- 1). Move furniture away from the built-in bookcase, and cover the floor where you will be working. If curtains are hanging close by, take them down to avoid drops of paint falling on them.
- 2). Prepare the wall behind the built-in shelves if the bookcase has no back, as is often the case with a bookcase created in an alcove. Fill any cracks in the wall with filler. Smooth off the filler using the filler knife. Once it is dry, sand it level with the rest of the wall. Vacuum away all dust, and wash the wall with warm water and mild detergent. Allow it to dry thoroughly.
- 3). Apply two coats of latex paint to the wall if the wall's original color is light, and the new color is light. This also applies if the new color is darker than the original color. Apply two coats of wall primer before applying two coats of latex paint if the new paint color is lighter than the current wall color.
- 4). Fill any cracks or holes in the shelves. Smooth the filler off with the filler knife, and allow it to dry. Sand the filler level with the rest of the surface, and lightly sand all of the shelves to create a key for the paint. Vacuum the shelves thoroughly to remove all dust. If they already have paint on them, wash them with warm water and mild detergent. Allow them to dry thoroughly. If the bookcase is a whole piece with a back and sides instead of just shelves installed against a wall, treat them in the same way.
- 5). Apply knotting solution to any knots on the bookcase shelves. If the case has a back and sides, apply knotting solution to these as well. Allow it to dry. Apply primer with a paintbrush if the shelves are bare wood. Once again, apply primer to the sides and back if it has them. Allow the primer to dry, and apply a second coat.
- 6). Apply one coat of primer in the case of wood that already has paint. Allow this to dry thoroughly.
- 7). Apply two coats of paint for wood. This can be either latex or oil-based, but ensure that the paint is specifically for wood. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly. Do not put anything back on the shelves until the paint is rock hard.
- 8). Remove latex paint from brushes by holding them under running water. Remove oil-based paint by using brush cleaner. Wash the brushes in warm water and mild detergent, rinse them thoroughly, and allow them to air dry before putting them away.
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