Are you living with old paneling in your home but cannot afford to replace it? Has it depressed you so much that you have actually considered selling your home? You are not alone. Many people live with that old, ugly wood paneling but that does not mean you have to. Here are some home improvement tricks you can do to rid of that unattractive paneling. Be sure to take your time to learn about the steps involved to ensure you get satisfactory results from your efforts, since it does require some hard work.

A first option is to paint the paneling. It is important to remember that you cannot simply paint the paneling without first preparing the surface. Without proper preparation, your paint will run and you may have yellow streaks. You should use a good cleaner to eliminate the build-up on the paneling. Then, apply a gloss remover small sections and rub in the direction of the grain. The gloss remover should set for at least thirty minutes, after which time you should apply the primer. Do not remove the gloss remover. The primer should be reapplied if the paneling is still showing through after the first coat is dry. Once the primer has dried overnight, add the caulking into the panel grooves and remove excess caulking with a putty knife. Let the caulking dry overnight as well. In the morning, you will be ready to start painting your first coat of regular paint. Let the paint dry according to that brand's directions and apply a second coat if necessary.

A second option is to apply wallpaper that can be painted. This is a great way to give your home the appearance of a painted wall with the color of your choice. Apply a good degreaser to the paneling and let it dry. Once it is dry, you will need to fill in the panel grooves with caulking to give a smooth appearance and rid of any ridges. Use a putty knife to scrape away the excess caulk to provide the paper a smoother, firm surface to stick to. You must then apply a good primer to the surface. Of course, you must size the wallpaper to fit your walls and then hang the wallpaper according to the directions. You will then be ready to paint your wall, but be sure to follow the instructions from the manufacturer for painting wallpaper.

Finally, you can always add a shine to your paneling by glazing it. As above, you should first clean the paneling with a degreaser. You would then paint the paneling in a color of your choice and let it dry overnight. Next, mix a satin top color with a glaze according to the instructions to ensure you mix the correct proportions of both. You can the glaze mixture over the painted paneling, preferably one or two panels at a time. You can then wipe off any excess glaze depending on how much shine you prefer.