How To Make Paneling Look Like Dry Wall (In 5 Simple Steps)

Do you have ugly wood paneling at your house and don’t feel like calling in someone to install drywall?

Making wood paneling look like drywall is a task that any person can do.

It is cost-friendly and requires only a bit of your time.

If you want to make your room look modern, why not try to make your wood paneling look outstanding that no one will notice it is not drywall.

The process is super easy, and your room will look more classic.

However, it requires patience to do a good job.

Below, I have discussed the process of how to make your wood paneling look like drywall. Follow step by step to have a better look.

5 Steps To Make Your Panelling Look Like Panelling

1. Determine your color choice

Depending on the area you want to make the wood paneling look like drywall, it is best to go for any light color.

This process is mainly for your functional rooms to make them look more appealing.

Most people don’t prefer a dark-colored wash because they make the room smaller and darker. Therefore, select a more considerable color that entices you and your visitors.

2. Filling in the seams

Fill in the grooves of the old panel with a glistening compound (you can learn how to sand in grooves here).

But before that, you must dull the gloss of the wood. Generally, wood panels are coated with polyurethane or shellac to make them appear glossy.

This process is essential to achieve a more matte look on your wood paneling.

Remember to lay a spreadsheet below the wood paneling before you begin your work to avoid messing up the entire place.

You can use a rough texture material like sandpaper or sand sponge to sand the panel smoothly.

You can fill the groove using a knife.

Fill until the glitter is a bit mounded at all seams if you want your walls to be smooth, unlike painted wood.

Be patient and allow it to dry completely.

This process is worth the wait to have a better look.

3. Prep and prime

Get a primer and place it on the paint pan.

You can use a standard quality stain-killing primer to cover the wood paneling.

Start to paint the wall just like painting any other wall using a paint roller.

Paint until you ensure that the seams are no longer showing up.

If by any chance the seam appears, they should be filled in with a sparkling compound or sanded more to match the wood paneling and let it dry.

Priming is essential because the primer seals the surface, and the wood absorbs the paint to give it a smooth base work.

4. Paint

Use high-quality interior latex paint to make the wall appear like drywall.

It is recommended to use latex paint to paint any wood because it is simpler to use and dries faster.

Slowly repeat the process while you apply pressure while going over the grooves. Allow it to dry for a beautiful finish.

5. Inspect your work

Your fresh drywall is now ready.

Take some time and cross-check your work to ensure that everything is in place.

Make some adjustments to the faulty areas by repeating the process.

How To Make Paneling Look Like Dry Wall

As explained above, everything in this process is easy and straightforward.

I hope you have learned the basic guidelines on how you can make your wood paneling look like drywall on your own.

Although this process is time-consuming, the results are excellent.