Kitchen cabinet painting is a self-contained job. You must plan ahead, conduct research, block off time to complete the task, and solicit assistance when necessary. We wrote this tutorial to address the latter; we want you to have all you need to complete the task independently if you so desire.
On Pinterest, painted kitchen cabinets appear incredible, which may cause you to underestimate the time and effort required to achieve them. Painting kitchen cabinets entails far more than simply painting your cabinets a couple of coats of fresh color. We emphasize this since painting cabinets has various potential dangers, and we don’t want you to make any beginner errors.
Let’s take a look at the procedure for painting kitchen cabinets. When it comes time to paint your kitchen cabinets, we want you to feel confident and capable. How to paint kitchen cabinets in the following steps.
1. Take All Cabinet Doors And Drawers Away
The first step is to remove any cabinet doors or drawers you wish to paint. Even if this is a do-it-yourself project, you should remove all doors and drawers, as well as any knobs, pulls, locks, or other hardware. Place these components securely in plastic bags and store them in cupboards. After you’re finished, the last thing you want to do is begin searching for missing components.
When painting your kitchen cabinets, organization is critical. As you remove each door, make a note of its number and location to ensure that they are not mixed up. While they appear to be identical, each door is uniquely suited to its respective location. Additionally, you do not want to mix up the hinges, as this can cause confusion and ruckus as you complete the project.
2. Cabinets Must Be Clean
Even if the cabinet doors and slides appear to be clean, we recommend cleaning the painted surface. To remove any grease or filth from the doors, combine trisodium phosphate (TSP) and water. Wear gloves while cleaning both sides of the doors with a sponge and a clean towel.
3. Inspect For Dents, Gouges, And Holes
If you want your wood cabinets to look as wonderful as those on Pinterest or in the homes of your neighbors, you must go the extra mile and repair and fill any holes in the doors. Take note that if you intend to use new cabinet hardware that is larger or smaller than the original, you must fill the old cabinet hardware holes prior to painting the area.
This is accomplished by taping the back surface of the doors beneath the holes and then filling them with wood filler. Wipe away any excess with a damp drop towel and then squeeze approximately 3/4″ of hardener from the tube. Utilizing a putty knife, combine the hardener and spread it into the dents and holes, allowing for some overflow.
4. Sand And A Clean Environment
After the filled areas have dried, smooth off the surfaces with fine sandpaper. You are not required to sand and repaint the interior of the cabinets if only a facelift is being performed. Use a painter’s tape to mask off the interiors and sand only the visible surfaces and sections. The visible edges of these components are also included.
Utilize a sanding block while sanding with sandpaper to avoid rounding over the wood edges. You do not have to remove all of the old paint, but you must roughen the surfaces to prepare them for the new paint. You want a clean, adhesion-promoting base. Spend additional attention on damaged portions of the old finish; the places that receive the most wear and tear.
To work with difficult finishes, you may require denatured alcohol and fine steel wool, which are available at paint stores. You may see that some sections of the previous paint are flaking off where the original finish did not adhere well to the cabinet’s surface. Sand these areas to bare wood and then spot-prime with a stain-killing primer/sealer prior to repainting.
Additionally, you must pay special attention to the edges of each piece that you sand to bare wood. Blend/feather these edges so that they are hidden by the new finish. You want to make a good first impression with your new paint.
Vacuum the sanded area to provide a clean finish. If you have a pneumatic air compressor, set it to a high-pressure setting and blow out any dust particles that may be hidden in crevices or molding details. Following that, wipe away any sanding residue with a tack cloth.
5. Prime Your Surface
Apply an even application of primer-sealer to all cabinet surfaces with a high-quality 3-inch brush to ensure a well-bonded finish coat. Primers have a number of advantages, including the fact that they eliminate the need to sand and deglaze existing finishes and serve as an excellent base for semi-gloss, water-based paint.
The advantage of modern water-based treatments is that they produce a lasting surface comparable to that of high-gloss enamel paint. Additionally, they are more manageable, which is a bonus.
6. Paint with Semi-Gloss Latex
This is the portion that is the most enjoyable. Begin by painting the interior borders and openings of the face frames, then the cabinet’s outside sides, and finally the face frame fronts. Continue by painting the doors and drawer fronts and refinishing any moldings.
Coat all exposed areas thoroughly and apply in thin, light coats. The benefit of thin paint layers is that they dry quickly and leave minimal visible brushstrokes. Avoid overworking the brush strokes, as many may cause air bubbles in the finish and generate ridges and pits as it dries. Allow a minimum of four hours for the paint to dry.
Two coats of high-quality paint are all that is required to transform your kitchen. However, while painting cabinets, you can apply a third coat to protect them from the kitchen’s environmental factors.
7. Identify The Cabinet Hardware’s Location
This is useful if you’re replacing cabinet hardware in a location other than the original. To facilitate work, mark with a pencil the traditional way.
8. Prepare Pre-Drilling For Hardware Attachment
After you’ve secured everything, center the spring punch on the markings you’ve created, pull back, and release. Following that, use your screwdrivers to pre-drill the holes, insert the hardware screws, and tighten them into the handle.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve gathered all of the materials necessary to paint your kitchen cabinets without the assistance of pros. Inform us about your experience with painting.
