If you live in an older home in Omaha, you might have plywood, hardboard, or MDF walls instead of drywall. You might’ve tried painting them once and ended up with uneven spots, dents, or a blotchy color that made the room feel unfinished. It’s frustrating, and it’s easy to wonder if you’re doing something wrong or if these walls just weren’t meant to be painted at all.
At Brush & Roll Painting, we’ve been working on homes in Omaha since 1996. And we’ve seen just about every type of wall surface there is. While most people are familiar with drywall, many older homes in our area still have rooms with plywood, wood composite panels, or even fiberboard.
These walls have their own quirks, but that doesn’t mean they can’t look great with the right prep and product. We’ve helped homeowners turn dated rooms into clean, modern spaces, and we know exactly what works and what doesn’t.
In this article, you’ll get step-by-step advice on how to paint plywood or other non-drywall surfaces. We’ll cover how to prep them the right way, what types of paint and primer work best, and how to avoid the most common problems. Whether you’re planning to do this yourself or want to better understand what your painter should be doing, this guide will give you the confidence to make sure your walls turn out the way you want them to.
Many options found in older Omaha homes for walls could include:
These materials are often found in basements, garages, converted porches, or additions built before the 1980s. They were popular then because they were affordable and easy to install. The downside is they don’t take paint the same way drywall does.
Before you go anywhere near a paintbrush, take a few minutes to really look at the wall. Ask yourself:
Plywood and fiberboard, especially, tend to absorb moisture and stain unevenly if they haven’t been sealed properly before. You might even notice old stains bleeding through a previous coat of paint. That’s a sign you’ll need a specific kind of primer.
If there’s peeling paint, warping, or rot, it needs to be fixed before painting. In some cases, replacement might be necessary.
Prep work matters more here than it does on drywall.
Start by cleaning the surface with a mild degreaser and a sponge. You want to remove any oils, dust, or old residue that might keep the paint from sticking.
Once it’s clean and dry, lightly sand the wall. Use 150- to 180-grit sandpaper for a smooth finish. This helps even out any rough areas and gives the paint something to grip. Don’t go too hard — just enough to dull the surface.
If there are gaps, seams, or nail holes, fill them with a paintable wood filler. Once it’s dry, sand the filled areas until they’re level with the wall.
This is where a lot of paint jobs on plywood or fiberboard go wrong. These surfaces soak up paint unevenly and can cause “blotching,” especially if you skip primer or use the wrong kind.
Here’s what to look for in a primer:
Don’t rely on a paint-and-primer-in-one product. That’s great for drywall, but not for plywood. A separate primer is the key to a smooth, even finish.
After priming, you can use a high-quality latex paint. True high-quality interior paint has better ingredients. It’s made with more pigment and stronger binders, which means richer color, smoother application, and better coverage.
You’ll notice it right away when the paint goes on evenly, dries to a more consistent look, and resists scuffing and stains over time. Cheap paint might save a few bucks up front, but it usually takes more coats and starts showing wear much sooner.
In a place like Omaha, where we experience big swings in humidity and temperature throughout the year, investing in high-quality paint can mean the difference between repainting every few years and enjoying a beautiful room that holds up for a decade or more.
You should choose a finish in either an eggshell, satin, or semi-gloss finish, depending on the room. Here’s how to decide:
Plywood and wood-based walls tend to show imperfections more than drywall, so a flatter finish will help hide minor flaws.
Once the wall is primed and dry, apply paint using a roller with a medium nap (3/8 to 1/2 inch). Cut in around the edges with a brush first, then roll the rest of the wall in sections.
Here are a few extra tips:
If you’re painting over paneling grooves, you may need to go back with a brush between coats to fill them in.
This is the most common issue with plywood and other wood-based wall surfaces. If you skipped sanding or priming, or if you used low-quality products, you might see peeling within a few months.
To fix it:
It’s extra work, but it beats having to repaint the entire wall in a year.
Painting might not be worth it if the wall is in bad shape, swollen from moisture, warped, or starting to crumble. In that case, talk to a painter or contractor about replacing the material with new drywall or finished plywood panels.
But if the wall is structurally sound, painting is almost always the most affordable and fastest way to update the space. You just have to do it the right way.
If you’re dealing with plywood or other non-drywall walls in your Omaha home, you’re not alone. These walls are common in older houses, and while they do come with a few extra steps, they can look just as good, or better, than drywall with the right prep and products.
At Brush & Roll Painting, we’ve helped many Omaha homeowners get beautiful results on surfaces like plywood, MDF, and fiberboard. We believe homeowners should know exactly what goes into a good paint job so they can hire the right painter or do it themselves with confidence.
If you're ready to bring new life to your older walls, click the button below to get a quote.
If you’re not ready to get a quote but are planning an interior painting project, click the button below to download our free interior painting project checklist. It will walk you through everything from hiring a painter to keeping your walls looking fresh for years to come.