using concrete primer on wood, it’s important to consider the differences in surface texture and absorption. While concrete primer is designed specifically for porous concrete surfaces, it may not adhere well to the smooth surface of wooden blinds. It’s best to use a primer specifically designed for wood.
What Paint Designs To Use On Wooden Blinds?
You can explore your artistic side on your wooden blind. However, the most common design is to go for patterned paint on your wooden blinds because the random patterns add a creative look to any boring window. For that:
- Paint a tiny, random sea sponge one color. Smear this in a haphazard manner onto the slats. Add as many shades as you wish to the pattern, using a uniquely shaped sponge for each shade.
- Allow all colors to dry before moving on to another step. This will help create a strong pattern with a striking contrast between them.
- You may add each additional color before the previous one is set for a more delicate, blended pattern with colors smudging into one another.
Design each slat in the mentioned manner, then just let them cure overnight before painting the other sides.
Conclusion
Can you paint wooden blinds to give your windows a new look? Well, you can, if you choose to spend a few bucks on it. It’s as easy for a novice as for a pro. Just make sure that you are following each step properly and not overpainting or underpainting your slats. The tricky part can be putting the slats back in their previous place. But by following the mentioned steps, you can also do that easily. With a few careful steps, you will have your own custom wooden blinds.