Wood Wall Shelves

How To Prevent Sticky Painted Wood Wall Shelves

Have you ever spent time carefully painting your old or new wood wall shelves, and then found that pretty much everything you put on them from then on sticks? It happens all the time with painted shelves, and also with painted cabinets in your kitchen and bathroom. You may even find that when you pick up an item from the shelf to remove it, the paint sticks to the bottom and comes off along with it!

So what can you do about this? Well, there are some things you can do to prevent or reduce this stickiness and paint peeling. And best of all, they are easy to do!

1. Give the shelves a good cleaning
If things are sticking to shelves that you painted a long time ago, then it might be that they just need a good, thorough cleaning. Kitchen shelves and cabinets are often culprits here, and for this reason…grease and dirt tends to settle on the cabinets without you noticing. So before you try any other fixes, get a good grease-cutting cleaner and give the shelves a good scrub. Read the label to make sure that the cleaner is safe for painted surfaces, as you don;t want to scrub off your paint finish.

2. Use oil, not water
An oil-based paint will give you a harder finish than water-based paint, and most professional painters prefer oil-based for shelves and cabinets that water-based for this reason. Oil-based paint is called alkyd paint, and water-based is called latex paint.

There have, however, been many improvements in latex paints. Since alkyd paints are not as environmentally friendly, and require mineral spirits to clean up, manufacturers have been working on making latex paints with a more durable finish. Have a look for a latex paint that is formulated for cabinets and shelves, and that will not stick or chip with lots of use.

If you do use alkyd paint, make sure your area is well ventilated, and that you let the paint cure for about a week before you put anything on the shelf.

3. Add a protective top coat
Get a water-based polyurethane top coat, and apply two coats of it over your shelves or cabinets. Make sure you clean them well first, as the polyurethane will seal in whatever dirt or dust is on your shelves! You can use water-based polyurethane over alkyd and latex painted surfaces, and it will not add any tint to the surface. Make sure you let the coating cure for a few days before you place anything back on the shelves.

4. Give them a wax
This is a very easy fix, but will need to be repeated about once a year. Get some paste wax (any brand will do) and, after you clean the shelves, apply it with a soft, lint free cloth. Let the paste dry for about 15 minutes, until it forms a haze, and then buff it with a clean cloth. Then add a second coat overtop.

All of these simple tips will keep your painted wood wall shelves from being sticky…and keep them looking nice and clean.