Paint expert Jane Lockhart, shares with HGTV remedies for painting just about any surface in your home.

How to paint:

Ceramic tiles
Wood paneling
Laminate countertops
Rattan and wicker
Refrigerators
Kitchens and bathrooms
Difficult-to-apply paint colours

Add flare to any room with a new border:
Create your own stencils

Painting Ceramic Tiles
Dated or unattractive bathroom tiles are common in older homes and are expensive to remove. Paint can be a good solution to mask the colour of these tiles. The less moisture in the bathroom where you wish to paint, the longer the painted finish will last. Shiny or slick surfaces like bathroom tiles can be more difficult for paint to adhere to for the long term. However, if you don't mind a temporary solution for a colour or pattern problem, painting over ceramic title is a quick and easy fix.

Here’s how you can do it:
First you must sand the tile as much as possible. You want to scratch the surface to provide better adhesion for the paint. The rougher the surface the better the paint will stick. Then, you need to apply a super-adherent primer. This is a primer designed to be applied over top of unusual or hard-to-paint surfaces. This will need only one coat however be sure to cover all areas thoroughly and allow it to dry. Once all this preparation is complete, painting may begin. Although you may use latex or water-based paint, it is better to use an alkyd or oil paint for increased durability. Brush on two coats to cover and allow it to dry. Perhaps the hardest part of this project will be reducing moisture in the bathroom area for at least a week to give the paint time to cure.

Painting over Wood Paneling
Painting wood or plastic paneling can make a huge difference to the look of a room.

Here’s how you can do it (wood paneling):
Be sure to fill large divots or scratches with wood-filler and sand until the wood-filler is smooth with the wall surface. Then simply prime and paint the wood paneling with the colour of your choice. Though there is little you can do to completely remove the visibility of the wood grain beneath the paint, using a thinker primer called 'underbody' may help to reduce the grain but it may still be visible in some places.

Here’s how you can do it (plastic/laminate paneling):
If the paneling is plastic it is best to sand the surface lightly and apply a super-adherent primer. Allow the primer to dry and then apply two coats of latex paint. In this case it is best to leave the grooves in the paneling. Do not try to fill them, as it will simply look haphazard - besides these grooves will add height to your room.

Painting Laminate Countertops
Painting regular laminate is one of the easiest surfaces to cover. All you will need is sandpaper (80 to 120 grit), trisodiumphosphate (TSP), a high-density foam roller and tray, and melamine paint.

Here’s how you can do it:
First, you need to sand the laminate surface. This may require a little elbow grease to remove the gloss of the laminate but it is worth the time it takes to do this as it is important for long term paint adhesion. Once the surface has been well sanded, wash with TSP (trisodiumphosphate), which is a detergent that you mix with water, designed to remove gloss and grease from surfaces. Be sure to wear gloves when handling TSP. Once you have washed the surface, rinse thoroughly with clear water and allow the laminate surface to dry completely.

Melamine paint is designed to cover laminate surfaces. It creates a hard and durable paint surface but it best to be applied in three thin coats rather than one thick coat. The high-density foam roller is an ideal way to apply Melamine as it will not roll bubbles into the paint so the surface appears smooth and even. For vertical surfaces like cabinet doors, it is best if you remove them and place them on a horizontal surface while painting. For high-traffic counter tops try creating granite or speckled look with several colours of Melamine applied using a sea sponge.

Special Note: The curing process of Melamine takes six days. A Melamine painted finish will last up to several years depending on how hard you are on the painted surface.

Painting Rattan and Wicker
Put away those paint brushes, the easiest way to paint wicker is to use spray paint.

Here’s how you can do it:
If the item you are painting has a clear topcoat or has been painted previously, remember to give it a light sanding to help the paint adhere. Be sure to work in a well-ventilated area and read the can of spray paint for special instructions, including whether a mask should be worn during its application. Apply two thin coats of the spray paint to the wicker allowing to dry between coats.

Painting a Refrigerator
The refrigerator can be painted with regular paints, unlike other household appliances like an oven or a microwave. This is a great way to cover rust spots and give new life to an old refrigerator.

Here’s how you can do it:
To begin, clean the entire exterior surface of the refrigerator. Use a detergent, such as TSP (trisodiumphosphate) and rinse with clean water. If there is any flaking rust, simply remove using a wire brush.

Lightly sand the entire fridge surface to help the paint adhere better. Clean the surface and dry.

If your refrigerator had rust spots, apply a rust primer over any areas where rust was present. This helps cover some of the discolouration and makes it easier to apply the new topcoat colour.

After the spot priming dries, paint the entire fridge with a urethane reinforced enamel, such as melamine paint. This type of paint comes in many colours and can be easily applied with a high-density foam roller. Simply roll on three thin coats, allowing each coat to dry in between.

Although this paint is not as hard as a factory paint coating it will provide a temporary fix to a colour or rust problem.

Painting Kitchens and Bathrooms
When painting kitchens and bathrooms use paints that are marketed as "Kitchen and Bathroom”. They are latex paints with a semi-gloss finish to provide a washable surface and may have a higher amount of mildewcide to help prevent mildew growth in moist spaces.

Alkyd or oil paints may be used to paint bathroom walls if they have previously been painted with alkyd or oil, or if a particular situation requires it, otherwise latex products are the paints of choice. Latex paints come in any colour you desire. Be sure to sand walls prior to painting, fill cracks or holes, spot prime and then paint to ensure that you achieve the best finish possible.

Difficult-To-Apply Paint Colours
This may be shocking to many who are used to applying white primer but grey is a far better colour to use as an undercoat for those difficult-to-apply paint colours such as reds and yellows. People who love red often do not necessarily enjoy the experience of painting with it because it does not hide wall imperfections very well and will require at least three coats of paint to appear solid on the wall. This occurs because pigments like magenta or yellow are sheerer than blue pigments. As a result, they require another colour to allow these sheer pigments to have depth, otherwise the light goes right through them revealing the wall surface behind. Hence we see poor paint coverage.

In the last few years this has been remedied with primers that are tinted to match the selected colour to help intensify its sheer coat. This, however, can be expensive as the primer requires a lot of tint. Using gray behind the sheer colour cuts down the amount of light that moves through the sheer coat. To our eye this translates as a colour with more depth. The depth of gray used should correspond to the lightness or darkness of the colour selected for the wall. For example, a pale yellow would require a very light gray whereas a deep red would use an equally deep gray.

Create Your Own Stencils
Add flare to any room with a new decorative border. Cutting your own stencils is an easy and rewarding creative task.

Here’s how you can do it:
You will need a smooth clean surface on which to cut such as cardboard or a cutting mat (available at an art store), a utility knife, a smudge proof marker, non-permanent spray adhesive and Mylar. Once you have all of these tools you simply need your design. Since Mylar is a semi-transparent plastic paper it may be laid on top of images and then traced onto the Mylar surface.

Once the design is complete, reposition the Mylar sheet with its design onto the cutting board. It is easier to keep the Mylar in place if you spray the back of it with the non-permanent spray glue and then fix it to the cutting surface. Use the utility knife to cut along your design until it is complete. Place the stencil on the surface you wish to paint and apply paint colours of your choice over top. Continue to move the stencil, adding spray adhesive to the back every now and then.