Painted Shelves

[Cavalier]

I am in the process of my first project - built-in bookshelves in our office. This is essentially a practice run before I tackle making some for the living room where they'll be seen by more people

In order to match the rest of the office, LOML decided to request that they be painted white. Given the cost, rumored ease of painting, etc, I chose to use MDF for this set of shelves.

The question comes in regards to how to paint the actual shelf surface to prevent books from sticking. I had found elsewhere on the web the suggestion to prime, paint, and then apply 2 coats ot water based polyurethane. We did this on the first set of shelves and they are noticeably "yellow" compared to the non-poly'd pieces.

Any thoughts or advice?

-Cavalier

[cbrown]

You might try milk paint, which dries to a very hard (but dull) finish, or a gloss oil paint, which needs to dry thoroughly to a hard finish before you put books on. But this may be a case where melamine-covered MDF would have been ideal.

My main concern using MDF for bookshelves would be with bowing under weight. I have a lot of bookshelves, and find that while 30" wide 3/4" pine shelves hold up fine under a continuous full load of hardcover books, MDF or particleboard shelves start to bow quickly. 1x2 solid wood edging at the front or back of the shelf will help considerably.

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Christopher

[Popeye]

First with MDF use this, http://www.woodbin.com/calcs/sagulator.htm , I have book shelves to redo because I didn't have this little resource at the time they were built
Buy the best quality latex paint you can afford to paint the shelves and then make sure you let it cure before you put anything on the shelves. (thats cure not just dry) or
Buy top quality oil based paint and to the same.... with oil base of course the dry and cure time is longer and clean up is with paint thinner. I've not had good luck with top coating paint with poly, even water based poly. Good luck,
Pat

[jAngiel]

I just use Benjamin Moore Regal AquaPearl or something like that. It's a water based enamel that is actually quite hard when it dries. Easy to scrub grime off and books do not stick like your normal latex paint. Another bonus is if you brush it on the brush strokes level out really well.